New England Mamas

10 things to do this summer in Rhode Island

With summer ("unofficially") upon us, it's time to start rolling out the summer plans.

Even in the tiny state of Rhode Island, there is plenty to do... either for a day trip, a weekend trip or a full-on vacation stay.

If you are planning on visiting our nation's tiniest state this summer, here are the top 10 must-dos:

1) Explore Newport. This seaside city has endless opportunities for summer fun, from the beaches (Easton's beach - or "First Beach" to the locals - is great for families with its carousel, children's playground and skateboard park) to the Cliff Walk (3.5 miles of architectural, coastal and wildlife beauty) to the  Newport Mansions (tour 11 of the historic properties that have helped define America's heritage, located on 80 acres of gardens and parks). Don't forget to stroll down Thames Street and stop for a bite to eat at The Red Parrot or  Salas'. A short walk from Thames St. will bring you to The Black Pearl for award-winning clam chowder and an elegant atmosphere. And for the best buffet in town, plus a fabulous theater/cabaret production, don't miss the Newport Playhouse.

2) Go to the Roger Williams Park Zoo. There are always fun events, exhibits and more going on at the zoo, located on the grounds of Roger Williams Park, which also offers a carousel, boat rides and greenhouses.

3) Watch a PawSox game. The Pawtucket Red Sox are the Triple-A Affiliate team of the Boston Red Sox, and their home turf, McCoy Stadium, is right here in Pawtucket, RI. Enjoy a family-friendly, wallet-friendly experience, watching the future household names of baseball fine tune their skills. Sometimes you'll even catch a current Boston Red Sox star playing at McCoy as he rehabs following an injury.

4) Experience WaterFire. This summertime tradition is an experience not to be missed. It lights the night with 100 sparkling bonfires along the three rivers of downtown Providence. Thousands gather to watch the beauty of WaterFire take in its musical and cultural accompaniments. Don't miss it! (Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the  2008 summer schedule.)

5) See the Narragansett Towers.  These much photographed historic Towers are located on a beautiful and scenic stretch of road along Narragansett Beach. Live music and dancing, and other public events, are held at the Towers throughout the summer.  But it's worth a visit, even  if only to take photographs of the architecture.

6) Ride your bike. Rhode Island has so much natural beauty, and one way to experience much of it is by riding on the state's many bike paths. The paths will take you along the riverways, through beautiful towns and into parks.

7) Visit Block Island. The laid-back atmosphere on Block Island is just perfect. Go for the music festival, unleash your adventurous side and go kiteboarding - or just spend the day traversing the island by bicycle.

8 ) Pick Blueberries. July and August are the best months to go blueberry picking around here. When you pick them right from the bush, blueberries are so ripe, fresh and delicious! My favorite place is Rocky Point Farm. You can find detailed information about where to pick other fruits and vegetables around Rhode Island here.

9) Spend the day at the park. For such a small state, there are plenty of wonderful parks in Rhode Island. My favorite two are Colt State Park in Bristol and Goddard Park in Warwick. Pack a picnic basket, a Frisbee and some Wiffle Ball equipment, and you're good to go. Both parks offer walking trails and small beach areas. And you can go on horseback rides at Goddard Park.

10) Kayak on the bay. You're never far from the water when you're in Rhode Island (we are the Ocean State, after all). Take a tour on kayak with The Kayak Centre in Wickford or Ocean State Adventures in Bristol.
 

Try To Set The Night On Fire

Last night, the kids got to stay up late enough to see a river lit on fire.  It was the first WaterFire of the '08 season, and we decided to ignore usual bedtimes in order to be there.

We started our evening at the Providence Place Mall, eating dinner at Dave & Buster's, where no one seemed to mind that Jilly spilled her lemonade, not once, but twice.  After a few video games in their arcade, we were ready to go outside and get positioned for the lighting of the fires. 

Having never been at the start of the event, I had no idea how the whole thing would begin.  The Mall is at one end of the fire's route, so we just started following the path of the river.  It was about 7p.m., about an hour before sunset when the fires would be lit.

In the river were floating buoys filled with wood, waiting for the start.  A beautiful gondola pushed a couple through the still waters.   Vendors sold glow-in-the dark light sabers and necklaces although we convinced the kids to wait until we found WaterFire volunteers selling their "Ribbons of Light" necklaces which double as a fund raiser.  Unfortunately, WaterFire is also feeling the economic pinch; with fewer corporate sponsors this year, they've had to cut back the number of fires that will be lit through October. 

With my kids' tired legs and my husband's broken toe, we did not venture far down the river's route.  We heard that at the other end, closer to the colleges, were more festivities, but we were content to find a spot to sit at  WaterPlace Basin, where the fires are set up in a large circle.  Outside one restaurant, there was beer and wine for sale.  We chose instead to fuel up on Del's Lemonade.

The area around us became crowded with people, and it was a true melting pot of ages, ethnicities and styles (my kids really liked the guy with rainbow-colored hair).  We saw several people walking dogs and pushing babies in strollers.  People ate and drank at the restaurants with outdoor seating along the river.  My kids rolled down a grassy hill as we waited for sunset.

Shortly after 8:00, music started to play through the loudspeakers---a slow, drumming beat.  A few songs played as we sat in the dark.  Finally, we saw a boat appear, followed by several others piled with wood and black-clad volunteers.  A torch was lit and the fire was passed from boat to boat.  Most of the boats then headed back upstream but two stayed in our circle.  After positioning the boats at opposite ends of the circle, they began to light the fires in front of us. 

The crowd cheered.   The atmosphere, though, was calm and soothing.  Many stood to walk up river, although we chose to sit a while and watch the flames grow higher.  The river seemed to glow as it reflected the light.   The ambient music continued to play as we slowly got up and began our walk back to the car with sleepy children in tow. 

The next WaterFire is Friday, May 30th (see a complete schedule here---scroll down page for dates).  Beginning in August, the lightings will occur before 8pm, so those with early bedtimes can attend without too much disruption to their schedule.  Don't miss it.

My Ultimate: Mr. Right for a Night

("My Ultimate" will run most Tuesdays and will feature any topic that hops into my head.  The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the other New England Mamas. . . although they should).

I have found my poison for the summer.

It is called "Grape Lemonade" and this drink brings me back to those days of. . .well, those days of never, since if I had discovered this when I was younger, I'd probably be sleeping in a gutter somewhere right now.

Grape Lemonade and I met at Providence's Parkside Rotisserie & Bar.  He was sweet but came on strong.  I needed to watch myself around him because he would've had me singing Sweet Caroline and high-fiving everyone at our table if I'd spent too much time with him.   

He's gone now and all that is left is a memory.  I just wish this memory could remember what went into him so that I could recreate his magic myself. 

(so far, I recall that this drink had Three Olives Grape Vodka, lemonade and possibly sour mix; if I hear from the fine people at the Parkside, I will update you all.  Don't say I didn't warn you).

New England - A safe place to raise kids

Today, I came across an article by Parents Magazine and the results of their study on the safest place in America to raise children.  I am happy to see that four out of the top 10 safest states are from New England.  And the other two states round out number 11 and 12.

I'm even happier, to see that my home state of Connecticut is ranked the #1 safest state.  This is due mainly to their booster seat and bike helmet laws.  We've got some work to do to improve especially in the way of water safety, but it's great to know that overall, our kids are in safe hands.  I like knowing that our lawmakers have our children's safety in their minds.  When Connecticut first passed their upgraded child seat laws, I scoffed.  Really, what first grader (and above) is going to want to sit in a booster seat?  And how will I navigate the car line at school if I have to strap a child into a car seat/booster seat?  You know what, it doesn't take any more time.  Einey, my first grader, just hit 40 pounds, the minimum state weight to go from a car seat to a booster seat (even though I switched her earlier).  To graduate from a booster seat to a car seat, she has to have reached 60 pounds and her seventh birthday (the law is a bit ambiguous on this, but talking to seat inspectors, they all have that in agreement).  I don't see her miraculously gaining 20 pounds in the next ten months, so we'll be holding onto the booster seat for a few more years. 

How did the rest of the New England States rank?  Rhode Island, our neighboring state, comes in at #2.  Their main focus is on combating violent crimes involving children.  Their weakness is at school-bus crossing zones.  The next New England state on the list was Maine coming in at #6.  They rank high when it comes to teen drivers, but low with leaving children unattended in vehicles.  Massachusetts rounds out the top ten at #8.  They have great emergency care set up for children, but allow children as young as four to buckle up without a booster seat.  I found this surprising with their proximity to CT which has much stricter laws. Vermont just misses the top ten at #11 and New Hampshire comes in at #12.  Overall, New England seems to be a very safe place t olive.  To find out where your states ranks and some quick stats, visit Parents.com.

Providence Children's Museum

My husband's away on business this week.

Yes, that's right... here I am with 3 boys, and 6 months pregnant, alone for the week and looking for things to do!

Thank goodness for mothers and sisters. Literally.

My mother suggested that each day we do something different... and ALL things to keep the boys busy.

With a 3 year old, a 2 year old and an 11 month old... we're a little limited. We can't go roller skating. We can't even go to the Kids Gym activities at our local YMCA because you have to be 4.

So...

We racked our brains.

Monday was Easter Egg Day. Yes, the "Easter Bunny" came early because the boys have been so "good!"

Tuesday was BOWLING DAY! A fantastic thing to do on a weekday... the bumpers were up, nobody was there, we could be as noisy as we wanted... and the kids had a blast!

Wednesday... now this was the true gem! We went to the Providence Children's Museum! I don't know how many of you out there have been to this museum, but it was perfect!

The boys played in the water room. They played in the RI History rooms. They played on the trucks. And the bridges. They played with the books and the magnets and the legos and the wooden blocks. They played in the animal room. They went into the mirror room.

And... (LOVED THIS!) they played for an hour in the Little Woods Room. Yes, this heavenly safe zone for kids 4 and under was the perfect place for the boys to romp, roll and play. The treehouse. The cave. The slide. The "rocks." And the infant pillow/cushion haven for my little guy Ben.

It was the BEST place to let everyone "go"....

If you haven't checked out the Providence Children's Museum... it's a wonderful place to hang out. A lot smaller than the Boston Children's Museum... but the perfect size for little guys looking to let some energy out and just have a grand old time!

- Audrey

The forgotten state

Have you heard? There are some BIG presidential primaries taking place today!

Ohio!

Texas!

Oh, and VermontandRhodeIsland.

I don't know about my fellow New England mamas in Vermont, but this Rhode Island mama feels a little left out of all the excitement.

Yes, Hillary made an appearance here a few weeks ago. Bill Clinton made a speech here on Friday. And Obama spoke to a big crowd here on Saturday.

But other than that, we've been pretty ignored. We're not one of the "big two" states that will be a determining factor in whether or not Hillary will continue to run. It's all about Ohio and Texas.

That's OK, though. I will still make my way to the poll today and make my vote, even though I'm still technically undecided.

Wish me luck - I've heard the poll venues are jam packed today. Yes, even in little ol' forgotten Rhode Island!

- Jane

A February Funk

OK, February. I get it.

You suck.

You're cold, rainy, windy, ugly, vile and mean.

And that's on a good day.

I'm getting really tired of looking out my bedroom window every morning to be greeted with an unfriendly gray cloud cover.

Of having to wear 5 layers when I go outside just to be mildly comfortable.

Of hearing the weatherpeople say that we're still going to have to wait awhile for the Spring weather (thanks for the reminder, guys).

Of dreading getting out of the shower to face the frigid air in the nude.

Of the bare trees.

I need the warm weather back.

The smell of grass being cut.

The desire to take a walk outside and not having to add one layer of clothing.

The sound of the lawn sprinklers.

The sight of families at the park.

There's nothing like New England in the Spring and Summer. It's breathtakingly beautiful.

I love living by the ocean. Spending the day at the beach. Being able to drive for three hours and hit four different states (the three-hour drive from Providence to Portland takes you through RI, MA, NH and ME. Strolling through the quaint New England towns.

I definitely don't want to leave my home state. But I'm clearly one of those people who needs to live in Florida from January to April.

My job would allow me to telecommute like that. But my husband's teaching job may make it a little tricky.

OK, there goes that dream. 

I guess Plan B would be one of those Seasonal Affective Disorder light therapy lamps.

On second thought, that seems a little weird.

I think I'll just suck it up for 6 more weeks!

- Jane

Me and the Tedster

OK… I am a New England Patriots FANatic, as are most of us New England Mamas.

And the two weeks since the not-so-Super Bowl for us New Englanders have begun to heal (a tiny bit) what reason cannot.

Don’t get me wrong.  I still wake up mornings with that sense of disbelief and, well, broken-heartedness that is our human lot when our hopes and great expectations become promises for perhaps another day, another year.

Oh, and it doesn’t help that one of our very close friends, who is (or was?) a die-hard Steelers fan, now works for the Giants organization and has sent me a little reminder of our loss in about 300 photos, from arriving in Arizona through the New York City parade and everything in-between (yes, he was there for it all).  Yes, Doug… it has always been great fun for us to kick Steelers ass, but my wounds are still raw in a Giant sort of way.

I truly miss seeing my favorite guys in red, white and blue and rooting for them on Sunday afternoons and evenings during the fall and long New England winters. Guys like Tedy Bruschi.  I love this guy.  I love his story.  I love his enthusiasm for the game of football.  And I love his love of family.   

But anyway.  Football season is over.  Red Sox pitchers and catchers have reported for spring training.  And the Providence College men’s basketball team is still hanging on… OK, by a thread, but my husband* and I are fans anyway.  Go Friars!

(*my husband Barry grew up listening to the Friars’ games on the radio back in the early ‘60s when his idols like Lenny Wilkens, Johnny Egan and Ray Flynn were playing, and he has lived Friars Basketball ever since… so to now have 2 seats on the floor of The Dunk is more than a dream-come-true.  He is kinda like Jack Nicholson at Lakers’ games!)

I love sports so much because it is a great equalizer.  Sure, to be great at tennis or golf or perhaps polo, your parents just may have had a few bucks.  But I still believe in my heart and soul that most sports greats are guys and girls with a lot of talent and more determination and let’s just say it… sometimes balls, than most others. 

This is why I love Tedy Bruschi so much.  He is that perfect combination of quiet certainty and heroic humility.  I can see why he is an idol to so many New Englanders, as attested by the thousands of fans who wear his jersey. 

So how exactly does Tedy Bruschi fit into my conversation of the Providence College Friars?  As my husband and I ran to our seats at The Dunk yesterday to watch Providence College (or so we hoped!) redefine Rick Pitino’s day, we were not immediately allowed to get to our seats.  Instead, we had to enter from another direction.  As we ducked our way along, a fellow season ticket holder and now friend stopped us to introduce us to his guest at the game.  As I extended my hand, I realized that Tedy Bruschi was at the other end of it.

Tedy Bruschi.  Tedy Bruschi sitting right there next to my husband. 

Now, let me just say here that I am not a bothersome fan.  I admire from the sidelines, from our section 9 season seats at Fenway Park, from the bleachers if I need to, from the floor of The Dunk, from box seats when I can get them, and/or sitting at a bar or in my family room.

I admire what it takes to become a great athlete.  My husband’s childhood dream was to play for the Friars… he ate, walked and slept basketball.  But he took a different journey.  You know, a few little wise-guy moments that got his grades and his sports dreams all messed up.  And my journey was different too.  I played basketball and softball as a kid, but ended up cocktail waitressing and jewelry-piece-working my way through college.

By the time we found each other and sparks flew like fireworks, we were both teaching inner-city kids.  We knew then that these kids needed dreams and ways to accomplish them… and that became our focus.  But we still loved our sports teams.  As our own kids came along, we literally saved pennies to take them to Fenway.  Or the former Providence Civic Center… now The Dunk.  To Boston Garden.  To Foxboro Stadium. And all the Halls of Fame.  Our sons loved basketball and football, and our daughters excelled in swimming and running. 

But back to Tedy Bruschi.  So gracious under the scrutiny of thousands of fans.  So enthusiastic about the Friars.  And sitting right next to us, talking to my husband like he is just another basketball fan.

Then the phone calls.  The first one was from a friend.  Then my husband’s brother.  Then our granddaughter, Taylor.  “Wow, Grandpa.  I just saw you and Grandma on television sitting next to Tedy Bruschi!”  And text messages.  It seems that ESPN was covering the game nationwide, and my husband and I got in the frame as Tedy was being filmed. 

Too fun!

And then last night everyone asked, “Did you get a photograph with Tedy?”

“Well, no,” we explained.  “It didn’t seem appropriate.  After all, Tedy was a guest of a friend.  That would have been a little tacky of us.”

“Oh, no!” Our five-year old grandson, Andrew, was so horrified that we had no photo that we thought he may never speak to us again.

“Sorry, Little Buddy.” 

Then this morning, the phone calls started coming again.  “Hey, Sharon.  Is that you next to Tedy Bruschi at the PC game?” 

And yes, it is!  Right there in the sports section of the Providence Sunday Journal.  Me and Tedy.

 

Ah, ha!  Not only do I have a coveted photo of one of my all-time favorite sports guys, I can show it to my 2 granddaughters and 5 grandsons (with 2 more on the way!). 

So what more of a hero can I be? 

None!

I love it.

Thanks, Mike, for bringing Tedy to the game!

- Sharon

(photo credit: The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl)

The joke's on whom?

The school departments, most of whom canceled school last night before any sign of precipitation had appeared?

The teachers and students, who are going to have to make up this day in June?

The weather(wo)men, for whom even a single snowflake is like a wet dream?

Me? At home with my teacher husband, who has nothing to do and is hovering over me as I try to get work done?

All this for a lousy 2 inches of snow!?

- Jane

I know where I stand... but who do I stand behind?

I'm glad that the New Hampshire primary is over. Even though I live 2 states away from the Granite State, I still felt the residual effects of the primary here in Rhode Island, just a few hours from there.

And when I was on vacation in Maine a few weeks ago, about 20 miles from the New Hampshire border, forget it. I couldn't turn on the TV or listen to the radio without being bombarded with a million political ads telling me why I should vote for candidate X.

I felt like screaming at the TV or radio, "Give me a chance to make up my mind, will ya!?" But that would have been kind of weird, so I didn't.

The problems I have with choosing a candidate to vote for right now are:

a.) What if I do all my research now, decide who my man (or woman) is, and then that person drops out/isn't in the final running? I'm not a fan of going back to square 1

b.) I'm an Independent, so there's double the trouble in choosing my candidate... do I go Democrat or Republican?

c.) Voting time for me still seems sooooooo far away (although I know 10 months will fly by)

d.) I really don't completely trust any of the options I have in front of me

Plus, my political views are all over the map.

I'm very liberal on some positions, and decidedly conservative on others.

And I tend not to trust men with Southern accents. Don't ask... even I can't explain it. But there goes Huckabee (eww) and Edwards.

I wish there was some kind of online technology that allowed me to share all of my political views, and would calculate my best fit for a candidate.

You know, kind of like a Match.com but without Dr. Phil.

So that's the root of my voter's block... I know where I stand on the issues. But who do I stand behind?

I guess only time (and a lot of political ads) will tell.

- Jane