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Tour of the
Week - Blackstone River Valley
Rhode Island, New England, USA
March 1, 2007
Blackstone River Valley - A
River Story |
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Sample Packaged Tour Itinerary |
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Blackstone River Valley - A
River Story
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The Blackstone River is the
centerpiece of the 400,000-acre Blackstone River Valley. One
of 14 American Heritage Rivers, the powerful Blackstone
flows between Worcester, Massachusetts and Providence Rhode
Island. As a special kind of place called a national
heritage corridor, it tells the story of the river's role in
starting New England's textile industry and the American
Industrial Revolution.
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9:00 am A
River's Rebirth |
| Our tour begins
at the Central Falls Landing, in Central Falls, Rhode Island.
Enjoy a riverboat cruise on the Blackstone Valley Explorer with
your morning coffee and muffin as a narrator tells the remarkable
comeback story of this America Heritage
River whose
powerful waterfalls turned the waterwheels of the nation's
earliest factories. Herons, fish
andother wildlife
are returning to the shores and waters of the river that once was
heavily polluted during the height of the industrial
revolution.
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10:30 am Stories in Stone
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next stop is the Kelly House in Lincoln, RI. You will tour
fascinating exhibits in the Kelly House museum, housed in a former
mill superintendent's cottage, where an expert guide will bring
the Valley's canal era to life for you and where you can enjoy a
quick stroll along a section of the canal towpath now, a bike
path.
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12:00 Lunch at the Vintage Restaurant |
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Located in historic Market Square, Vintage is a modern restaurant in
an old mill building located in Woonsocket, RI.
Much like America's melting pot, so are culinary
influences at the Vintage restaurant. Here we will enjoy sandwiches and a
beverage before we continue our
tour.
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1:30 pm An Elegant
Industrial Village |
| We will continue with a brief driving tour of
Slatersville, RI.Its appearance is deceptive; it looks like a classic
New England village, however it was America's first planned
industrial village built between 1803 and 1807 completed with
a town common lined with lovely old homes. It also includes views
of early worker housing, a company store and a dam that
provided waterpower to the local
mills.
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2:30 pm From Quebecois Farmhouses to
the Mills |
| We will return to Market in Woonsocket, RI to visit
the Museum of Work and Culture. Hear the story of the hopes and
dreams of the millions or so people who left French Canada to
work in the textile mills of the Blackstone Valley. Explore a
19th century farmhouse, parochial school classroom, parlor of a
1920s New England three-decker apartment house and the shop floor
of a textile mill as you step into their everyday
world
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4:00 pm End on a
Sweet Note |
| We will travel to wright's Farm Dairy in
North Smithfield, RI where you can enjoy (and take along) a
homemade baked treat from one of the Valley's best bakeries
located working dairy
farm
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This is a guided tour.
Tour Operator Price: $32
The price is based on a minimum of
37 people.
To schedule a tour contact:
Lilly Kayamba
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Blackstone Valley Visitor Center
175 Main Street
Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860
BVTCLilly@aol.com
800-454-2882
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