Bristol's 4th of July Celebration

BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND is a beautiful seaside town rich in Early American and Maritime History. It is know for holding the oldest

fourth of July celebration in the country.

Usually drawing a crowd of about 200,000, The Bristol Fourth of July is a reunion of Bristol families, dignitaries and all who love freedom.

Starting in early June, a Chief Marshall is selected. This is a very high honor, given to an extraordinary community leader who has a genuine love for Bristol. The Chief Marshall receives visiting dignitaries and government officials, and participates in the month long cascade of events leading to the 4th.

see www.july4thbristolri.com for a complete list.

One of Bristol's oldest traditions is a visit from the US Navy. Since the early 1800's, a US Naval Ship is moored off of Bristol for a week before the parade. The Chief Marshall and his family are welcomed aboard. The crew enjoys the extraordinary hospitality that Bristol offers.

Another hallmark of the 4th, is the annual painting of the dividing stripe of the main roads of the town, Hope and High Street.

Painted red, white and blue, this serves to mark the parade route.

Houses along the parade route are beautifully decorated for the 4th.

The Herreshoff Marine Museum www.herreshoff.org hosts a Rendez Vous from July 1- 4th; Beautiful classic yachts, designed and built in the 1920's and 1930's by the famous Herreshoff Family, visit Bristol. This is a magnificent tribute to Bristol's sailing heritage and a beautiful sight to see.

The parade starts around 10:15 in the morning. Kicked off by the Blue Angels flyover to signify the start. The Chief Marshall leads the 2.5 hour long parade walking along the red white and blue stripe.

With loving viewers, beautiful architecture, sea breezes from Bristol Harbour and Narragansett Bay, the Bristol 4th of July parade is exceptional.

The evening finale of fireworks over Bristol Harbour makes the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration one of the best events of summer in Rhode Island.

Bristol is located in the East Bay, about 20 minutes north of Newport, 30 minutes south of Providence.

Links:

www.july4thbristolri.com, www. Herreshoff.org; www.blithewold.org

Every Once in a Lifetime - A Sequel to "The Undiscovered Gem in Narragansett Bay, Prudence Island"

Every once in a lifetime, you find that the charted course of destiny sends you in the perfect direction. My wife Karen and I are the "Adventurous Buyers" that Penny refers to. First let me state that working with Penny and her husband Bob as our Buyers Agents was the easiest and most professional purchasing experience we have ever encountered. However, beyond the business viewpoint, we had a great time with them exploring an island that is now becoming a very important chapter in our lives.

Karen and I have been looking for many years to find a summer retreat and retirement homestead that would fulfill some very specific requirements. Must be near the ocean, have easy access for mooring our boat, have MANY miles of quiet roads and paths for a daily jog or scenic walk, and most importantly, not have traffic and commercial distractions. Not many locations can actually fulfill this wish list. Prudence Island, as we anticipated, was a home run.

Our first trip to the island was on a very cold and windy day in February. We picked up Penny and Bob and headed to the ferry. Karen and I had concerns about heading out onto the water on an open ferry boat when temperatures were well below freezing and windchill was hovering just north of 0. We figured anyone would want to live on an island in the summer, but if we finished our house tours on this day and felt compelled to make an offer, it would be a strong indication that we were a good fit for island living.

Coming from Connecticut where ferry terminals are located in rather urban and unremarkable locations, our first impression of Bristol RI was outstanding. Bristol is a great destination all in it's self, and a great staging location for our future island guests to start their trip to Prudence. We did note that at the tiny ferry terminal there is only a blue porta-pottie available for facilities, and I speak from experience that due to it's dockside location, I was very concerned that the days prevailing gusty north winds could have deposited me and the plastic structure over the edge of the dock into the harbor.

Once loaded, the ferry departed on schedule and started what was to become an idyllic experience. Once on the Island, we met the local listing agent for the property. What a helpful and interesting person. He had a realistic answer for every question we could think of, and patiently waited while we inspected 3 properties.

The power of internet research when looking to purchase property is invaluable, and although we had selected 3 properties to visit, we already knew which would be our first choice. We just needed to verify our research and visually verify what we had seen on the net. We were not disappointed!!!

After our house tours, it was time to see the island. February is a very quiet time on Prudence, but also a time when trees and foliage do not block the spectacular shoreline views. As we traversed the island we found so many of the roads run very close to the water, with spectacular scenic views of the bay in all directions. By this time the sun was out and the car was keeping warm by solar gain. We found a spot to park the car and the four of us pulled out our picnic lunches.

Soon it was time to head back to the ferry, but first a stop at the General store. This appeared to really be the hub of the island, and the folks we met there were so friendly and helpful. In fact everyone we met all day showed such a warm and friendly spirit.

Now that the ink is dry and ownership accomplished we have started the process of moving into the house and meeting our neighbors. The weather is warmer, and we are looking forward to seeing the island as it changes it's seasonal colors from brown to green. We continue to be amazed at how many of our friends and family have never heard of Prudence Island, or that such an environmental gem is so close. But now that we are becoming a part of the Prudence Island community, we see that this anonymity is exactly what has drawn us there....

Written by Stephen Bradley Submitted by Penny Taylor

Block Island Tour

Today the Lila Delman team is touring Block Island.
First stop is a newly listed property at 995 Mohegan Trail, located on land that was previously the Vale Hotel golf course.
Next stop is Rodmon's Hollow.  Stunning view.  Did you know Block Island has over 27 miles of greenway trails?  Many property owners have granted easements through their property so you can enjoy an uninterupted hike around the island.
Following Rodmon's Hollow we stopped at 919 Off Coast Guard Road.  14 acres of rolling hills and ocean views.  This property includes a three bedroom guest cottage and views of the Atlantic.
Lunch was a delicious grilled chicken salad at the 1661 Inn.  My personal favorite was the freshly baked bread, or maybe the brownie.
After a day of touring the island our agents are now well versed in much of the island's history.  Thank you Lila Delman Real Estate for the lovely trip to Block Island today!