The Ocean State, the Plantation State, Little Rhody — whatever you call it, Rhode Island is for many Bostonians nothing more than an oddly shaped sliver of land on the way down I-95. Or sometimes, when traffic on the Bourne Bridge gets too frustrating, beach-goers head to Newport as an alternative to Cape Cod.
But Rhode Island is more happening than many realize. And just because it isn’t exactly bathing-suit season doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of reasons to pack up the car and head toward our neighbor to the south.
NEWPORT NEWS
Located about an hour and 15 minutes from Boston, Newport is best known for its boats, bars, and beaches. But through February 23, the 15th annual Newport Winter Festival is showcasing all the city has to offer, with activities ranging from martini contests and chili cook-offs to a Fleetwood Mac tribute concert. Stores are decorated to compete for most attractive window display, and restaurants are offering special dishes for festival-goers. Buy a Winter Festival button for $6 and receive reduced or free admission to many of the events. Andrea Dillinger, a festival organizer, says highlights include the second annual pizza cook-off on February 22 at the Newport Hyatt, and a concert by Beatlemania cast members on February 22 at the Hotel Viking.
If you fall in love with Newport during the Winter Festival, there’s a good excuse to return in March, when Newport celebrates Irish Heritage Month. "Everyone is Irish in March," says Kathryn Farrington, director of communications for the Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau. There are activities planned throughout the month, including a huge St. Patrick’s Day parade on the 15th.
The kickoff event is the annual Kinsale, Ireland, Festival of Fine Food, held March 6 through 9. Kinsale is known as the "Gourmet capital of Ireland," says Farrington. It’s also Newport’s sister city and, since 2000, chefs from Kinsale and Newport have participated in a culinary exchange, opening up the kitchens of select restaurants to one another and letting lucky diners taste the results. After the Irish chefs come to Newport to cook up dishes such as poached darne of sea-fresh brill, American chefs will head to the Emerald Isle to make New England clam chowder. "It’s a nice cultural exchange," says Farrington. Reservations for the Friday- and Saturday-night "dine-arounds" should be made through participating restaurants. Getaway packages are also available.
Of all Rhode Island’s attractions, perhaps none is as well known as the Newport mansions, 11 properties that represent an era of opulence and extravagance this country isn’t likely to see again. Since the mansions opened to the public in 1945, they’ve become one of the most-visited attractions in all of New England. The Breakers, the Vanderbilt family’s summer "cottage" and the grandest of the properties, is open daily. The restoration of the roof has just been completed, and the building has never looked better, says Trudy Coxe, CEO of the Preservation Society of Newport County. "It’s the building that people want to see when they come to Newport," she adds.
On weekends, the Elms and Marble House are also open. Visitors can tour all three mansions for $25. By June 21, all 11 mansions will be open. Audio tours at the Elms and Marble House give visitors insight into the Berwinds and the Vanderbilts, the families who built these impressive homes. At the Elms, visitors can also take a behind-the-scenes tour of the servants’ quarters. In addition, films and lectures are offered regularly at various sites, and on April 19, the annual Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch, featuring 1000 eggs on the lawn at Rosecliff, will be held. Also at Rosecliff, on June 28 and 29, you can come to the Newport Flower Show — New England’s only outdoor flower show.
"It’s one of the most elegant venues for an event of this type," Coxe says. Of course, she adds, visitors need not wait for a special event to tour these amazing buildings. "It’s an event in and of itself just to visit any of the mansions."
Another of Newport’s most popular winter destinations is the Born Family Skating Center, located on the waterfront downtown. The rink is open daily through the end of March. If you’re not exactly light on your skates, eliminate the possibility of wiping out innocent children by going to the adults-only sessions, held Fridays and Saturdays from 9:30 to 11 p.m. Admission is $6 including rental skates, $3 without.
DIVINE PROVIDENCE
North of Newport, and about a half-hour closer to Boston, Providence also has an outdoor skating rink across from the Kennedy Plaza. The Fleet Skating Center is open daily, with night sessions running from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission for adults is $5, and rentals are $5 as well.
The skating center is literally the tip of the iceberg in Providence, which has really come into its own in recent years. One of the best ways to get a taste of Providence’s art scene is by participating in Gallery Night Providence, a monthly event during which 25 of Providence’s hottest art spots open their doors to the public for free. There’s even a free ArTrolley to carry visitors between the galleries, and free parking at MetroPark behind Citizens Plaza. Gallery Night is held the third Thursday of each month, from 5 to 9 p.m.
Of course, one of the focal points of the Providence arts scene is the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, located at the edge of downtown Providence. The third-largest art museum in New England, the RISD Museum offers an audio tour with its $6 admission. The last Saturday of each month, admission is free, as it is Sunday mornings and the third Thursday evening of each month.
"We are Southern New England’s premier art museum, with a collection of 80,000 works in our permanent collection spanning from ancient to contemporary times," says RISD senior press officer Matt Montgomery. Currently, the museum features "On the Wall: Wallpaper by Contemporary Artists," an exhibition featuring new wallpaper installations by 23 artists who approach wallpaper from a fine-arts perspective. Ongoing exhibits include medieval galleries, Egyptian galleries, and the Buddha and Asian galleries.
A trip to Providence without a visit to the Roger Williams Park Zoo is almost not worth it. If you want to buck the crowds and see animals that hide during the summer — such as the snow leopard and the polar bear — now is a great time to visit the zoo. "Winter is a beautiful time to appreciate the grounds that we have," says PR and marketing director Lisa Bousquet. She adds that at $8 for adults, you can hardly find a better bang for your buck in Providence. And while zoos are often associated with kids, Bousquet says a trip to the zoo can make a great date as well, especially during these less-crowded, cooler months when your sweetie may need to snuggle to stay warm.
Starting April 14 and leading up to Earth Day, the zoo holds its conservation week, teaching visitors about the environment and various careers in conservation. Earth Day at the zoo features an environmental fair with more than 50 area organizations participating.
BRISTOL AND BEYOND
For more outdoor fun, visit Blithewold, a 33-acre estate in Bristol with a large arboretum and a graceful lawn that sweeps down to the water. The mansion dates back to the late 1890s. Although the mansion doesn’t open for tours until April 12, the beautiful grounds are open all year round. "In the winter, you can really see the trees, the structures," says Eileen Miller of Save Blithewold. "And we’re right on Narragansett Bay. The views are spectacular, and the sunsets are the best."
When the mansion opens in the spring, it does so with a flourish, with the nationally known Daffodil Days festival. With more than 50,000 bulbs in bloom, some of which were planted at the turn of the 20th century, the grounds are a spectacular sight, says Miller. Admission to the gardens when the house is closed is $5 for adults, $10 when the house opens.
Beyond the museums, the festivals, and the parks, Rhode Island boasts an increasingly poorly kept secret: its very own wine valley. Surprisingly, New England’s climate and Rhode Island’s location near the ocean are ideal conditions for growing a variety of grapes. Opened in 1975, Sakonnet Vineyards in scenic Little Compton is the oldest Rhode Island winery. Now through Memorial Day, the winery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free tours on the hour from noon to 4 p.m. Continuous tastings are offered in the hospitality center for $5, which includes six wines and a glass.
Sakonnet also has an ongoing master-chef’s series, featuring all-day cooking sessions with guest chefs and a dinner. This month’s class features Phyllis Kaplowitz, the executive chef at Boston’s Jacob Wirth restaurant, on February 22.
Diamond Hill Vineyards, located in Cumberland, was opened in 1976 by Pete and Claire Berntson. Tastings are offered Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. In Middletown, just outside of Providence, the family-run Newport Vineyards has been open since 1977. Tours and tastings are offered daily at 1 and 3 p.m.; the grounds, which overlook Rhode Island Sound, also feature a restaurant, deli, gift shop, and art gallery. Wine experts have said Newport Vineyards is among the most modern in the East.
The newest winery in Rhode Island is Greenvale Vineyards, a 20-acre winery located along the Sakonnet River in Portsmouth. Situated on a 19th-century Victorian farm, the winery can produce about 5000 cases of wine annually. Tours and tastings are regularly scheduled, as are special events, such as Sunday-afternoon acoustic-music performances. On February 28, the Celtic duo Tara’s Thistle will perform in the tasting room from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., and other evening performances are scheduled throughout the spring.
Kim Weidman can be reached at kweidman@hotmail.com
