The Edna Martin Wildlife Refuge is 35 acres with approximately 0.6 miles of looping paths that…read moreallow for a brief walk in the woods and some respite with a view of Burrs Pond. The land, donated by Edna Martin (an artist and Seekonk's longest living resident at the time of her passing), consists of one major hiking loop with a connector path. The path is well-maintained and mostly flat. There are a couple benches available near to Burrs Pond if you are so inclined. As lovely as the surrounding nature is, I will say it's difficult to be totally immersed in this land as there is a lot of road noise and always some sort of civilization viewable through the trees... a house, the nearby American Legion, road traffic, etc. The parking lot pull off is nestled discreetly, across the road from the Grist Mill, directly adjacent to the American Legion. Room for a handful of cars with a brief informational posting and trail map at the trailhead. There's an additional parking area at the south end of Burrs Pond where you can view the dam and watch the water continue on down the Runnins River. A couple of nice flowers and some bird sightings this early Spring. I believe fishing is allowed in the pond. Managed by the Seekonk Land Conservation Trust, this is a nice, simple spot to get some steps in and relax with a water view.

At the north end of Hope Village lies the Trott-Perry Land Preserve, a beautiful greenspace open to…read morethe public. Managed by Hope Associates, Inc., this land includes nature trails, access to the Pawtuxet River, and a baseball field. The parcel was acquired in the 1990s by Drs. Raymond H. Trott and Thomas Perry. Look carefully as you drive through town and you will find North Doctor's Lane. There is a large parking area for Doctor's Field where the trailhead begins. I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the rolling landscape. At approximately 3/4 of a mile, the red-blazed trail packs a punch with groves of oak, maple, cedar, pine, birch, sassafras and so much more! I saw a number of white-tailed deer and birds during my time here. There is a rope swing set up at the eastern bank of the Pawtuxet. A peaceful jaunt through the woods. Worth checking out if you are in the area!

This park is really nice and has a lot of greenery, memorials and places to sit and relax…read more I kind of loved how there were different pockets of space in the park to memorialize different wars. It was really nice to be present, in the moment, and stumble upon a difference statue, plaque or structure to help memorialize history and the lives of people who were fighting for our country. It's nice that this park is also against the river. It feels like it's not in the middle of downtown, it's so peaceful.

This beautiful park located on South Main Street has multiple sculptures throughout; all memorial…read moreto those who've sacrificed their lives during the different wars and conflict. Also, this park pays homage to the survivors. The landscaping was beautiful and there were walking paths throughout. The first sculpture I saw was the kneeling soldier in bronze; this was created as a Korean War Memorial. The second structure was massive; an obelisk with a statue standing on top, which represents peace. There were quotes at the base and steps. This was a memorial for Rhode Islanders who fought in World War I. There's also a Holocaust memorial, water fountain, memorial wall, and a large World War II sculpture with multiple columns. The park is adjacent to the river so it's nice backdrop. If you're in the city, I recommend checking it out.

Absolutely in love with this area. So many trails, so many miles, so much solitude. A pure gem in…read moreRhode Island. Easily accessible parking for several cars on the east side of Tillinghast Pond. There's a compost outhouse, a luxury at the start and end of a long hike. Options are plentiful in terms of trails. My hiking buddy and I opted for a figure 8 path around Tillinghast Pond Loop and Flintlock Loop. Considered adding Coney Brook Loop but decided 6 miles was enough for the morning. Lovely that there's the opportunity to combines these trails with miles more in the Wickaboxet lands to amp up the distance without repetition. That's 13 miles of water views, hay fields, glacial boulders, 1800s homesteads, historic cemeteries, pine and oak forests, and an abundance of wildlife. Beaver activity, dragonflies galore, berry bushes, flowering lily pads, blue herons, and more just during this first visit! Some areas of overgrowth on the trails (the blueberry bushes on Flintlock for example are encroaching) but for the most part, there's reprieve on the wider sections that prevail. A nice observation deck is available on the pond with some other glens that offer stunning views with bench seating. A great place for a snack and for the breeze coming off the water. Be mindful of ticks, they are very much prevalent here. The humans escaped unscathed but our furry companion can attest. Overall, a beautiful, remote, absolutely worth visiting time and time again. May bring the kayaks next time! Couple spots to launch from!

Went back to Gano Park last week for the first time in a few years. I still enjoy being there and…read morelove walking on the dock before heading to India Point Park. We Parked at Waterman Grille and used the pathway near the Salvation Army. Do not do this, there is a disgusting tent city along the way. I understand now why Eastside Market Place went out of business.

Gano Park is about 10 acres in size and it includes ball fields, a soccer field, basketball courts,…read morea community garden, a dog park, and a bike path, which was installed in 2017. The community garden, built in the 1990s, marks the first community garden in a Providence park. The baseball field is home to the East Side-Fox Point Little League and the softball field was once home to the world famous fast-pitch softball team Local 57, a semi-professional team of operating engineers named for the union located on Gano Street. The mural on the ballfield was created by local artist, Jay West. Since the banks of the Seekonk River once came up to Gano Street, the park sits on land fill that the city put down in the early 20th century. The basketball court complex is named after well revered community activist, John "Johnny" Britto. Johnny devoted his life to helping the youth in the community and greater Providence, particularly through his work at the Fox Point Boys & Girls Club. It's a nice play to watch the kids play sports or just to stroll around the river, nice area....

I appreciate this expanding greenway in downtown Providence. Gardens, walking paths and memorials…read morehave been installed over the years and the 195 District park takes you closer to Fox Point. Enter the walkway from Dyer St and on your right, cross the newly opened little bridge parallel to the river. You are now on the Urban Coastal Greenway to Point St. Park. Or, walk straight, cross the pedestrian bridge over the river, turn right and follow the walkway to a new open greenspace. Either way, these new segments of the East Coast Greenway bring green spaces, places to bike, walk, meet up, and be with nature by a running river. There are plans to bring even more food vendors to the park during warm months on the west side of the river by Dyer St. This is in addition to the food trucks that park on the east side by the pedestrian bridge already. Beer? Coffee? Music? Snack? This park is becoming the place to be.

This 7-acre park is located right on the Providence River. The Michael S. Van Leesten Bridge…read moreconnects the East and West portion of the park. There are many events that occur there. Currently, The Guild PVD Beer Garden and various food trucks are there from May to October. There is also an ice cream vendor. The park connects with Point Street Park. The whole area is beautiful and well kept. A fun place to take a stroll, get some food nearby since it's central to everything, or food from the food truck, beers, and ice cream for dessert. When the weather is nice, this park is a great place to visit with beautiful views of the river and cityscape.

On Blackstone Boulevard stands a bronze statue of a young woman striding with heroic confidence and…read morefeminine grace, her hair blown by the wind. She looks like she has stepped out of a myth. Inscribed in the statue's granite base: "THE WIND ROARS BY I FEEL IT BLOW AND KNOW THAT I AM FREE TO GO CONSTANCE WITHERBY" Hundreds of people pass the statue every day. Very few know the deeply moving story of Constance Witherby, Lincoln School Class of 1930. Constance Witherby was born in Solvay, New York, on September 5, 1913 to Dorothy Hazard Witherby and Edwin Chaplin Witherby. The family lived at 233 Medway Street in an enormous mansion that is no longer standing. Their home, a short walk to Lincoln School, looked across Waterman Street to open fields and the Seekonk River beyond. At Lincoln, Constance distinguished herself as an outstanding student with particular interests in writing and drama. She began contributing to the "Lincoln Green" in June 1924, with a short prose sketch titled "The Old Curiosity Shop." Constance published poetry and short fictional sketches in every issue of the twice-yearly "Lincoln Green" through June 1929. She acted in theatrical productions beginning in seventh grade, including the "Shakespeare Play," an annual upper school event, in 1928 (The Taming of the Shrew) and 1929 (Twelfth Night). As a sophomore, she played on the class baseball and basketball teams. She was described as vivacious, thoughtful and outgoing. Constance was a normal, regular girl as well as a child of privilege. Letters to her parents demonstrate unusually strong writing talent, as well as her love for her family and especially for her mother. In June 1929, following her junior year, Constance traveled to Europe with Hazard family cousins. The main purpose of the trip was to climb in the Alps--not an unusual activity for girls of her age and class. By August, Con and her family members were in Saas Fee, a small village reachable only on foot and horseback. Her letters from Switzerland are precocious in their descriptions of the landscape, reflecting her joy and exuberance in the stunning, majestic natural setting of the Alps. She was inspired to write poems from, and about, Saas Fee. On August 27, after a hike no different than previous outings, Con felt tired in the evening. The next morning she awoke with a slight fever which was assessed as a cold; but over the next several days, her condition worsened. She was medically diagnosed with a failing heart, attributed to strain from hiking. Constance Witherby passed away on the afternoon of August 30, 1929. She was not yet sixteen. Following a service in a small "English church" in the village, Constance was buried in Saas Fee. To preserve and honor her memory, her parents acquired the plot of land between Waterman and Pitman Streets opposite their Medway Street home; it was landscaped and dedicated as Constance Witherby Park, and donated to the city of Providence. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Her parents also commissioned a bronze statue by Gail Sherman Corbett, a celebrated sculptor of the time. The statue, completed in 1933, was not intended to be a likeness of Constance, but rather to embody "The Spirit of Youth." Originally situated in Constance Witherby Park, the statue was moved in 1992 to its current location. It is listed in the Smithsonian's Inventory of American Sculpture. Anyone taking a short walk from Lincoln School up Blackstone Boulevard will find the statue, sheltered in a little grove of evergreens, where Clarendon Street joins the Boulevard. I have biked around this area many times and enjoyed seeing the nice statue and learning about the story behind it....it makes it so much more meaningful.

Started out today intending to take a short walk just to check out the path and how things are and…read morewhatnot. Expected to go to the first trail marker and turn around and come back. But I pulled a Forest Gump and I just kept running...well walking. Started at the Station Street parking lot and finished at the end of the path/trail at the Railroad Street parking lot. Roundtrip the route is about 15 miles and took me about 4.5 hours, with a couple brief stops along the way. The trail is very well maintained and surprisingly, everyone is cogent of the rules (walkers to the left, riders to the right). You pass by a baseball field, and there is a brook running alongside the trail at various points. Also along the way is a path to Flat River Tavern, and you also pass by an ice cream shop, so there are opportunities along the way for a respite in addition the park benches. Along the way there are also plenty of good views and vibe

Begin from the parking lot located on either side of Station Street, in Coventry, RI, just past the…read morePaine House Museum. If you choose to head east on the Greenway you cross two pedestrian bridges.The first goes over Rt. 117, the second over the south branch of the Pawtuxet River. This second bridge is close to a Trail parking lot on Pilgrim Avenue near Laurel Ave. The Greenway is part of the Washington Secondary Trail and has been designated as the area running through Coventry, RI. Taking this eastward route, you pass by several cemeteries on either side and a conservation area on your right. It is a mostly wooded area passing by a few back yards and has a gentle slope downward. History buffs can follow the path to the east from The Paine House Museum to the General Nathaniel Greene Homestead. Just exit the path at Laurel Avenue (just after the bridge over the Pawtuxet River) and follow Taft Street, just across Laurel Ave and to your right, to the homestead. It's about 3 miles round trip. Leaving Coventry, you can continue to walk east along the path, where you will meet up with Main Street in West Warwick. Here the path turns north then east, then north, then east again as it crosses the river, goes through some very populated areas, and continues through Cranston, RI. If you decide to head west on the path from the Station Street parking lots, you cross Rt. 117 at a crosswalk near a small shop where you can stop to grab a cool drink or ice cream. This way is also wooded, and passes a number of businesses before becoming quite rural. There is a small parking lot to access the trail located behind a new business on Rt. 117 (it's on Google maps) or continue further down the trail where you can also find a parking lot near the Coventry Public Library. If you are looking for a long walk under the trees, this is probably the direction you want to travel. If you love cemeteries and a shorter stroll, heading East could be for you. In either direction, the Coventry Greenway is a very nice section of the Washington Secondary Trail to get into nature without having to walk too far if you don't want to. We often grab the bikes and get in a nice long ride headed toward CT where the trail is renamed the Trestle Trail. It abruptly ends close to the CT line, just past the Summit General Store where you can get a cold drink and a sandwich if you've been on the trail for a while and need a snack. There is a parking lot at this end of the trail as well, but we warned, if you are riding a bike, the return trip to this lot is all up hill. I prefer to start at the other end and coast back. Enjoy!