Perfect day for a cemetary stroll. Very peaceful with some graves dating to the 1800s. The tower is…read morerather impressive. Would love to see it's twin in Ireland some day.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! This is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of…read moreAmerica that most people have never heard of or been to before, If you love Castles, Towers & the Fairytale Rapunzel or the Disney movie Tangled then you'll be excited about our journey today. It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to the 1890's in the town of Milford MA about an hour outside of Boston. We've landed at this Beautiful Irish Round Tower that conjures up images from a bygone era. The Tower looks like it has been plucked from medieval times from thousands of miles across the Pond in Ireland. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Father Patrick Cuddihy envisioned an Irish Round Tower as the centerpiece of a new cemetery when the land was purchased in 1890 for the Catholics of Saint Mary's Parish in Milford. Travelers from all over the globe spend thousands of dollars & travel to Ireland to see The Irish Round Towers. There is one Irish Tower in particular called The Devenish round tower & is located in County Fermanagh on an island located on Lower Lough Erne Lake. The Round Irish Tower in Milford is almost an exact replica with the same look, design & height as the The Devenish Tower in Ireland. It is made out of Granite from the Milford quarry. It stands tall over the graves of thousands of Irish immigrants who were buried in the cemetery. They are laid to rest in an Irish setting that mimics the architecture & land of Ireland. You might wonder why did Fr. Cuddihy build this tower? The answer can be found in his obituary "It may be folly - yet when you and I have passed away, the Irish in America will make a pilgrimage to the Irish Round Tower at Milford." Now although it was very popular in its day this has now fallen completely under the radar. Now just about everyone has heard of the German Fairy Tale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm, but have no idea that a Rapunzel like Tower even exists here in America. The Milford Round Tower was the only one of its kind in the whole USA for decades & only a few Irish Towers in the whole world even exist outside of Ireland. In 2003 The Tower at Castleton Lyons Farm was built in Kentucky to be an exact replica of the round tower at the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary Ireland. So now there are 2 Irish Round Towers in the US. The Milford one is well over a hundred years older than the one in Kentucky. It represents a unique granite architectural wonder that pays tribute to Father Cuddihy vision of an Irish Tower in America without going overseas. The 1978 East German stamps of Rapunzel look just like the Devenish Tower in Ireland & the one in Milford MA. I have posted the stamp pictures for you to see too. Just so you know the door to the Tower is locked so you can't venture to the top! In addition, behind the Irish round tower there is a small pond & benches with pine trees in the background that makes a peaceful place to pray, meditate & explore the grounds. On the other side there is a mysterious cave like structure that resembles a catacomb. Across the street there is a public park and free parking. You really wouldn't expect to see an Irish Round Tower or a Rapunzel Tower at a cemetery, but that's where it is - a True Hidden Gem. To make it really worth your trip in the area check out The Moon Tree a tree that went to the Moon & The Largest Rosary Beads in the World both in Holliston. All of these are Freebies as well. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

The hurricane of '38 wiped this lighthouse out, killing the gatekeeper in the process. As our tour…read moreguide said tongue-in-cheek, that's why you don't come in on your day off. This is a lighthouse on the lighthouse tour offered by RI Bay Cruises, although it is really only a small foundation now. The location is actually Narragansett Bay, too, not Manville.

A broken lighthouse…read more Rhode Island doesn't get a lot of hurricanes but has had some whoppers. The monsters in 1938 and 1954 changed the coastline and caused literally billions of dollars in damage. The one in 1938 even managed to break in half a nearly indestructible cast iron light called Whale Rock Light. Whale Rock is a treacherous reef that was responsible for the destruction of many ships over the years. Laying right in the middle of the west passage of Narragansett Bay it was difficult to avoid and miss in bad weather so in 1882 the authorities finally decided to mark this deadly spot with a sturdy and stout cast iron "spark plug" light. This design was popular in severe areas because it was thought to be able to withstand anything nature could throw at it. Of course people underestimated the fury of exactly what nature was capable of. The light serve well until 1938 when an unprecedented and unbelievably powerful cat 3 hurricane slammed into the bay without warning. Sustained winds of over 120 miles per hour and gusts of almost 200 miles per hour literally shook the ocean and hurled it toward the shore. They didn't give official names for hurricanes back then but the colossus of 38 has been called The Yankee Clipper, The Long Island Express, The Great Hurricane or simply The Beast. Over 600 people died in New England and probably another hundred or so in other states. A 25 feet storm surge hit in places like a giant tidal wave and parts of Providence were under 35 feet of water. Millions of trees were destroyed and thousands of houses and buildings were laid waste. The destruction was sudden, complete and unimaginable. The intrepid and faithful lighthouse keeper was the 40 year old Walter Eberle, a father of 6 who was no stranger to the sea. He was off duty but knew a big one was brewing and bravely went out to the lighthouse to relieve his less experienced assistant who went back to shore. Walter stayed at his duty at the light as the waves and winds grew. He probably had to go up to the top of the structure but might have believed that nothing could actually destroy this lighthouse. Unfortunately he was wrong. The next morning the lighthouse was gone and Walter's body was never found. Over the years the the remains of the lighthouse were examined to determine why it failed. No reason was every found except for the fact that the storm was just so incredibly powerful that nothing could stand in it's way. Just a short distance north of Whale Rock five more people died in Prudence Island Lighthouse and the entire island was completely wiped out. Today a new hurricane called Irene is taking aim at Narragansett Bay. I have heard some of my neightbors along the water say that they aren't worried or scared because it will probably "only" be a cat one when it hits. Sometimes it is wise to be afraid, sometimes very afraid, it what keeps you alive. Perhaps people forget exactly what the ocean and wind is capable of but what remains of Whale Rock can be seen out in Narragansett Bay if anyone needs to be reminded. Perhaps this storm will turn out to be nothing more than just the usual histrionics of the modern media. But the again perhaps Irene will decided to get nasty and unleash the fury of her some of her predecessors. Perhaps people along the coast have nothing to worry about or perhaps now is the time to be very worried. We shall see.

A unique piece of local history! This tower structure dates to the early 19th century and is…read morebelieved to have been used as a well that collected rainwater to use in the mansion that it was attached too. The tower was moved and restored at its current location after the original building it was part of burnt down in the 1980s. The small central district of Millville is listed on the historical register with the tower as the artifact.

According to Wikipedia, The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park is a 1,000 acre state…read morepark managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Blackstone River and Valley is where the industrial revolution was born in America. Toward the middle of the park you will find The River Bend Farm Visitor Center with access to canoeing, fishing, trails, and snowmobiling or cross-country skiing. If you walk southerly on the beautiful canal walkway, you arrive at the historic Stanley Woolen Mill, currently being redeveloped into offices and shops. The Stanley Woolen Mill is the common name applied to a defunct company based in southeastern Massachusetts and to the company's buildings. The Stanley Woolen Mill is the centerpiece of the Central Woolen Mills District which is part of the National Historic Register. There is a plaque at the end of the canal walkway which provides historical information about the mill. The mill is made of wood and brick, and is an interesting, though hardly spectacular structure. That said, there are some very cool views from the canal bridge, and great walking, canoeing and biking trails in the park. There is a public parking lot if you want to begin your hike here, a nice antique shop in the mill, and you can catch bass and carp in the canal here or near the visitor center.

Very lovely spot though you should arm yourself with some bug spray as it was a bit buggy when I…read morevisited the other night. If you enjoy nature and the sweet sound of rushing water, then this is a place you must visit. While I was taking in the sounds of the birds, frogs and rushing water a Great Blue Heron gracefully glided past me and landed in the water just at the base of the water fall. While I was watching him he was surely watching, waiting for his dinner to come flipping over the falls. A place where the water, trees, birds and fish come together in harmony.

The Shad Factory Pond is one of my favorite outdoor escapes to visit. Wonderful place to go, walk…read morearound, admire the beauty that is the countryside, clear your head, and learn a little bit about wildlife along the way. No real parking in the area, just pull your car off the road in the dirt/grass. The Shad Factory pond is a fresh water pond, containing a dam and waterfall with a large amount of greenery to go along with it. Within minutes of stepping foot on the shore you are surrounded by tall plant life, flowers, dragonflys darting around, lilies sprouting up out of the water. Absolutely beautiful! One of the most interesting things to see here is the fish ladder that was recently rebuilt in 2007. The old one fell into disrepair (as it had been originally built in 1911). A fish ladder is a series of, in this case, concrete steps with rushing water that lead from the Palmer River up to the pond itself. Rehoboth is home to one of two remaining American Shad runs in coastal Massachusetts. This fish ladder allows eels, trout, herring, and you guessed it. . . shad to swim upstream to the fresh water pond for mating season. Prior to its being rebuilt, the fish population had sharply decreased. The address I posted is not specific to the pond itself but gives you a general idea of where along the road it is located. As it is October and Halloween is fast approaching, I will mention that this place has a bit of a ghost legend associated with it. Though I have never encountered anything during my time here, there are many reports of a man in dark clothes appearing and vanishing in the surrounding woods along with strange white lights and overwhelming feelings of terror. Beware!

Grupo Amigos De Terceira Inc. is a non-profit charity organization that holds many traditional…read morePortuguese events and uses its profit to help various private and public charities in the local community as well as abroad. On Friday evenings, the kitchen is open to the public, with every final Friday of the month featuring a Fado singer. There are two halls available as rentals, one holding roughly 100 people and the other allowing for over 300 guests. The food is impeccable and holds true to traditional Portuguese cuisine. Check out this hidden gem for your wedding, corporate function, fundraiser, or family event.

most certainly -the- most unsettling cemetery i've ever been to. every so often footsteps would…read moreinterrupt the dead silence, only for no one to be around. unfortunately (or fortunately), the ghost of freddy fingernail failed to show.

A very very creepy…read moreplace There are lots of haunted and creepy places in Rhode Island. It's well known to paranormal investigators because of all the weird, old and bizarre houses, woods and of course graveyards. Of all the spooky places in the state perhaps the old Elder Ballou Cemetery has the reputation as being the creepiest of the creepy. All kinds of strange things have occurred and still occur here. Or so people say. The most consistent story is seeing some old fellow dressed in a grey suit walking around. He never says anything, just sort of appears and disappears and it seems like he is looking for something. Other people hear moans and cries of pains or see vague apparitions and faces appearing out of nowhere. Even people driving by of the road have stopped because they hear strange noises coming from the graveyard. What makes this place rather unique is that people see and hear things in the daylight and not just the dark of night. I have to admit I am quite skeptical of such things but this is definitely a really, really creepy place. It's sort of on a small rolling hill so it is hard to see and it has a nice variety of the morose and lugubrious gravestones, some worn virtually away while other old ones look almost brand new. Perhaps the creepiest thing are the "holding tombs". You just don't see them around anymore. These were crypts where the dead bodies were kept until the families could find the money, space or time to give the deceased a proper burial. Many now had bars in front of them. Not sure if there are to keep people out of keep something else in. No, I didn't see any ghosts or really see anything out of the ordinary except for a really creepy, old cemetery. The mosquitoes were really bad but I suspect they were real ones and not zombie mosquitoes. I remain extremely skeptical of ghosts and their kin but this is a very cool and historic place. One that is exceptional creepy and weird at the best of times and a place I would rather not be in the dark of night.

Cool monument and very interesting read. It's a shaded part of the park and there are ample benches…read morefor somebody nearby who is looking for this sort of thing. This part of the memorial that I photographed is actual tucked away a bit and not immediately visible from the road (which I thought was cool). It's also nestled under / behind a walking path and then the Irish family memorial continues a couple strides away in a continuous assembly. There's a decent amount to read and I learned quite a few things that I'm still chewing on even a week later. (I can't believe the scale of that terrible event!) The canals are located in the photo and are a stones-throw away... (including a handicap-accessible entrance.)

A poignant memorial to the Irish who died during The Great Famine and those who left Ireland in…read moresearch of a better life here in the U.S. This memorial includes a sculpture, paved pathway, landscaping and a seat riverside. Originally conceived by Irish-American clubs in the area, this memorial was created through fund raising. Shortly after install, bronze plaques were stolen from the memorial and as a result of needed repairs, an additional fund has been created to increase security at the memorial and for on-going maintenance. This is a shady place to contemplate the hope those emigrants had for a new and better life while at the same time experiencing despair and loss for what they left behind. Knowing they should most likely never see their homeland and family again. It certainly takes a brave and perhaps desperate person to make such a journey almost 180 years ago. On the west bank of the Providence River, it is situated along the River Walk, close to the 'Rhode Island 9" memorial in the triangle created by Dyer St, Peck St. and the River. Definitely worth a stop.