August 11-21                     North Kingstown and Providence, Rhode Island

We had consecutive days for almost a week of lovely cool weather with little wind.  Perfect time to take the boat out to the bay but—an engine exhaust problem kept us at the dock.  We sadly watched others leaving and returning from trips to Block Island and places on Long Island and listen to their reports of great days on the water.  We are still waiting on the repairs to our disabled engine.

For several days, we have watched the progress of Hurricane Erin as it moved toward the East Coast.  On August 19, the weather changed and we experienced light rain and wind.  This continued the following day and prompted us to bring umbrellas as we departed for our overnight stay in Providence.  We were celebrating our 71^st wedding anniversary.  Pretzel was being cared for by Cody and his sisters.

We had booked a Providence City Tour to experience some of the sights and history of this beautiful city.  With only six of us on the small bus, the guide was exceptionally helpful in providing insight into the diverse areas and attractions.  The large Italian area was our favorite.  We visited a neighborhood market and bakery that displayed amazing varieties of food and pastries.  Italian pride is displayed in the painting of street lines and fire hydrants in green, red and white, colors of the Italian flag.  Numerous restaurants were in the area and it is a popular busy place on weekends.

As one of the thirteen colonies, Rhode Island has a long history with its founding by Roger Williams.  The beautiful Baptist Church, oldest in America, remains a vibrant part of the city and a tribute to the efforts of Williams to support separation of church and state. We were impressed with the campus of Brown University, an Ivy League school with many notable graduates.  Situated on a hilly site overlooking the Providence River, its many buildings present diverse architectural styles surrounding a lovely grassy quadrangle.

Johnson and Wales is a highly ranked culinary arts school with a downtown campus.  Five other colleges are located in the city and the population will expand soon as the school year begins.

We had reservations for dinner at Al Forno, a highly recommended Italian restaurant.  David was not feeling well.  We booked a later time at the restaurant.  He still was not feeling well.  We missed that reservation so I made another later one at a nearby restaurant.  David rallied and we drove there but found no parking place near.  As it was raining, we did not wish to walk far.  Fortunately, we remembered a favorite place, Capriccio, only a block away with valet parking.  It was almost 9:00 and we did not have a reservation but were greeted warmly and quickly seated in their beautiful dining room.   We had a delicious dinner with great service.  Our anniversary was a lovely success!

Hurricane Erin brought wind but little rain.  As we returned to the boat, we carefully walked the dock as we observed considerable chop in the harbor.  The boat was securely tied but it was buffeted by the waves.  Fortunately, the winds decreased by midnight.  We were greeted by a lovely morning with sun and blue skies.

 

           

 

 

July 26-August 10             North Kingstown, Rhode Island

This is the height of boating season for Rhode Island and our marina is always a popular destination for boaters on Narragansett Bay.  This year there is an added attraction as we have three large yellow plastic ducks perched atop one of the central docks.  They were a gift from the marina owner to his grandchildren and everyone is enjoying the whimsical touch.  Channel 10 from Boston interviewed the grandchildren and showed the ducks on the evening news. 

Another interesting sight in the dock next to us is a beautiful 104 year old excursion boat owned by one of our boating friends.  He collects older boats and may charter this last one for parties.  It is in pristine condition and a    showstopper!

With persistence, Maria obtained reservations for the newest popular restaurant near us.  Located in a beautifully renovated diner, Il Milano seats fewer than fifty people (there is a lovely outdoor venue) and serves delicious Italian dishes.  We were pleased with the excellent food and attentive service.  The unusual, somewhat quirky setting does not detract from the upscale ambiance.    We returned the following weekend with Cecil and Bob (on the boat next to us) and dined in the garden area.  We had another lovely evening with exceptional food.

Eric Philbrook, our neighbor in Fort Worth, came to Massachusetts on business and we were delighted he accepted our invitation to the boat.  He came for drinks on the aft deck before dinner at our local favorite, Tavern by the Sea.  We were fortunate.  We had a perfect table on the deck with a lovely view, great service and wonderful food.  The weather was cool, and we enjoyed a long, interesting evening as we learned more about Eric and his experiences.  We continued for dessert on the aft deck of the boat.  Eric left the following morning to visit his mother in Portland, Maine.  We were delighted to have him visit.

August 11 is Victory Day, a state holiday commemorating the end of WWII, and will be the final day of a beautiful weekend with sunny skies and little wind.  We are enjoying hours sitting on the aft deck and watching a parade of boats, kayakers, and paddleboarders.