BEST TUBING Farmington River, New Hartford The gentle rapids here provide a rollicking good ride down a 2.5-mile stretch. Farmington River Tubing provides tubes, lifejackets, and a shuttle bus from the take-out back to the starting point (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day). 92 Main St. 960-693-6465; farmingtonrivertubing.com BEST RIVERSIDE BIKING Essex Loop, Essex A […]
BEST IMPRESSIONIST SUNSETS Bee & Thistle Inn & Spa,Old Lyme All nine guestrooms in this Colonial mansion are as graceful as the works of the American Impressionists who once painted beside its backyard river. There’s also a convivial restaurant and a rare petanque court for French lawn bowling. Rates: from $170. 100 Lyme St. 800-622-4946, […]
BEST CHOCOLATE INFUSION Chocopologie Cafe, South Norwalk No apologies for sweet-tooth temptations from breakfast to bedtime: cocoa-intensive baked goods for dessert and candies such as ginger-passion fruit. There are savory offerings, too, and a French-accented menu that includes cocoa-braised short ribs. Entrées: from $15. 12 South Main St. 203-854-4754; chocopologie.com BEST CITY CHIC Firebox, Hartford […]
BEST STACKS Ada Books, Providence This small space holds a curated selection of cookbooks, local ‘zines, out-of-print editions, titles cloaked in their original jackets, comics, poetry, and literary publications. 717 Westminster St. 401-432-6222; adabooks.com BEST HOME CONSIGNMENTS RE, North Kingstown Consignments span the 1600s to today, with a specialty in Early American and European furnishings. […]
JUST LIKE MOM’S Mike’s Kitchen, Cranston Mike’s food–calamari, polenta with sausages, stuffed artichokes–is simple Italian that will keep you coming back for more. There’s no sign, because it’s tucked inside a VFW hall, so look for VFW Post 2396 and follow the garlic. Hours can be irregular, so call ahead. Entrées: from $10. 170 Randall […]
BEST ROAD BIKING EAST BAY BICYCLE PATH, Providence Built on the former railbed of the Providence/Worcester line, this 14.5-mile bike bath transports you from an industrialized section of the city through Haines Park, along beaches bordering Narragansett Bay, and on past beautiful Colt State Park to Independence Park in Bristol. Parking for the bike trail […]
BEST ART FIX St. Ann Arts & Cultural Center, Woonsocket Tour “the Sistine Chapel of America.” The walls, vaults, and ceilings of this former church are covered in frescos beautiful enough to convert an atheist. 84 Cumberland St. 401-356-0713; stannartsctr.org BEST ANTIQUE SHOP Heir Antiques, Providence Heir’s natty owner, interior decorator Tyler Doran, displays an […]
BEST COTTAGE RENTAL Kagels Cottages, Narragansett Early-20th-century waterfront cottages nest by a salt pond. Steeped in 63 acres of farmland and views of the Ram Island bird sanctuary, it’s clear why this has been a family business since the 1920s, hosting five generations of families: There’s no reason to leave. Rates: from $1,100 per week. […]
BEST POND-TO-PLATE Matunuck Oyster Bar, East Matunuck Dine a stone’s skip from where the oysters are cultivated by the bar’s owner. Try the “Buck a Shuck” ($1 oysters and littlenecks) from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays. No reservations, but it’s worth the wait. Entrées: from $13.95. 629 Succotash Road. 401-783-4202; rhodyoysters.com BEST EXOTIC MENU Los […]
Neighbors in West Pawlet VT. share street talk on a winter afternoon
