Cannon mortars and…read moremisery Veteran's Place is a small park like memorial that is right next to the Cumberland Public Library and close to a bunch of cool hiking trials. The park is a pleasant little area that has some paved paths, benches to sit on as well as lot of flowers and old trees. A big old cannon as well as some kind of cool looking mortar thing are hanging around as well as some tributes and memorials to the veterans of all American wars. Veteran's Place is near the oldest war memorial in the country, a very morbid place called Nine Men's Misery. This is a spot where nine colonists were captured and tortured to death by the Narragansett Tribe during the horrible King Phillip Wars. A brutal affair where atrocities were common on both sides. It's a lovely and peaceful place now but a nice reminder and tribute to the men and women in times past when the cost of freedom was anything but free.

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.

This little urban park was named for Mary Elizabeth Sharpe, who was instrumental in the development…read moreof India Point Park. Mary Elizabeth Sharpe was a prominent environmentalist, author, self-taught landscape architect, and philanthropist (RI Heritage Hall of Fame). She established an annual tree planting fund, which saw the growth of 3,000 new trees in the city under her oversight, helped in the design of the Japanese Gardens at Roger Williams Park, promoted the beautification of Brown's campus, and promoted the flourishing of the arts particularly through bringing the Community Concert Series to Providence. I walk pass this little park every morning that I take my walk along the East Side, which includes Benefit Street. During the holidays, I see nice red Christmas bows tied to the fence, while in the summer, it provides nice shade for those walking past it.

A nice little museum in Quonset Park. Only takes about 20-30 minutes to view, but its free…read more(although donations are encouraged/accepted). A nice way to kill some time on a rainy day, or just view a little bit of Rhode Island history.

Small, but very well done Museum. See the original Quansett Huts, see the Sea Bee evolution from…read morebirth during WW II to Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is beautiful well kept park off the busy roads. The windmill is beautiful and it's a great…read morearea for picture taking . I walked my dog there today and it was very peaceful. There's a lovely gazebo located at the beginning of the park you can hang out and have lunch. There are benches along the path to chill on. The landscaping is always maintained beautifully . I met with a woman I went to high school with which was pretty nice while walking around the park. Your dog should be leashed at all times. There is bags to clean up after your pup. I noticed one trash can at the beginning of the path so just take note. Very peaceful. Beautiful for photography ! Enjoy!!

A park with a…read morewindmill Wind turbines are popping up all over Rhode Island. A nice and efficient way of taking advantage of the constant wind coming off of Narragansett Bay. Even though the technology has greatly improved over the years and centuries, the idea is hardly new. Wind power has been used in New England for a long time and was frequently used to power the old grist mills. A few of the old windmills managed to survive and Paradise Park has one of the finest examples still around. The mill was built back in 1810 and was used to grind corn and is a great example of a smock mill that has numerous sloped sides. It originally had four vanes but was increased to eight over the years to improve efficiency. The mill stood a bit further north in Portsmouth but was restored and moved to Paradise Park in 1990. The mill is open one day a year in Sept but can be seen all year long in the park. The rest of Paradise Park is pleasant, with a few short hiking trails and benches and places to sit and relax. Some concerts are held here in the summer and the historical society is right next door. There are a lot of parks in Rhode Island and quite a few windmills but this is the only windmill in a park that I know of. A lovely place to see a part of the past that is quickly becoming the vision of the future.

Location is great, right on the bay and right downtown…read more Town of Bristol does a great job keeping the park clean. Annual 4th of July concerts are excellent. Well designed layout of food truck vendors and food placement of trash and recycle bins. Plenty of portable and clean portable rest room facilities. Great traffic protocols in place

Great views of the ocean and lots of benches to sit and relax right at the water. There's also a…read morespacious green which in the winter was quite deserted but could be a nice spot for a picnic or game of frisbee in the summer. Very odd objects of interest including an intricate sculpture honoring Christopher Columbus and a white canon. It would be nice if they had some more peaceful artworks like maybe sculptures depicting the natural world instead of these things, but views are very nice. Plenty of parking and several trash bins. There was also a historical sign detailing the industrial history of Bristol which included rubber, aluminum and marine vessels.

The George Redman Linear Park is really something... especially for those of you that remember the…read morevery narrow and somewhat dangerous old bike lane that used to reside in this very space. The park was officially dedicated during a ceremony back in September 2015 and I for one, am extremely excited to be able to enjoy the space. George Redman was an East Providence resident who was a leading force in the creation of the East Bay Bike Path... a fitting honor. The Linear Park spans the entire 1,800 foot long Washington Bridge and affords ample views of the Seekonk River. Though each end of the bridge is closed in and protected from the highway with tall gating... the middle opens up to wonderful water views that include the East Providence Yacht Club, Brown University's Boat House, and India Point Park (in fact, on my most recent trip, I got a bird's eye view of Brown's Crew team practice). This is a space where both cyclists and foot traffic can live in harmony. The East Bay Bike Path that originates in India Point Park, immediately joins this park via a meandering slope near the Wyndham Garden Providence Hotel. The 11 foot wide path allows cyclists to comfortably maneuver the first of many water crossings on the 14.5 mile trip to Bristol's Colt State Park. This is a massive improvement from the old bike path where two people could barely cross paths walking, never mind biking. The foot traffic has equal if not more space to enjoy within the park. The stamped brick path that delineates this space is separated from the bike path by an unobtrusive chained barrier. There is plenty of seating, a mix of park benches and U-shaped concrete nooks. The street lights give off an old-fashioned vibe and the whole atmosphere is open and inviting. For the most part, the cars from the highway provide an almost "white noise" effect. I myself usually have earbuds in and any distraction the cars could potentially cause is immediately tuned out. As an East Providence resident, I am so grateful to have this space back again (after the 3 years it was under construction). It is a great place to get outside, breath in the fresh air, and be active! It is nice to see so many others doing the same as this warm March month delivers us into spring.

Corliss Park is situated in the Wanskuck neighborhood of Providence, in the city's north side, near…read morethe campuses of both Providence College and RI School for the Deaf. The park was named for George Corliss who invented the Corliss steam invention in the 1850s. A steam engine factory once stood a few blocks away where Home Depot currently resides. In addition to the 0.3 mile walking path, Corliss Park contains a playground, ball fields, handball court, tennis courts, basketball courts, new outdoor fitness equipment, and a community garden. I have been here a few times walking on the easy wooded path, relaxing in the area. Very shady in the summer time. The RIPTA 50 bus stops one block away from the park near the corner of Douglas Avenue and Corina Street.