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Walking along the Providence riverfront
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Providence gondola ride
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Sailing the Long Island Sound
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  • States:
    Rhode Island
    Connecticut

By 7:30 a.m. we were ready to rise, shine and hit the road to take in as much of the Northern Atlantic Coast as possible.

Once we made it to Rhode Island, we were ready to drift down the Providence River from a unique vantage point — a gondola ride down the scenic river, thanks to La Gondola. The river walks, waterfront parks and vital “Renaissance” city of Providence floated by as we took it all in.

Showcase for Art

By mid-morning we realized that inspiration was to be the theme of the day in Providence as we toured the incredible Rhode Island School of Design Museum.  As one of the country’s top design schools (known as RIS-Dee), each building of the museum has been artfully re-created to best showcase its specialty. So much beauty in just one morning! 

Viewing exhibits at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum

Viewing exhibits at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum
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Breaking for a Meal

But road-trippers cannot live on beauty alone, so we made our way to Hemenway’s Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar for lunch.  It felt really good to settle in and enjoy a meal that was flown in that very day from the New England coastline just to the north of us. 

Enjoying fresh seafood at a Providence restaurant

Enjoying fresh seafood at a Providence restaurant
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Moving on to Mystic

Next, it was time head south to take in another gem along the Northern Atlantic Coast, Mystic, Connecticut.  About 90 minutes later, we found ourselves boarding the wooden deck of ARGIA, a two-masted 25-meter 19th century replica sailing schooner, to get our very own taste of maritime history among the light houses and islands of the Long Island Sound.  We soon found ourselves sailing just as they did in the early 1900s, and we even lent a hand in raising sails and crewing the boat.

Sailing along the Long Island Sound

Sailing along the Long Island Sound
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The Famous Pizza Place

Later, we decided to catch dinner at Mystic Pizza, which – you guessed it – served as the inspiration for the popular 1988 film Mystic Pizza. What used to be a little family-owned pizza shop has become a town hot spot. We give the pizza, the atmosphere and what we saw of the movie playing in the background two thumbs up.

In Mystic, pizza at the location that inspired a movie

In Mystic, pizza at the location that inspired a movie
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Closing Out the Day

So much fresh sea air and travel through time left us in the perfect mindset to melt into our relaxing rooms at the Stonecroft Country Inn B&B. Connecticut countryside on a warm summer evening — could anything be better?

Outdoor dining at sunset in Mystic

Outdoor dining at sunset in Mystic
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