#rhode island

This past week, I had the opportunity (which is an odd word to use because it was sort of a salvaging of an already lost opportunity, but there you go) to visit Rhode Island. I had always wanted to visit Rhode Island ever since watching the beloved sitcom/drama (is it a sitcom?? that feels like the wrong genre) Providence with my parents when I was younger. It solidified my obsession with all things New England and my perpetual want to always have a sweet, lovable golden retriever by my side. I think that and my love of Lands End really did it for me.

Well, those dreams came true when I was able to rent a car in Manhattan and drive up the eastern coast through Connecticut and to the city of gorgeous history herself, Providence. I only had a solid six hours of sunlight between the night before and the next morning before having to go back to New York, so I decided to take a short ride around the city. Through true dumb luck, and I say this honestly because my GPS wasn’t working, I drove up on the oldest, longest, most well preserved mile of American colonial architecture in the country: Benefit Street.

Now, for those who, like me, were unaware this street existed, here’s a brief description/history. TripAdvisor listed it as #7 on Things to Do in Providence and I have to surely agree. Again, not having proper internet, I wasn’t able to really look up other activities. However, once I got out of my rental car and situated my backpack and camera, I was so incredibly engrossed in my surroundings that I don’t think I would’ve wanted to spend my time doing anything else.

I’ve always loved looking at various types of architecture, though I have never studied it. American colonial is one of my favorite styles and I was thrilled to see so many variations on the genre.

Benefit Street, also referred to as the Mile of History, is just that: a mile of historical homes laden with plaques that list the original owner/builder along with the year of construction and, in some cases, the year the home was moved from its original location to its current residence on Benefit Street. I won’t lie, I really didn’t know who roughly 90% of the residents were, but I did know how to read years and was thus blown away by the established dates of some of the homes.

shiningnatural:

 donate to the Wampanoag people!

“The Wampanoag Nation once included all of Southeastern Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island, encompassing over 67 distinct tribal communities…With the European settlers came much adversity for our tribe - disease that virtually wiped out whole villages, systems of government that bore little resemblance to our tribal practices and values, missionaries intent on converting us to Christianity, and private models of land use and ownership that conflicted with our tribe’s own communal practices and values. The vast majority of these tribal communities were killed in battles initiated by colonists to secure land. Today, only six visible tribal communities remain.” (Wampanoag history)

donate to the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project

donate to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

donate to the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe

donate to the Chappaquiddick Wampanoag Tribe

donate to the Native Land Conservancy 

Fall swims

Sparkly bliss

Wave in the making

Harvest moon from the ocean

Ida fun

Hurricane Ida