A New State

During the little free time Dad and I managed to carve out while apartment hunting, we decided to get out of Providence and see a bit more of Rhode Island.

They call Rhode Island the Ocean State, and with good reason. The coves and rivers that feed into the Narragansett Bay permeate the clusters of cities and towns that make Rhode Island  the second densest state in America.

Boats, bridges, and boardwalks play heavily in the vernacular of these cities, and one such boardwalk even offers an hour-and-a-half-long bike path from Providence to Bristol. When we were there, a couple families were fishing over the railings of the boardwalk and another family on a boat glided by beneath.

We were only able to see a couple towns this time around (partly because we wanted to save Newport so Mom could see it too) — Bristol and Warren — which you can take a look at below.

One of the unique quirks of being the smallest state in America is that Rhode Island has a state-wide transit system, rather than multiple municipal ones, and as a student at Brown, the a transit pass is included in my tuition. I definitely plan to take full advantage of my access to all these great little cities!

Drive-in theatre North of ProvidenceNorth of Providence: A drive-in theatre along a strange stretch of businesses. Other noteworthy nearby features included an abandoned store shaped like a milk can and a mysterious one-storey gate made of cemented stones with what looks like an empty cinema marquee on top.

A bridge on the East Bay bicycle path North of WarrenEast Bay bicycle path: A couple families fish over the railing of a bridge.

Dad on a bridge on the East Bay bicycle path North of WarrenEast Bay bicycle path: Dad watches the fishing lines bob in the Barrington River.

Fresh fish caught off a bridge on the East Bay bicycle path North of WarrenEast Bay bicycle path: Freshly caught fish!

A small motor boat glides beneath a bridge on the East Bay bicycle path North of WarrenEast Bay bicycle path: A small motor boat glides under the bridge.

Italian Festival in WarrenWarren, RI: Passing through the town of Warren, we noticed a local festival going on. Most of the attractions were for children, and every tent was paid for by a local family or in honour of the recently deceased.

Shrine to St. Mary in WarrenWarren, RI: A shrine to St. Mary, hidden at the back of the parking lot we parked in.

Shrine to St. Mary in WarrenWarren, RI: Close-up of the shrine to St. Mary.

Bristol's red, white and blue road paint, following the path of America's oldest 4th of July paradeBristol, RI: Red, white and blue road paint, following the path of America’s oldest 4th of July parade.

Graveyard in BristolBristol, RI: A flag and statue mark the military portion of a very old graveyard.

Graveyard in BristolBristol, RI: Left: one grave reads “In memory of David Maxfield, 1755-1836, Veteran of the American Revolution”; right: American flags mark the graves of soldiers.

Mt. Hope Bridge between Bristol and Aquidneck IslandMt. Hope Bridge: The bridge connecting Bristol to Aquidneck Island, which is about where Dad and I turned around, since this road leads to Newport. Aquidneck Island is, in fact, where the State of Rhode Island gets its name. According to a plaque in downtown Providence, the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano spotted this island on his expedition to the American East coast in 1524. He named the island after the Greek island of Rhodes because of its similar diamond shape.

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