Despite having lived for nearly a decade in the Boston area, I rarely ventured to Providence, Rhode Island despite it being only an hour from its larger neighbor. Smaller and less commercialized, Providence boasts a vibrant art community, an exciting restaurant scene, and some awesome historical sites. Longtime readers might remember my short, but jam-packed, weekend in the city a few years ago. So on a recent weekend in late April, when my wife and I found ourselves in Providence for a relative’s wedding, we decided to make the most of our visit and do some more exploration!
Over the course of three days, we ate amazing meals, caught up with family and friends, stopped by some historic sites, shopped, swung by a historic lighthouse, and saw one of the most expensive homes in America.
Let’s begin!
A Providence Party
From Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, our travels would see us add nearly 500 miles to the TLX’s odometer. Let’s go!We left home under sunny skies mid-morning on Friday, encountering mercifully little traffic. About an hour later, we crossed the New York state line.Rather than slog our way through Manhattan, the GPS routed us across the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. This dual-span twin bridge opened in 2017, replacing the decaying Tappan Zee Bridge which had outlived its service life.After crossing the bridge, we made a spontaneous detour to visit the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Path.Open to both bicyclists and pedestrians, the Bridge Path is one of the longest dual-use paths in the country. Visitors can start the path in either Nyack or Tarrytown, and walk (or bike) the 3.6-mile route along the bridge.Along the Path are exhibits on the construction of the bridge. These two rings show the size of the steel piles that support the massive weight of the bridge. Over one thousand of these pillars act in concert to support over 50 million vehicles each year (via Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge).Six scenic overlooks sit alongside the path, jutting out from the bridge. Lacking enough time to cross the entire bridge, our destination was the “Tides of Tarrytown,” the first of the overlooks about a half mile from shore.The bridge stands over 400 feet above the Hudson River. The view is spectacular, allowing you to see miles and miles to the north.I’d be lying if I said my fear of heights did not bother me – it was a long, looonnnggg way down to the river. Even so, it was a beautiful sight, and I’m glad we took the walk. After taking in the view (and lasting for as long as my acrophobia would allow), we headed back to the car for our next destination.About a half hour later, we stopped for lunch at Food Truck Paradise, a pier along the New Haven waterfront. Every day, approximately two dozen food trucks, serving primarily Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Latin American food, line up to serve hungry customers… including, on this day, the staff of The Open Road Ahead!The offerings of every truck looked and smelled amazing. I opted for a traditional Cuban sandwich at the “Sandwiches El Cubano” truck.I devoured the “Original Cuban Sandwich.” A Cuban is made of ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mayonnaise, and mustard on an Italian roll. While my wife enjoyed an order of Venezuelan arepas, we agreed that my sandwich was the highlight of lunch. Fueled up, we set off for Providence.On our way north, we somehow missed the “Welcome to Connecticut” sign at the New York/Connecticut border. Then, we also managed to miss the “Welcome to Rhode Island sign.” So in the town of Killingly, on the CT/RI border along Route 6, we made a u-turn to get both signs. Oops.Welcome to Rhode Island (again). This makes the 8th state the TLX has visited in my ownership.We arrived at our hotel in Providence by mid-afternoon. Our home for the weekend would be The Graduate. Formerly the Providence Biltmore, this luxury hotel was built in 1922. Interesting fact: at a time when many hotels were segregated, the Biltmore was fully integrated, and even purchased a listing in The Green Book, a guide for Black travelers that was popular in the early and mid 20th century (via Wikipedia).As soon as we stepped inside the lobby, we immediately saw why this hotel is a popular wedding venue in Providence. Wow!The Graduate is a chain of luxury hotels whose theme focuses on nearby universities. In the case of Providence, The Graduate highlights alumni of Brown University. Replica student ID cards serve as room keys! I was assigned the room key for Barry Sternlicht, who is a billionaire investor, while my wife used the ID card for Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise. Both are Brown alums.The Graduate definitely leans into the college nostalgia – check out the Scantron-themed notepad that was beside the phone in our room!After settling into our room, we met up with some family members for dinner at Bayberry Garden, a restaurant that focuses on ingredients and dishes that celebrate the coastal cuisine of New England.We started with a shrimp cocktail appetizer……before moving onto a platter of oysters (pro tip: try the homemade hot sauce – it’s tongue-tinglingly awesome)…While my wife had the catch of the day, I devoured this order of maccheroncini – pasta with duck confit. It was divine!After dinner, we took a stroll through Providence, and I walked on my second bridge of the day – the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge. Constructed on the foundations of the decommissioned I-195 bridge over the Providence River, this walking path opened in 2019.The next morning, we met up with friends for breakfast at The Rhody Hen Cafe in Pawtucket. It has excellent reviews, and much of the menu can be made gluten free!I had the RH sandwich (egg, sausage, and cheese on an English muffin), my wife had corned beef hash, our friend Kathryn had gluten free pancakes… but it was our friend Tara who stole the show with waffles and fried chicken! The food was excellent, and fueled us up for the long day ahead.Before heading to our next stop, Kathryn proudly showed me the odometer of her 2010 Honda Accord sedan – 220,719 miles! Her car was featured a few times in this blog, including in the previous post! Congrats on finding such a reliable ride, Kathryn – here’s to many more miles! I also wanted to give Kathryn a special shout-out for recommending Bayberry Garden, the pedestrian bridge, and Rhody Hen Cafe. A longtime Providence resident, she helped point us in the direction of some very cool spots!After breakfast, we drove a few miles up the road to Slater Mill, the nation’s first water-powered cotton mill. Built in 1793, this mill operated until 1895. Slater Mill was the brainchild of English immigrant Samuel Slater. The site is now managed by the National Park Service.Old Slater Mill, on the right, was built in 1793, and spun cotton for over a hundred years. To the left is Wilkinson Mill, which made machines for other mills around the country.The Sylvanus Brown House is a preserved home of one of Samuel Slater’s mechanics.Six years after the mill opened, Samuel Slater’s business partners shamelessly stole Slater’s designs and opened a second mill. With funding from his in-laws, Slater, furious from the betrayal, built a competing mill directly across the river. Years later, fences between the business partners were mended, and Slater, William Almy, and Obadiah Brown worked together to built the biggest mill in the nation, about 13 miles northwest of Providence.My wife had a late morning appointment at a hair salon to get ready for the wedding, so I spent some time exploring the eastern tip of the city. Books on the Square was celebrating “Independent Bookstore Day,” so I bought some books, and got a free cookie too!We stopped for a late lunch at The Guild Beer Hall & Brewery in Warren, Rhode Island.We started our lunch with some tasty beverages – a glass of Chair 2 light lager for myself, and a mango seltzer for my wife. Both drinks were excellent!We then dined on a light meal of a Guild Chopped Salad and the Margherita Flatbread pizza. It hit the spot!Later in the afternoon, we gathered with family and friends to celebrate a lovely wedding! The 17th floor of The Graduate was decorated to the nines! It was a wonderful evening, and we danced all night long!The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and began the long drive back to New Jersey. “Want to see an old lighthouse?” my wife asked. We left the highway and wound our way toward the Rhode Island coast. Turning a bend in the road, the architecture suddenly went from merely pretty to absolutely stunning.We were in the hamlet of Watch Hill, in the town of Westerly. The homes were jaw-droppingly gorgeous.We had come to visit Watch Hill Lighthouse, a granite lighthouse built in 1856. Access to the lighthouse is via a private road, but town residents permit pedestrians to access the road (senior citizens and individuals with disabilities are permitted to drive). The road is open to visitors from 8:00 am until sunset every day.The first lighthouse in this location was built in 1745 and there has been a working lighthouse on Watch Hill ever since. It is currently managed by the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association, in partnership with the US Coast Guard. Interesting fact: Sally Ann Crandall became the first woman lighthouse keeper at Watch Hill in 1879 (via Wikipedia).The rocky coastline off Watch Hill was gorgeous. If you look in the distance, you can see the tip of Long Island.I snapped this shot of the magnificent homes of Watch Hill. I later showed this photo to a friend who informed me that the white house on the right is High Watch. Built in the 1920s, it is one of the most expensive homes in the United States. You may have heard of its current owner: pop star Taylor Swift.We made one last stop on our way home – lunch at Shoreline Diner and Restaurant in Guilford, Connecticut.My wife was delighted with the wide range of gluten free options on the menu – she had a crab cake sandwich. I had the Seoul Burger – a cheeseburger with kimchi and bacon. Our meal was excellent!After fighting heavy traffic in southern Connecticut and New York, we made it to the George Washington Bridge, where the road finally opened up and we were able to complete the last leg of the journey in peace.In the late afternoon we pulled into our driveway. The TLX continues to impress me during long trips with its comfort, sportiness, and fuel efficiency. Another road trip in the books, as 40,000 miles begins to near. Onward!
Wrapping Up
As I said in the introduction, one of my few regrets from my years in Massachusetts was how little time I spent in Providence. Each time I visit, I find new restaurants to enjoy, new sites to visit, and new people to meet. We are already compiling a list of places to explore during our next trip – I can’t wait!
Thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the Open Road Ahead.
We also were up there recently (last fall) to visit a friend who lives in Foster, RI. The trees were SO beautiful. We drove all around: Boston, Providence, through Connecticut, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. We had to go to John Adam’s houses after reading David McCullough’s biography. Very sad that it’s sandwiched that much with streets, but the cafe across the street was delicious.
Visiting Newport, RI brings a whole new level of stupid rich! LOL! We had high tea at the Chinese tea room and ended up stuffing ourselves like royalty.
That sounds like an amazing tour of New England! Glad to hear you were able to hit a lot of the best spots. Massachusetts is one of my favorite places to spend a fall day.
Newport is unreal – just to think that many of those mansions were merely “summer cottages” for the wealthy – just… wow!
The Open Road Ahead 
That’s some beautiful architecture and design in the hotel and at Watch Hill.
Thanks for braving the bridge(s)!
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Agreed – the design of the hotel interior and the homes at Watch Hill were jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
I brave heights for my audience!!! 🤣
(And thanks for the catch on the typo!)
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OMG! That duck confit with pasta….drooool!
We also were up there recently (last fall) to visit a friend who lives in Foster, RI. The trees were SO beautiful. We drove all around: Boston, Providence, through Connecticut, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. We had to go to John Adam’s houses after reading David McCullough’s biography. Very sad that it’s sandwiched that much with streets, but the cafe across the street was delicious.
Visiting Newport, RI brings a whole new level of stupid rich! LOL! We had high tea at the Chinese tea room and ended up stuffing ourselves like royalty.
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That sounds like an amazing tour of New England! Glad to hear you were able to hit a lot of the best spots. Massachusetts is one of my favorite places to spend a fall day.
Newport is unreal – just to think that many of those mansions were merely “summer cottages” for the wealthy – just… wow!
Thanks for reading!
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sometimes I read these posts and I think to myself Carlie really could not have found a better partner ❤️
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❤️
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