The following morning, as we set out for a walk, we discovered that we
couldn't have asked for a better location for our hotel either!
It was a perfect spring day as we made the short trek to
historic Benefit Street, where we admired the beautifully
preserved and restored homes on that picture-perfect street.
The trees and flowers, namely beautiful tulips and bright yellow
daffodils, were all in full bloom and we could smell the lilacs
that bloomed in manicured yards as we passed. The
delicious croissants we enjoyed from a corner European bakery
only added to our buoyant mood. We continued our stroll on
some of the more noteworthy architectural streets in the College
Hill area of town (as pointed out to us before leaving home by
our friend Margaret, a former Providence resident), and across the small but pleasant campus of
the prestigious Brown University. We could have walked for
hours down all of the beckoning side streets, but alas, it was
time for lunch and we had big plans. We were here for the
seafood and we'd gotten a couple recommendations from friends
and family for Quito's Seafood Market and Restaurant located
just a short drive south of Providence in Bristol, RI.
After an enjoyable drive on this gorgeous sunshiny Friday
through charming small-town Rhode Island, we arrived at Quito's. Upon
being seated in the small dining room, we proceeded to order a
smorgasbord of fresh seafood off the tempting menu: raw oysters,
lobster bisque, a stuffed Quahog (aka a stuffie), clamcakes and
over a pound of steamers. Everything was delightful (the
bisque was positively divine!) and we
left feeling only marginally less stuffed than we did the
previous evening when we departed Flo's. This trip was
starting to look like bad news for Caroline's waistline!
But it was another perfect spring day, and although it was a bit
too breezy and cool in the shade to enjoy our meal on the
restaurant's covered patio, it was perfect in the sun and we
enjoyed a brief stroll along the sparkling waterfront following
our second glutton-fest of the weekend before returning to
Providence to continue our adventures.
Upon returning to Providence, it was almost time to attend our
first wedding event of the weekend. But before heading to
the church for Ben & Melanie's late-afternoon ceremony,
there was still time to pass a pleasant hour lounging in the hot sun and
cool breeze
at the Hot Club, a casual bar perched on wooden decking directly
over the water in the industrial waterfront area of Providence.
Our friend Christopher, an Attleboro native and former
Providence resident (and husband of Margaret) who now lives in
Albuquerque, suggested we stop by if we wanted to relax with a
drink. He also suggested we try their specialty, the Dark
& Stormy, a concoction of local ginger beer and rum. While
we thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the open-air deck at an early
happy hour with quite a few locals getting their weekend off to
a timely start, let's just say that the Dark & Stormy is perhaps
a bit of an acquired taste. If you are simply looking to
get drunk, however, it might be just the thing for you at this
bar known for its heavy pours!
We finished our drinks and, ready to move on, we returned to
the hotel, quickly changed clothes, and were some of the
first to arrive at the ornately beautiful old Sacred Heart church in
Attleboro. Following the pleasantly brief ceremony, we
attended a dinner graciously hosted by the groom's father, Roger, who had just returned from a contract
position in Afghanistan the previous week. He did a great
job putting together an elegant buffet dinner in a private room
at the charming Colonel Blackington Inn, especially in such a
short amount of time. After mingling over drinks and
enjoying the meal, which ended with a delicious creme brulee for
dessert, we were more than ready to hit the hay back at our
hotel after a full and satisfying day.
Downtown Providence - what WaterFire looks like during the day
Bristol, RI waterfront near Quito's Restaurant - everything was
in bloom!
The picturesque waterfront in Bristol, RI
Scott strikes a seafaring pose on a dock near Quito's at the
Bristol waterfront...
The lovely Bristol waterfront was made for photographing!
Sampling a Dark & Stormy at the Hot Club in Providence
Scott's not so sure he'll be ordering one of these again anytime
soon!
Newlyweds, Ben & Melanie!
Not needed elsewhere, cousins Kyle and Scott stop for a pose