A Walk in the Woods: Exploring Exeter’s Hiking Trails
Also: Newport Mansions Wine Festival Sandwich Heaven at Meeting Street Cafe
September 2021 1
Welcome! We live in interesting times. Travel is open again. Or it’s not. Well, maybe. It’s enough to drive you nuts! It’s times like this that it’s good to get back to your roots with a hike in the woods, a nice glass of wine, some comfort food. Whatever it is that helps get you centered, it’s time to seek it out. For us, exploring the state we call home makes us centered. And telling you about us makes us happy. So please take a little time to relax. Reading our magazine will help!
Rhode Island Roads Magazine 2 Barber Avenue Warwick, RI 02886 www.riroads.com 401.480.9355 Managing Editor Paul Pence Contributors Paul Pence Linda Eagleson Photography Paul Pence Debbie Stone Stock Photography under Creative Commons, courtesy of Pixabay www.pixabay.com All travel involves risk. Confirm directions and critical information before traveling. Be aware of health and other concerns.
Copyright © 2021 by Rhode Island Roads Magazine
Paul Pence, Editor 2
Contents Newport Mansions
Wine and Food Festival – 4 Exeter’s Hiking Trails:
A Walk in the Woods – 10 Where Am I? – 15 Meeting Street Café Is
Sandwich Heaven - 19 3
Newport Mansions
Wine and Food Festival
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The Newport Mansions renowned Wine and Food Festival returns for the 16th year on the weekend of September 17-19. 5
Festival seminars represent world-class wines and spirits from regions around the globe. “We have a wonderful slate of seminars, and we are looking forward to another unforgettable weekend of events,” said Preservation Society CEO and Executive Director Trudy Coxe. New this year, Santa Margherita will host a series of intimate seminars at The Breakers Stable & Carriage House featuring a stellar lineup of its distinct wines.
The festival includes the Joie De Vivre!, a French-inspired dinner on Friday night; The Vintner Dinner: A Celebration of Newport Chefs on Saturday night; and the Sunday Brunch & Bubbly, along with 24 seminars scheduled throughout the weekend. The Presenting Sponsor of the 2021 Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival is FOOD & WINE Magazine. Festival sponsors include Caidel Bosco, Chateau Dï’Esclans, Kobrand Fine Wine and Spirits, 6
non-profit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties, seven of them National Historic Landmarks, span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development. Visit NewportMansions.org to learn more or purchase tickets.
Rioja, Santa Margherita, 1911 Established, Alexian, Burnarj, Cabot, Calvisius, Cointreau, Dasani, Empson USA, Kerrygold, Masi, Chef2You, Franciacorta, Malibu Splash, Mosaic Distributing, Mount Gay, Woodford Reserve, Herradura Tequila, National Trust Insurance Services, Oceans 97, Quigley Fine Wines and WineBid. Proceeds from the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival benefit The Preservation Society of Newport County, a 7
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Exeter’s Hiking Trails
A Walk in the Woods
Story By Linda Eagleson Photos by Paul Pence 8
Crisp autumn days are my favorite time of year to go for a hike. Listening to the leaves crinkle under my feet and the smell of bursting pine trees and maple saplings makes the hiking more enticing.
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Though autumn isn’t quite upon us yet, I still will venture into the woods to get myself grounded from time to time. Stepping Stone Falls in West Greenwich is just one of the local trails that I like to travel with my husband and two dogs. The trail we hiked was the Ben Utter Trail,
which is part of the Tippecansett Trail. This trail was named after George Benjamin Utter, who was part of the Narragansett Chapter for the Appalachian Mountain Club. The trail is covered with ferns, tangled webs of fallen trees and knotted roots from towering pines, which 10
but mostly it’s pretty safe and serene. Stepping Stone Falls can be located west on Ten Rod Road, almost to Beach Pond State Park. Turn right onto Escoheag Hill Road (there will be a sign for Stepping Stone Stables) and go two miles, turning right on a dirt
provides hikers with a challenging terrain. Along the trail you may find an abandoned shack or 2 or maybe on old pump house, but be careful, you may fall down the dark ravine! This trail can be mildly treacherous at times, with uprooted trees, tumbling rocks and muddy waters,
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road. When it crosses the river, stop the car and discover Stepping Stone. Hiking has always been a passion of mine. Since I can remember, I loved to explore the dark and daring spaces of the daunting woods. Being the imaginative child that I was, I would envision large grizzly bears prowling the woods surrounding my house and even heard a growl or two as I ventured a few feet into the woodlands. Now that I am an adult (though some may question that statement), I still enjoy hiking through the woods, no matter what the conditions might be. For something a little less strenuous, try Browning Mill Pond Trail, located in Exeter, RI. This two-mile trail is part of the 6-mile Arcadia Trail. The trail is very scenic, with bubbling brooks, fern encrusted hillsides, fields of flowering perennials and lots of adventure. Expect to find an abandoned homestead or two from yesteryear, bringing much delight to those with an imagination. Though we didn’t see much wildlife, the area is known to be plentiful with four-legged creatures. You might catch a 12
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glimpse of a brown eyed cotton tailed rabbit, or a gobbling wild turkey or maybe even a deer or two as they glide through the woodlands.
The trail has a lot of variety, with open fields; fence guided paths and the ever-ready rocky terrain. About halfway through the trail, which tends to swing around Arcadia Pond, you will see an old weathered dam that my dogs thought was the keenest thing around! The trail is very peaceful, offering the hiker a serene passage through the woodlands. Do expect to be tired after this hike, as it is quite long, but the skilled hiker won’t mind that one bit. And, make sure you carry bug spray since the trail wraps all the way around Browning Mill Pond, which tends to be pretty buggy at times. Browning Mill Pond Trail is located in Exeter, 14
RI. Follow the signs to Arcadia Management Headquarters and you will see a sign for Browning Mill Pond, located past the headquarters buildings. There is a fairly large parking area where you can park your vehicle and the trails
starts to the left of the parking lot. Pack a lot of water, too, as you get pretty thirsty on this one. And don’t forget the doggie treats, if you plan on bringing your best friend along and enjoy the day! 15
Did you notice anything missing? You might have noticed that this issue has no advertising. If you want our readers to know about your business, now is the time to take advantage of this opportunity to lock in low advertising prices as our readership grows. Visit us online at www.riroads.com to learn more. 16
Where Am I?
Hints: 1 – It’s not where you’d expect to find it. 2 – It’s named after the 65th governor of Rhode Island. 3 – Pronouncing its name can be puzzling.
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You’ve found Governor Notte Park in North Providence. It’s a little pocket of serenity right off Mineral Springs Avenue. Among the park’s amenities is Meehan Overlook, a popular wedding venue.
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Meeting Street Café Is
Sandwich Heaven
Story and Photos by Paul Pence 20
There are a huge number of delis throughout Rhode Island, and therefore many places to get sandwiches. But while deli sandwiches are usually good, there are only a few sandwich shops that I go out of my way to eat at, and foremost among them is Meeting Street Cafe. 21
First, let's establish the setting -- Meeting Street Cafe is just off Thayer Street on Meeting Street. But it's not an artsy establishment designed to appeal to neo- beatniks, it's more like a common ground for students and their parents -- a place where
parents take their Brown and RISD kids on move-in day. It's not too fancy for the younger folks and not too Bohemian for the parents. The food arrives quickly to tables you can sit down at and there's enough variety to please
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everyone. But who needs variety when they have your favorite sandwich on the menu? Quick, what's your all-time favorite sandwich? Assuming that you don't have tastes like Elvis (peanut butter, banana, and bacon) I'd
guess that the best sandwich of the year is the sandwich you make the day after Thanksgiving, with leftover turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. They have that. Of course they have everything else, too. Roast beef. Italian cold cuts. 23
Pastrami. Roasted vegetables. But that sounds like a more typical deli. How about their "Hummus etc" sandwich, with freshly-made hummus, cucumbers, and sprouts on seven-grain bread? Or perhaps their "Swallows of
what you'd get from the supermarket. They also serve entrees like their vegetarian lasagna Florentine, hamburgers, and salads. If you're an early riser, they also
Capastrami" sandwich, with corned beef and lean pastrami on rye topped with Swiss cheese and coleslaw. One more thing that makes the sandwiches themselves distinctive -- they're huge. Big enough that a sandwich is indeed a meal, with each slice of bread twice the size of
serve breakfast. The sandwiches are priced in the $10 range. Expect a long wait in line to order or get a seat at the busiest times. Parking can be problematic, since they have limited space out front, and the restaurant access is up a short flight of stairs. 24
I recommend it for anyone who can't wait for November for their next Thanksgiving sandwich. Yum! Find Meeting Street Cafe at 220 Meeting Street in Providence's East Side, just off Thayer Street.
They are open 8am to 11pm, 7 days a week. Their phone is (401) 273-1066 and you can visit them online at www.meetingstreetcafe.com.
This is a great place for your business card! Advertise here to reach people who are exploring the Ocean State. 25
Visit us online at www.riroads.com
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