Feeling Nostalgic in Rhode Island

My third consecutive trip in June had me flying to Rhode Island to visit with friends and ended up with me feeling nostalgic.  I spent the first two days hanging out with my dearest friend from high school and my brother.  We went to the local Portuguese feast a few nights and hit up the beach on Saturday.  Even though it's been about 14 years since I lived in my hometown, there are some things that remain the same. There is a certain comfort in seeing the old familiar faces, places, and activities.

Though the ocean was much too cold for me and the cool air off the water had me wrapped in my towel by 4pm - after all I am a southerner now - I enjoyed catching up with my brother and my friend on the latest happenings in their lives.  We also enjoyed some clam cakes and fish tacos at George's of Galilee while overlooking the beach.

Clam cakes from George's

Before heading to RI, I realized I didn't have any recent pictures with my friend Juli. 
So we made sure to take a picture during the weekend.  I can't tell you how many times we've been asked if we are sisters. I think it's just the olive complexion and dark hair.


The Portuguese Social Club in my hometown brought in a famous Portuguese singer for the feast.
The picture above is Jorge Ferreira singing with his daughter.

The main reason I traveled to RI was to reunite with some friends from UVM. My college roommate invited us all to her daughter's Christening and it was amazing that everyone was able to make it!  Two girls live just north of Boston, one is in Vermont, my college roommate spends the summer in RI, and I now live in North Carolina. 2013 is our 10 year college reunion and it seems unlikely we will all make it back to Vermont for the occasion, so we opted to get together in RI. In those 10 years, all 5 of us have gotten married. During our gathering there were 6 children ages 6 months to 3.5 years and they were the most well-behaved group I've ever seen.  The newest baby was born July 3rd and another is due mid-late August.  

During our brief get-together, it was fun to talk about memories of our freshman year in college (we all lived in the same dorm together), going to Cancun for Spring Break, and all that has happened since then.  Our lives sure are different than they were 10 years ago!

Millis 2-High (plus Erin from Millis 4) 14 years later

I left RI feeling glad to have seen so many wonderful friends, but sad to leave them all. It's great to have friends living in various places throughout the US, but it would be nice to be able to see each other more than every few years, especially now that so many have expanding families and kids that grow so quickly.  This group has been the easiest to reunite with since we all have close ties to the Boston/RI area and I'm grateful for that.

Tour de Northeast Part 1 - Rhode Island!

Growing up in Rhode Island, I frequently went to the beach during the summer.  As a young child, we'd go to the calm waters of Galilee or Sand Hill Cove Beach on Point Judith most weekends.  These beaches are known for very calm waters because of the breakwater formed by the rocks that lead out from the beach.  During many of these weekends, we'd find ourselves ordering clam cakes and red chowder chowda for lunch or dinner from George's and enjoying our meal while sitting on the rocks, watching the boats and ferries come in and out of Block Island Sound.

During our quick tour of the northeast, and with only 1 day in RI, I found myself excited to travel the 45 minutes to the coast from my parent's house to indulge in some childhood memories and create new ones.  Arriving just after noon, I knew we had to get some clam cakes and red chowda for lunch.  With the limited time we had before our next adventure, we made some time to sit on the rocks to enjoy the food and the view.  The crab cakes were just as I remembered them, but I felt the chowda was pretty weak. There was definitely too much broth and not enough potatoes or clams.  We decided to try some lobster lobsta bisque, which was not something I ever indulged in as a child. Since it didn't bring back any memories, it was not as memorable as my clam cakes or chowda.

 George's clam cakes, red chowda and lobsta bisque

Since Colin had never been to Block Island, and I have few memories of the place, we decided to spend the day exploring the Island.  

Our first adventure was the 55 minute ferry ride ($20.25 pp r/t). We could have spent $15 more per person for the high speed ferry that would have gotten us there in half the time, but decided we wanted to enjoy the ride.  Besides, I needed the time to read the Island brochure I picked up at the ticket window and plan our adventure!

Colin and I enjoying the view and planning what we wanted to do on the Island

Goodbye East Matunuk State Beach!

Once on the Island, we debated between mopeds and bicycles - a difference of about $48. We knew we would see more of the island with the faster mopeds, but opted to save some money and get a little exercise by renting the bikes.  I'll admit the first half hour of the trip was difficult with steep inclines as we made our approach to the lighthouse and the cliffs, but the views were worth the sweat!

The 2,000-ton Southeast Lighthouse with its gingerbread detail,
which was moved away from the water and to its current location in 1993

Payne Overlook, before our 150-foot descent down the steps of Mohegan Bluffs.
On a clear day you can see Montauk Point on Long Island, but we had a rather hazy day!

The beach at the base of Mohegan Bluffs, said to be where the 

local Manisses pinned down an attacking band of Mohegan Indians

Enjoying the cool water and wonderful views at the base of the Bluffs and debating a swim

After making the long trip back up the stairs, we were back on our bicycles and hoping for fewer hills. Thankfully, our wishes were granted and most of the journey along the southern and western part of the Island was flat. It was a beautiful, warm, summer day, with few clouds and a cool breeze off the water. Taking our time, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and the views it had to offer. I was so happy we opted for bicycles instead of scooters once we were past the initial steep hills.

Cruising and relishing in our surroundings for most of the 2 hour ride.

Downtown/Old Harbor, returning our bikes and winding down before catching the ferry back to the mainland

Indulging in another RI favorite - Del's Lemonade!

I love Rhode Island in the summer!

What are some of your favorite memories of Rhode Island (if you've ever been)?