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Tour of the
Week - Blackstone River Valley
Rhode Island, New
England, USA
August 24, 2007
Glimpses into
an Immigrant Past |
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Sample Packaged Tour Itinerary |
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Glimpses into
an Immigrant Past |
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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
Blackstone Valley Visitor Center Rte. 295 |
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Start the day off at the Blackstone Valley
Visitors Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island and enjoy a cup of
coffee at Dunkin Donut. At the Visitors Center a guide will
narrate the history of the Blackstone River Valley National
Heritage Corridor. You will also have the opportunity to
access the bike path through one of its major entrances that
will take you down to the Canal. |
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10:30
am Blackstone Canal |
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Irish immigrants were among the first to
arrive in the valley in the early 19th century. They hand
dug the Blackstone Canal in the 1820's which transformed two
New England cities into industrial powerhouses and this
changed the Valley's landscape. |
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12:30 pm
Lunch at Ye Olde Fish and Chips |
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Enjoy your lunch at Ye Old English a family
owned restaurant since 1922 and known for making the best
fish and chips in Rhode Island. They use an Old Yorkshire
family recipe and offer other seafood and chicken dishes as
well.
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2:00 pm
Museum of Work & Culture |
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This award-winning, interactive museum
tells the story of the daily lives of the immigrants
families who lived and worked in the mill villages of the
Valley. For the million or so people who left French Canada
to work in the textile mills, adjusting to the summons of
the factory bell was just one of the many cultural and labor
changes they faced. Industrial history becomes humanized as
you step into a 19th century Quebec farmhouse, parochial
school classroom, parlor of a 1920s New England three-decker
apartment house and the shop floor of a textile mill. |
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3:30 pm
Attracting and Feeding Birds |
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Your day will be wrapped up with a homemade
ice cream on your own at the Ice Cream Machine, a local
favorite. Then take a short walk over to Diamond Hill Park
and enjoy the scenery while reminiscing about the day. |
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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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