Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for rhode island
A Legacy in Bristol
By Linda Tancs
Blithewold (meaning “happy woodland” in Old English) is an estate in Bristol, Rhode Island, that chronicles the Van Wickle, McKee and Lyon families. Shunning the nearby grandeur of Newport, the story begins with the wealthy couple Augustus and Bessie Van Wickle, who purchased the property in 1894 to create a rural retreat on Narragansett Bay. It’s one of the few late 19th and early 20th century New England estates that retains its integrity and authenticity down to the details of plant materials and interior furnishings, family archives and artifacts present in the 45-room mansion. It’s also one of the most fully-developed and intact examples of the Country Place Era in the United States and represents the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement in the country. The 33-acre estate features gardens that combine layouts from the 1800s with contemporary settings. Opening times vary with the season.
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Rhode Island’s Flagship Vessel
By Linda Tancs
The official flagship and tall ship ambassador of Rhode Island, SSV Oliver Hazard Perry is the largest civilian sailing school vessel in the United States and the first ocean-going, full-rigged ship to be built in the U.S. in over 100 years. The ship is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a native of Rhode Island and the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812. Its educational programming includes introductions to marine navigation and engineering. Public tours are also available. During the summer season (June to October), the ship is docked at Fort Adams State Park and thereafter relocates to Bowens Wharf, both in Newport.
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A Presidential Church in Rhode Island
By Linda Tancs
St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church is the first Catholic church in Rhode Island, but it’s perhaps better known as the venue where Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was married to then-Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy (later the 35th president of the United States). The Newport church is now open to the public Monday through Friday, year-round, in addition to regularly scheduled Mass times. Tourists flock there to see the site of the famous wedding along with the kneelers used during their nuptials. When in town, the couple sat in pew #10. Arguably one of the most stunning churches in New England, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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The Rock in Newport
By Linda Tancs
Once called “The Rock on Which the Storm Shall Beat,” the fortress at Fort Adams State Park is located at a strategic defensive position at the entrance to Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island. The fort is named in honor of President John Adams and was dedicated during his tenure on July 4, 1799. Its current structure was built in 1824 under the Third System model of coastal fortification, which provided more durability in construction. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the current fortification. Self-guided tours are available daily to explore areas above ground. On a guided tour, you’ll also delve into the underground tunnels and the quarters where officers and their families lived.
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The History of Tennis
By Linda Tancs
The International Tennis Hall of Fame preserves and promotes the history of tennis and celebrates its champions. The museum displays over 2,000 items from its vast collection, including items associated with each hall of famer. The facility also features The Hall of Fame Tennis Club, which is open to the public daily for court time, lessons and clinics. One of the most interesting exhibits at the museum is the hologram of tennis great Roger Federer, giving visitors the experience of a one-on-one encounter. The museum is on the second floor of the historic Newport Casino Building in Newport, Rhode Island.
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Newport’s First Palatial Residence
By Linda Tancs
Until the appearance of the Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s, Chateau-sur-Mer was the most palatial residence in Newport, Rhode Island. Built in 1852 as an Italianate-style villa for China trade merchant William Shepard Wetmore, it was the site of elaborate parties, including a country picnic for more than 2,000 guests and the debutante ball for Miss Edith Wetmore in 1889. The mansion ushered in the Gilded Age, a period characterized by extreme wealth among America’s leading industrialists. William’s son George (later Governor of Rhode Island and a United States senator) remodeled the house during the 1870s in the Second Empire French style, details of which are evident throughout the home. The mansion is open daily from July to October.
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A Birthplace of Industry
By Linda Tancs
Often described as the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park runs from Worcester, Massachusetts, to Providence, Rhode Island. Several textile mills along the river sparked the transition from farm to factory, but it was the success of Samuel Slater’s cotton spinning mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, that transformed American industry. Visitors to the park can explore it at their own pace through walking tours of company towns and planned mill villages like Whitinsville and Slatersville. You can also take a ranger-led tour of Old Slater Mill, paddle along the river and bike through the soon-to-be completed Blackstone River Bikeway from Massachusetts to Rhode Island.
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Surf City in Rhode Island
By Linda Tancs
Surfers flock to the tony enclave of Point Judith in Narragansett, Rhode Island, a place with reputedly the best waves in New England. The lighthouse there (operated by the Coast Guard and closed to the public) was constructed to guide mariners past the rocky shoals that claimed many a ship, a consideration no less relevant to wave riders. In fact, the south side of the point is best navigated only on really big swells. Onlookers can watch the action from a park nearby the lighthouse that offers stunning coastal views.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Bristol and The Great Gatsby
By Linda Tancs
In the heart of Bristol, Rhode Island, is Linden Place, a Federal-style mansion built in 1810. Visited by four U.S. presidents, it might be better known as a film locale in 1973 for Hollywood’s “The Great Gatsby.” The mansion (now a historic house museum) is complemented by sculpture-filled gardens, an 1825 carriage barn, a 1902 ballroom and outbuildings dating from 1750. Guided tours of the house (generally available from May to October) take one hour.
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As coronavirus proceeds, it is likely that the vast majority of us will be limited in our travels. But this, too, shall pass. Our love for travel remains, so Travelrific will continue offering travel inspiration in this medium. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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America’s Oldest Synagogue
By Linda Tancs
In colonial times, Newport, Rhode Island, welcomed its first Jewish residents as early as 1658. A century later, the population had grown substantially with the rise of the mercantile trade, giving rise to the need for a place of worship that was named Congregation Jeshuat Israel (Salvation of Israel). It was later renamed Touro Synagogue after Newport natives Abraham and Judah Touro, who both provided bequests to see to the perpetual care and maintenance of the Congregation’s properties. Designated a National Historic Site in 1946, the synagogue boasts a connection to George Washington, who adopted many of the views on religious liberties and the separation of church and state that were espoused by the congregation’s president during his address to Washington at Newport. In fact, Washington’s written response to the congregation is an annual celebrated event, lauded and commemorated as possibly having the greatest impact on America and American Jewry. The next annual reading of George Washington’s historic letter “To the Hebrew Congregation at Newport” will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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