In the summer months there are a variety of locations where one can find delectable, farm fresh produce, meats, pasta, preserves, and more. These markets usually run during the summer and fall months, approximately June to October.Broad Street Farmers' Market, Algonquin House, 807 Broad St.,…Read More

In the summer months there are a variety of locations where one can find delectable, farm fresh produce, meats, pasta, preserves, and more. These markets usually run during the summer and fall months, approximately June to October.

Broad Street Farmers' Market, Algonquin House, 807 Broad St., Providence, 273-9419, ext. 27. This market offers more than just produce. You can also find the occasional cooking demonstration, local musician, and activities for children.

Capitol Hill Farmers' Market, 1 Capitol Hill, Providence (across from State House), 222-2781. Thursday 11am-2pm.

DownCity Farmers' Market, 831-3771, 539-7043. This market moves around the city. For information, call.

Governer Dyer Cooperative Market, between Promenade and Valley streets, Providence, 273-8800. Daily. (I often hear of this market but have yet to actually find it...)

Hope High School, corner of Hope and Olney streets, Providence. Saturday 9:30am-12:30pm. I frequent this market most because it is close to my house. I am never disappointed with my finds and often spend a good amount of time just perusing and sampling.

Monday Market, 2 Kennedy Plaza, Providence, 378-1882, Monday 2-6 pm. This market is in the very center of the city, in the park across from the Kennedy Plaza bus terminal. Check out the gourmet pasta offered here.

Wickenden Street Farmers' Market, 65 Brook St., Providence, 635-4274, Tuesday 2-6pm.

No matter which Farmer's Market you choose, you will be sure to find exactly what you are looking for. Close

The Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, located in the Biltmore Hotel, is a haven from the hustle and bustle of a thriving city. My experience began on a rainy winter day, as everyone's does who attends the Red Door Spa, with free valet parking. A…Read More

The Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, located in the Biltmore Hotel, is a haven from the hustle and bustle of a thriving city. My experience began on a rainy winter day, as everyone's does who attends the Red Door Spa, with free valet parking. A major theme at the spa is equality--whether you are simply getting a manicure or will be papering yourself with a full day of beauty, the staff at the Red Door Spa treat you as their special guest. On this occasion, it was my fiance who was pampering me, with a Shea Body Butter Melt, a facial, and a warm cream manicure.

At the spa entrance, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, yet modern and soothing. Customers enjoying spa services are led up a separate elevator to the main floor, whose ambience far exceeds any I've seen in luxury and relaxation. The changing area is like that of a personal living room, with coded lockers for storing valuables, and plush terry robes and comfy sandals are given to wear throughout your stay. As I was enjoying multiple services that day, I was able to spend time in the relaxation room, the Red Door's version of a waiting room, with pillowed seating, delicious lemon-lime water, and soothing music.

I am not a professional spa-service reviewer, so I do not claim to know how the services themselves compare to others done by other salons and spas. The Shea Butter Body Melt began with an exfoliating total body rub, and I was given the gloves that were used after the service was over. Next, a thick layer of butter was applied all over my skin. I was then wrapped in a warm plastic cocoon, and the esthetician gave me a gentle head, neck, and face massage while the butter set into my skin. After approximately 20 minutes, I was unwrapped and the butter was further massaged into my skin and then removed with a damp towel. My skin was soft all over.

I do not remember much of the facial, just that it was the ultimate in soothing. While the esthetician cleansed, creamed, and detoxified over and over again, my hands were also massaged and placed in warm gloves. When it was time to do the dreaded extractions, there was no pain because my face had been so properly prepared. It was perfect.

The manicure was also wonderful, if pretty standard. All I can say is that at the end of my day, I was at the peak of relaxation. All of the estheticians who performed the services were professional and friendly, not leaving me feeling exposed and making me feel at ease. I highly recommend the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa for the ultimate in pampering.Close

Not enough can be said about walking through this city. Whether you're walking on Thayer Street to go shopping or through College Hill, the neighborhood where Brown University makes its home, you will enjoy what you see. Along Thayer Street, you will find local merchants…Read More

Not enough can be said about walking through this city. Whether you're walking on Thayer Street to go shopping or through College Hill, the neighborhood where Brown University makes its home, you will enjoy what you see.

Along Thayer Street, you will find local merchants as well as chain stores. On the weekend afternoons, this is the place to people watch. Or, head to the new Providence Mall, anchored by Nordstrom's, for serious shopping.

It seems that anywhere you go in Providence, there is something lovely or historic to look at. Rick and I just walked around without a guide book, so we weren't quite sure what all the places were that we passed, but enjoyed such sites as a giant metal man scuplture in the middle of a sidewalk and a scuplture of a man falling off to a building, that uses an actual building as its canvas.

Walk down by the riverside, recently it has been cleaned up and restored, and the bridges and brickwork are lovely. While we were there it was too cold to spend much time, but I imagined that in the summer it would be quite romantic.Close

This is a beautiful little unit of the National Park System, right in downtown Providence. It honors Roger Williams as the founder of the first government in the world with complete religious freedom for all (see previous entry in this journal for more about him). Unlike…Read More

This is a beautiful little unit of the National Park System, right in downtown Providence. It honors Roger Williams as the founder of the first government in the world with complete religious freedom for all (see previous entry in this journal for more about him).

Unlike many national park areas, this one offers no grand scenery (though it is a beautiful urban oasis) or historic buildings to link you to the past of a famous person or time (although the park's visitor center does date back to the 1730s). No, this is a memorial in the truest sense -- a plce where nothing tangible exists from the time or person being commemorated. Rather, it is a place for contemplation. It is not by accident that this 4.56 acre park is in between the 19th century St John's Episcopal Cathedral and the stunning Rhode Island State House. The park is symbolic of William's idea of a "hedge of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world." A hundred years before Thomas Jefferson used a similar analogy (the wall of separation), Williams and his followers were practicing what they preached right here on this little plot of ground.

The visitor center features exhibits on Williams' life and times, and also offers information for visiting many of the cities other famous sites. Take a stroll out to the Hahn Memorial, built in the 1930s as an even tinier urban oasis in a neighborhood of warehouses to honor the supposed site of the actual spring where Williams founded the city.

Do take a few moments to find a quiet bench and ponder Williams' contributions to American life. Whether you are a Christian Fundamentalist, a Jew or an atheist, his ideas have a direct impact on how you live your life today.

Back in the early 1600s, there weren't many folks who stirred up more trouble in New England than Roger Williams. In fact, he was kicked out of some of the best neighborhoods in New England: Boston, Salem and Plymouth. Williams came to America seeking, as many…Read More

Back in the early 1600s, there weren't many folks who stirred up more trouble in New England than Roger Williams. In fact, he was kicked out of some of the best neighborhoods in New England: Boston, Salem and Plymouth. Williams came to America seeking, as many others did, freedom from religious persecution. What made Williams unique though, was that he wanted that freedom not just for himself (as was the case with the Separatists (Pilgrims) at Plymouth, or the Puritans in Boston), but for everyone. Williams believed that each individual had to make his or her own decision about what to believe about a supreme being, or even whether to believe at all. His radical ideas got him banished from Salem, and to avoid being sent back to England, he set off on foot in a howling midwinter snowstorm, to find his friends Canonicus and Miantonomo, two Narragansett Indians. He chose for his homesite a location near a 'sweet spring,' and established a colony where all people could live according to their own conscience. He named his town not after himself, but after God, whom he believed led him there. Williams had other radical ideas as well. He believed the native peoples were not savages, but noble people, worthy of respect. As a mark of his respect he learned to speak Algonguin, and even translated the language into English. This was the first time that a native American Language was translated, and Williams' book remains a classic in linguistics. He believed that women had a right to self-determination, and that they too should have 'Liberty of Conscience.' These ideas all seem pretty dull to many people today, but Williams laid important foundations in this beautiful New England city -- foundations that later influenced the framers of the U.S. Constitution into including religious liberty as a right for all people.Close

I wasn't sure what to title this, so that's why it is in the "experiences" category. If you have never heard of Dave & Buster's, consider it like a Chuck E. Cheese's for adults. This playground is located on the top portion of the 3rd…Read More

I wasn't sure what to title this, so that's why it is in the "experiences" category. If you have never heard of Dave & Buster's, consider it like a Chuck E. Cheese's for adults. This playground is located on the top portion of the 3rd floor of the Providence Place Mall. Although children are allowed in, it is primarily geared for adults. As you walk in, you are greeted by someone at the door. It is STRONGLY recommended that you are 21+ but if you have someone under that age, make sure you have someone 25+ with you, so those who are underage can come in and play. Once in, you can have dinner, go to the bar, or go and play. The dinner menu is your typical American style food. Dinner prices range from $9, to about $17 or so. Dessert is always a good choice too. They come out with a tray of desserts for you to choose from. Now, on to the games! Besides video games, there are pool tables available for you. Once in the main game lobby, go to the main kiosk to get a Power Card. This is a plastic card where you get credits to play the games. There are so many video games, from skee ball, to the "Dance, Dance Revolution" game. Some of the games have tickets that you can redeem for prizes. It's your cheezy style of prizes that you'd find at Chuck E Cheese, although with enough tickets, there are more mature prizes. If you want to accrue the tickets you can, they will be stored on your Power Card to use at a later date. This is the only place I know of where adults can act like they are a kid again and not feel embarrassed. Close

Providence is home to an incredible variety of architecture that dates from tiny homes of the early 1700s to the beautiful bridges and landscapes of the new Waterplace Park. A great way to get a feel for the city's architectural majesty is by taking part…Read More

Providence is home to an incredible variety of architecture that dates from tiny homes of the early 1700s to the beautiful bridges and landscapes of the new Waterplace Park. A great way to get a feel for the city's architectural majesty is by taking part in a tour. Two of the best are offered by Barbara Barnes and the Providence Preservation Society. Barbara's work on behalf of education and historic preservation in the city of Providence is legendary. You can contact her to arrange a private or group tour by writing ProvWalk@aol.com.Close

Providence has some great restaurants to choose from. I''ve listed some below, along with an approximate price range, and type of food. $ = cheap, under $10 $$ = moderate, $10-20 $$$ = expensive $20-up Capitol Grille - $$$ - Steaks - in old Train station Hemenways - $$$…Read More

Providence has some great restaurants to choose from. I''ve listed some below, along with an approximate price range, and type of food.

$ = cheap, under $10
$$ = moderate, $10-20
$$$ = expensive $20-up

Capitol Grille - $$$ - Steaks - in old Train station
Hemenways - $$$ - Seafood - South Main Street
Al Forno - $$$ - fine dining, one of RI''s 5 star restaurants - on the waterfront
Parkside - $$ - Wood grilled food - South Main St
Geoffs - $ - tons and tons of sandwiches.. - Thayer St
Ri Ra''s $ - Irish food - in the old train station.
Cactus Grille - $ - Really good Mexican - Near Davol Square
Haven Brothers - $ - Diner food - Small diner car on Dorrance street near kennedy plaza.. great for late night
Andreas - $$ - Greek food - Thayer St
Cheesecake factory - $$ - American food - Prov place Mall
Old Canteen - $$ - Traditional Italian - Federal Hill
Camille''s - $$ - Traditional Italian - Federal Hill
Bob & Timmy''s Grilled pizza - $ - Grilled Pizza - Federal Hill
Sicilias - $ - stuffed pizzas and sandwiches - Federal Hill
Apsara - $ - Thai/Asian - Best in the city - Elmwood Ave