Friday, December 25, 2015
Merry Christmas!
We planned on taking two days to drive to Rhode Island, and ended up taking just one.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Since we had arrived before everyone else who was coming to RI, we had a day to check out a few things in this state where we once used to live.
Interstate I-195 has been re-routed, on what they call the Iway, across a new Providence River "signature" bridge.
We had to have one of our favorites, a Wimpy Skippy, for lunch at Caserta's Pizzeria.
Walked downtown to the Providence Place mall and Waterplace Park (1993-1994).
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| WaterFire grill |
WaterFire is a "sculpture" designed by Barnaby Evans, who created a series of fires that appear to float on the Woonasquatucket, Moshassuck, and Providence Rivers. He first built the installation in 1994, and again in 1996. It became an annual seasonal event in 1997.
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| Reflection on the Woonasquatucket River |
We drove through the East Side of Providence to East Providence, and passed our former house in Rumford.
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| 17 Agawam Park Road |
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Erich had flown up from DC with Dylan and Pete to visit their mom/"Nanna" in RI. Today they came to have breakfast with us at the Country Kitchen in Seekonk, MA.
Next they came to our hotel to burn off the breakfast calories swimming in our hotel pool.
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| Erich, Dylan, and Pete |
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Erich,
Dylan, and Pete |
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| Grandpa S reads to Pete and Dylan (photo by Kyle) |
We were joined by Kyle and Katrina, and later by Mary Jane/Nanna and had lunch at the 99 Restaurant & Pub, a "kid-friendly" place. The eight of us were in two side-by-side booths where they removed the wooden barrier between the tables to create one space.
After lunch we headed to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in three vehicles! Although it was a gray day, the temperature was between jackets and no jackets.
A tradition when going to the RI zoo is taking a picture with the statue of the dog.
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Kent, Kyle, and Erich in 1986;
The Sentinel (1851) by Thomas Frederick Hoppin |
The Sentinel was the first large scale bronze casting done in America (previously, everything was cast in England and shipped here), depicting a mastiff named Black Prince. It was donated to the city by the Hoppin family in 1896, and has resided at the zoo ever since. However, its position in the zoo has changed several times. Today it is in front of the old Menagerie (1890), now the gift shop.
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| Kyle |
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| Erich |
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| Dylan |
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| Tamiko (KSS) |
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| Pete |
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| Black Prince and Pete |
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| Pete and Dylan |
Now there is another photo op animal sculpture.
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| Dylan and Pete |
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| Pete |
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| Pete with the docents poster |
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| Dylan makes it over the crest of the mountain |
We finished the extended-family day with a pizza dinner at Mary Jane's house along with Barney/Grumpa, and Ben and his girlfriend.
We so much appreciated the opportunity to share the visit in order to see the grandsons!
Monday, December 28, 2015
Knowing we could make it home in a day, we spent today driving through eastern RI, first to Little Compton and Adamsville.
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Rhode Island Red Monument (1925)
by Henry L Norton |
The monument commemorates the state bird of Rhode Island, a chicken that was first bred in Adamsville in the 1850s. Captain William Tripp started a series of poultry experiments in 1854 when he purchased a Red Malaysian cock from a sailor in New Bedford, MA. Working with John Macomber of Westport, MA, they added several other breeds to the mix to develop a bird known for high egg yield, but was also delicious to eat. In the 1880s, another neighbor, Isaac Wilbour further improved the breed and came up with the name of Rhode Island Red.
We continued to Bristol, stopping to have another Rhode Island favorite, a Newport Creamery Awful Awful, a relative of the milkshake made from whole milk and ice milk, with flavored syrup. We shared a thick chocolate one, whose name comes from "Awful Big, Awful Good."
We visited Blithewold Mansion, Gardens, and Arboretum.
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| Cherry blossoms in December! |
Today was sunny but the temperatures were closer to freezing.
Although the mansion was closed today, the grounds are open to the public and a donation is requested.
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| Moon Gate (c. 1896) designed by landscape architect John DeWolf |
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| Snowflakes in The Bosquet/Woodland |
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| Snowflakes made from bamboo |
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| Phyllostachys aureosulcata/Yellow Groove Bamboo |
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| Reconstructed stone bench |
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| Water Garden (KSS) |
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| Garden bench (KSS) |
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| Dominoes and shells (KSS) |
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Blithewold Mansion (1907) in English Country Manor style;
listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 |
We stayed with friends Peter and Beth in Ashland, MA before driving home on 12/29/2015.
