Pete and Clare's American Adventure!!

Tuesday: Leave for Newport around 9am. Walk around the shops, have lunch on Bowens Wharf, Cliff Walk. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes!!! Tour mansions - Lauren will go to work while you're doing this. At sunset have Lee take you for a drive down "Ocean Drive" to see the coastline and then there are lots of pubs you can have a drink in at night while you're waiting for me to get off of work.

Wednesday: Go out on the boat during the day, Rustic Drive-In at night!!!

Thursday: Tour URI. Campus tours start at 10am, 11:45am, 12:30pm, or 2pm. First, please stop at the Visitor Center (45 Upper College Rd., Kingston, RI 02881) for your parking pass and parking information. They will tell you where the tour starts. At night we are going on the lighthouse tour!

I will get my work schedule for next week on Wednesday night or Thursday. Hopefully ASAP!

Lauren's work schedule:
Saturday: 3pm-10:30pm
Sunday: off
Monday: 3pm-10:30pm
Tuesday: 3pm-10:30pm
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 6:30am-12pm

Boston Skyline

Day one:

August 4th

Arrive in Boston.

Day two:

August 5th

Lauren and Lee will pick you up in Boston and drive you to Rhode Island. For dinner we'll have a cookout in the backyard...a classic American BBQ with hamburgers, hotdogs, BBQ chicken, ribs, corn bread and potato salad! YUMMM!!!

On day two we will drive from the hotel in Boston to a rental car venue to pick up your car. Below are links to car rental locations. If you would like to look at quotes, enter Warwick, RI as the rental location. TF Green Airport is also an option of where we could pick up the car.
Thrifty Car Rental
Hertz Car Rental
Enterprise Rent-A-Car – this company has a location in North Kingstown, which we could use.
Dollar Car Rental
Avis Car Rental – There are multiple locations for this company. Warwick, TF Green, or Providence are all okay.
Budget Car Rental – There are multiple locations for this company as well. TF Green Airport or Providence (Eddy Street) are okay.

Day three:

August 6th

Lauren has class in the AM, but at night, we can go to the Rustic Drive-In. Click the photo to see a video about the drive-in!

Day four:

August 7th

Happy Anniversary!!

We will spend today at Bonnet Shores Beach Club.

Events include the "Shore Dinner," a "Sand Sculpture Contest," and live music by a local cover band Eight to the Bar from 5-9pm in "the pit."

Day five:

August 8th

Today can be spent in Newport...but this is one of the days that can be moved to another day if you prefer.

We can go to the Newport Mansions.

Click this link for ticket prices. The package I would suggest is the Breakers Plus. It includes a pass for two tours, the Breakers and one other...possibly the Elms or Marble House (you decide!).

Tickets are $24.50 for an adult pass with this package.

The Breakers

The Elms

We can also do the Cliff Walk...

“Breezy and salt-kissed, this 3.5-mile circuit starts at Memorial Boulevard, where rugged cliffs meet Easton’s Beach, and ends at Bailey’s Beach. Anyone can manage the first half, which is paved and relatively flat; it takes you past Gilded Age mansions to the 70-room Italian Renaissance–style palazzo The Breakers. Only the sure-footed should venture farther, where it’s necessary to hike over boulders and gravel alongside 70-foot drop-offs to the Atlantic.”

Day six:

August 9th

Today we can get the whole gang together and go out on the boat! We'll give you the grand tour of the Narragansett Bay. We stop in our favorite cove for a little fishing or swimming...whatever you like!

Day seven:

August 10th

Take today to check out URI. To see the university's website, click here.

Butterfield

Lee will be living in Butterfield Hall.

Click here to look at a campus map...

Day eight:

August 11th

Today you can tour Historic Wickford Village. The village is located maybe about 5 minutes away from your hotel. If you want to see "Main Street USA" this is it! Have lunch on the water, see the local shops and boutiques and Clare can go to the Vera Bradley store (Canvasworks)...sorry Pete.

At night we will do a Sunset Lighthouse Tour. Tickets are $25 and I have already purchased them. The tour leaves from Quonset Point which is 3 minutes away from your hotel. We should be there for about 5pm.

Day nine:

August 12th

Today we can tour Boston...my favorite city!! We can do a Duck Tour of the Charles River and through the city. Tickets are $32.00 for adults.

For lunch we can check out the historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace...full of delicious vendors and fun shops. Then we can head over to the Boston Commons, my favorite park!

For dinner we'll check out the historic North End district for some of the best Italian food you can find. The North End is Boston's "Little Italy."

Day ten:

August 13th

After the day in Boston, you'll need a day to rest...maybe just hang out in North Kingstown. Lee can show you the best shopping places. You'll love TJ Maxx (the BEST deals), but he will probably want to show you the Providence Place Mall. Maybe you can get an Iced Coffee from Jitters like a real Rhode Islander! Maybe today is a good day to go golfing... I will join you later because I have class in the morning, and the Ricci crew is having Family Photos taken.

Waterfire Providence

In the evening we can get the whole family together and go to Waterfire in Providence. Click the link to find out more about Waterfire.

Day eleven:

August 14th

Today is also flexible. Possibilities include taking the Ferry to Martha's Vineyard, using this as a day off, or maybe going "back to school shopping" at IKEA.

If we go with Martha's Vineyard, the Vineyard Fast Ferry departs from Quonset Point (about 3 minutes from your hotel) at either 8:30 am, 1:00pm, or 5:30pm. Tickets are $69 in advance for a round trip ticket or $74 walk in.

Day twelve:

August 15th

Today we'll go to Narragansett Beach. This is Lee's favorite beach and I'm sure you'll love it too.

Parking for the Beach is $10, but we usually just park where it is free and walk...and admission to the beach is $6 per person.

At night we are planning on having a family dinner in the backyard and you're invited! (obviously!) We will probably get some lobsters and have a cookout with my grandparents. This is going to be a chance for you to meet everybody, but also a going away party for Matt because he is going away to college for the first time! We can hang out by the pool and light a fire in the backyard for smores...mmmmm yumm.

Day thirteen:

August 16th

We don't have anything specific planned for the morning, but at night we are going to a Pawtucket Red Sox Game! The "Pawsox" are the local AAA farm team for our very own Boston Red Sox. Don't worry, by the end of this trip you will be baseball experts - it happens when you're around my dad! The game starts at 7:05, but we'll try to get there early so that we can get autographs from the players.

Day fourteen:

August 17th

Today is set aside for Block Island! To get here we will have to catch another Ferry. It's a short ride to the island. A round trip ticket on the High Speed Ferry is $35.85 and on the Slow Ferry it is $23.75. On the island we can go to the beach, check out the shops in the village, rent a moped, go parasailing, banana boating, even go to the farm and play with alpalcas! (or not).

Day fifteen:

August 18th

Free day! You decide...something you didn't see enough of? Just want to relax? This is your day to take it easy.

Suggestions...

Sakonnet Vineyards has wine tastings. I don't know too much about it, but you can check out the link there if it sounds like something you might be interested in.

I also have four free tickets for admission to an art show on a yacht! There is also a restaurant and bar on the boat. This is an option for any day. The yacht will be in Newport until September. Click this link for more information.

Day sixteen:

August 19th

Today you'll probably want to get packing for your big trip, but at night we can get dinner on Federal Hill. Federal Hill is the center of Italian life, which also means it is the center of the mafia in Rhode Island as well as the best place to find great Italian food. One great restaurant is Siena. Another great one is Pane e Vino...eh they're all great!

Day seventeen:

August 20th

Set off for your trip!

SEE YOU SOON!!!

Below are a few other things that you can look into. If you're interested in anything you see just let us know! Can't wait for you to get here!!

Love,

Lee and Lauren

http://www.rimonthly.com/

http://www.projo.com/

http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/what-to-do/

http://www.newportvineyards.com/

- I have a coupon for a free bottle of wine from this vineyard if you would like to use it.

http://www.groupon.com/providence/

http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/rhode-island-vacations.html

http://savenowlocal.com/

Pete and Clare's American Adventure!!

Friday, August 12, 2011

upcoming week

Monday, August 8, 2011

Revisions to the plan...

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Saturday Afternoon

Friday, August 5, 2011

Changes to Plan

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Your Personalized Itinerary