EXPLORING RHODE ISLAND

Waterfire is about artists and about community. It is a celebration of the best of humanity. There are jazz musicians and violinists, there are business parties and educational awards events, there are fine arts exhibits and good quality crafts to buy. Foods of all kinds are available with wines and beers and soft drinks. Lovers will find it romantic, the imaginative will find it exciting, Mom, Dad and the kids will enjoy its freedom and diversity, and you will love it in your way too. We always schedule our visit to Rhode Island when there will be a Waterfire celebration. We wouldn't miss it for all the world. For much more information and the current schedule of events please click here Waterfire.

It might be helpful to imagine this wonderful little place from the sky. Rhode Island is like an upended "U" facing south with a huge bay separating the two sides so we speak of East Bay and West Bay, but in truth that doesn't really cover it, though it does give you a place to start. The East Bay carries Rt. 95 and all that implies as from Rhode Island the next big attraction is New York City. A lot of it seems more densely populated than the West Bay especially with the outlying areas of Providence and the completely developed towns of Warwick and Cranston. Heading south from there you begin to encounter the colonial charm you have in mind passing through chic towns like East Greenwich and Wickford. Further south you'll find the beaches and beach towns. Narragansett is home to some of the old wealth of New England. The houses are large and beautiful, but credible compared to those in Newport which were extravaganzas of new money. In contrast, wealthy people really lived in Narragansett as these were their summer homes.

Further south you'll encounter Roger W. Wheeler State Beach more commonly known as Sand Hill Cove, the beach neighborhoods of very tiny summer cottages and Pt. Judith with its thriving fishing industry and wealth of seafood restaurants. Right there as well is the ferry to Block Island a summer haven for folks from New York City, but only occasionally visited by Rhode Islanders. It's beautiful, small and pristine. I once worked with a young woman who grew up on Block Island. Her invitation to visit gave me my first incredible experience of the island.

If you continue south on Rt. 95 from Providence heading toward New York City, before leaving Rhode Island you would have encountered many more very isolated beach communities, but one has special glitz -- Watch Hill. It is a conservative small town where tall privacy hedges seem to be perfectly trimmed at all times. Few people from Rhode Island live here. The women are very thin and a little wizened, the men are rich. I don't envy the competition here for "top dog."

The West Bay on the whole is more subdued than the East. Right outside of the capital city of Providence is the well managed corporate residential town of Barrington. Beyond that you'll drive through Warren, an engaging mish mash of colonial and kitsch, then arriving in Bristol, with its thoroughly manicured main street colonial town. On the backside of Bristol lie such features as an aging Converse factory.This is the commercial side of Bristol dahling' and we only go there to the supermarket, pharmacy and liquor store.

Continuing from Bristol you'll cross an artfully designed bridge into Portsmouth. From there you can travel south toward Newport or West toward New Bedford, MA, cutting the trip short to head south again while still in RI toward Sakonnet. This is a beautiful ride through some artfully and skillfully developed very small towns and communities. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all had a bit more cash and a lot more good taste. If you drive to the end of the road you might find my very favorite in the whole world lobster shop. I have to say the summer vegetable stands along this road sell fruits and vegetables that look as beautiful as anything in California's Marin farmer's market.

RHODE ISLAND PLACES

RHODE ISLAND PLACES -- THE WEST BAY -- BRISTOL

As a young woman I lived on the water in Bristol growing a huge garden and truthfully shivering all winter in one of those dreamed about colonial houses filled with glorious antiques. Facing the water in winter in Rhode Island requires a stiff upper lip at first and later in life creates very stiff bones. At the time there was a Converse sneaker factory there where I worked for one day. It was a dangerous and exhausting place where Portuguese immigrants spent long days with lots of hours of overtime. I had not a clue what to expect when I took the job, but quickly learned. I don't know if it is still operating, but I have never since bought a pair of Converse shoes. In recent years Bristol has been well and truly gentrified. It always was a very pretty town; now it is a postcard. For such a small town, there are many reasons to visit. These three truly wonderful places in the town are my favorites on the long list -- The Herreshoff Museum, Blithewold and of course Pat's corn farm.

Blithewold is a beautiful home with all the warmth and character of a family's summer residence. There is even an enclosed pagoda where you can sit and enjoy a half hour video of the family's lifestyle. I especially loved seeing their small plane land on the front lawn. Over time Blithewold was inherited by later generations and one of them had a love of gardens. Thanks to her, the property became what is today, a glorious home surrounded by the exquisite garden she created. To see much more of this extraordinary garden visit my website,

http://www.greengardeningcookingcuring.com/Botanical%20Gardens.html#blithewold

RHODE ISLAND PLACES -- THE WEST BAY -- SAKONNET

Pt. Judith is the "end of the road" in this area. It is the deep sea fishing base for the state and the port for the Block Island Ferry. Nearby is the Sand Hill Cove public beach where all summer long families put down their blankets, put up their umbrellas and partake of the day. Nearby are seafood restaurants specializing in Rhode Island's finest fresh lobster, clams, quahogs and crabs all accompanied by Rhode Island or Long Island clam chowder, Rhode Island clam cakes (not to be found anywhere else), fresh ears of buttered corn and all the other "sides" you can dream of. This is get down and dirty dining that will knock your socks off.

I love fish of all kinds and one of my favorites in this part of the world is bluefish. It is an oily full flavored fish and fried or baked it is wonderful. Shellfish are another passion with scallops topping the list. The very close second is steamers whether long neck or hard shell. I love it all and you may too. Growing up on the sea I learned early on what is good seafood. Good seafood is fresh. If you are looking at a whole fish the eyes should be bright and clear and the skin should be moist and shiny. If the place where you are shopping for fish has an unpleasant smell, leave. Old seafood can make you very very ill. When you take home your steamers, remember if the shell doesn't open discard it. If you are cooking lobster or crabs, make sure they are alive before putting them in the pot. If they aren't, toss them out right away.