Issues → May/June 2009 → Travel → Attractions in New England: Yankee's Best →

Rhode Island Attractions 2009

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Best Agricultural Expedition:
SWEET BERRY FARM, Middletown
Come for the market, relax for lunch, stroll the gardens, order a picnic supper, and stay for an open-air concert. When it's time to go home, take a little bit of Sweet Berry Farm with you, from the pick-your-own strawberries, to the homemade ice cream, to the farm's own sausage and smoked meats. 915 Mitchell's Lane. 401-847-3912; sweetberryfarmri.com

Best History Escape:
SLATER MILL, Pawtucket
Sure, a phrase like "the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America" might sound stuffy, but expert tour guides take you into the lives of the 18th-century inventors who built Slater Mill and the 19th-century workers who ran the giant spinning and weaving machines that turned America into an economic powerhouse. 67 Roosevelt Ave. 401-725-8638; slatermill.org

Best Souvenir Shops:
ONLY IN RHODE ISLAND, Newport/Warwick
There's the expected locally made stuff, from jams to chutneys to soup mixes. And then there are the very Rhody products, such as cornmeal for jonnycakes, coffee syrup to make coffee milk (the official state drink), and cans of clam chowder that are (sorry, New Yorkers) cream-based. Nonfood items also abound: local photographers' prints, books, calendars, soaps, lotions, candles, and jewelry. The Shops at Long Wharf Mall, Newport, 401-846-5006; T.F. Green International Airport, Warwick; 866-466-5974, 401-608-2382; onlyinrhodeisland.com

Best Quirky Gift Shop:
CURATORIUM, Providence
Curatorium is the brainchild of owner Matt Bird, whose motto is "Everything Deserves Curation." And he doesn't disappoint, with an inventory lineup that includes a keyring with miniature pliers, locally made frog-mouthed bottle openers, and for the environmentally conscious, baskets made from recycled chopsticks. 197 Wickenden St. 401-453-4080; thecuratorium.com