Rhode Island

Internet accessibility issues have made posts and email difficult the past few days. Hopefully this will improve. Also, please continue to check the Tour 2007 Photo Album, as I add pictures frequently.

For such a small state, Rhode Island certainly has a lot to offer. The founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, was banished from Plymouth, Massachusetts because he held “extreme views” concerning freedom of speech and religion. He was considered to be the originator of the concepts and principles reflected in our First Amendment; freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of public assembly. Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution, demanding the addition of Bill of Rights, guaranteeing individual liberties.

Our first stay was in Newport; if you’ve never been to Newport, it is definitely worth your time to make a trip. The Band has been here on at least three of my four New England Tours, and my family came here for a vacation after I discovered Newport on an earlier Tour. Newport has a rich history, from seafaring pirates to the financial pirates of New York, summering here in magnificent mansions.

We had a great audience in Newport; they really came alive during Stars and Stripes and the Armed Forces Medley. One couple held a full size Marine Corps Flag throughout the Marines’ Hymn, and I could see many singing along. I heard from the clarinet section that an older gentleman made his way down to the stage in time to stand at attention by Sara while she sang the Air Force song; I’m sorry I couldn’t see that from my vantage point.

The next morning, Karen, Leslye, Chris and I decided it was time to get back in to the swing of morning walks with a walk out to the mansions and the Cliff Walk. It was a little over a mile to get to the entrance to the Cliff Walk, and the walk itself extends nearly four miles. We walked past Salve Regina University and as far as The Breakers, seeing some amazing homes before finally turning back the way we came. Walking there and back we covered about six miles, so we treated ourselves to breakfast in a little place called “Annie’s” we had passed on the way to the cliffs.

Walking in the entrance, we saw that most of the tables were taken by other Band Members either on their way to the cliffs or on their way back to the hotel. The food was fantastic, and I ate more in that meal than I do most days on Tour. The only thing marring the culinary experience was the presence of small flying insects that mostly seemed happy to cover the wall next to the booth, making the occasional foray into my face after I made the mistake of trying to shoo them away.

On to Providence, another frequent Tour stop. Just like Newport, same location, same Bat Channel. I had vivid memories of my first stay in Providence, with my uncomfortable exploration of nearby Little Italy. After the first visit in 1993, I knew better than to go alone, so Chris, Leslye, and I set out to find a great meal in Little Italy, rescuing Sara along the way. The restaurant we had hoped to eat in didn’t open until 5:00, so we meandered around until we found one open. It was a good meal; I was lucky in my choice of manicotti – the pasta was homemade and the ricotta was fresh. We hit a Dessert Bar on the way back to the hotel for some coffee and gelato, although I opted out – I was far too full.

Our concert in Providence had a little Halloween Humor behind the scenes, and a little right out in front. Sara’s welcome to the audience got a laugh and applause as she asked if they liked our “costumes”. Audrey had a lovely set of fake teeth she sported back stage that made it on stage during the concert’s final applause (with permission, I might add). The false eyelashes, fake teeth, and the audience touches of jack-o-lantern earrings and ghosts made up for the draft on stage that was busy turning pages, drying out reeds and whisking away some of the softer notes on the piccolo.

After the long walk in Newport, Karen and I were the only ones in the lobby at 8:00 ready to explore Providence. Map in hand, we went the opposite direction from Little Italy towards Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design. There were a few more hills than we bargained for, and after the extra miles in Newport, we were feeling the muscles we hadn’t used over Stand Down.

For a downtown area, the neighborhoods around Brown were full of architectural delights and homes on the historic register. It finally felt like fall should feel as we ambled beneath brightly colored trees and kicked leaves with every step. The squirrels were busy, scampering back and forth across the streets. We found one carrying a baggie with those peanut shaped cookies inside; it seemed impatient to get at the treat inside, stopping to tear through the plastic before we startled it up a tree. On the campus, we stumbled across and interesting sculpture made of willow and maple saplings, reminding us of a hobbit hole.

Our explorations carried us back into downtown and over to the State House. It wasn’t far out of our way, so it seemed a shame not to walk the grounds. The founding beliefs of the state were carved over the main entrance which looked as though it had been recently cleaned. To one side we found a small garden dedicated to those Rhode Islanders whose lives were lost in the war on terrorism since September 11, 2001, the Garden of Heroes. The roses were still bravely blooming, even though we are now in November. Just think, this time next year, we will be home.