If you've never been to Rhode Island, let us be the first to encourage you to visit. Simply put, Rhode Island is unforgettable. Often nicknamed "America's First Resort" tiny Rhode Island is much more. Its climate is tempered by the Atlantic Ocean, and there are miles upon miles of breathtaking beaches (and views) to savor and enjoy.
Further inland, Rhode Island offers the cosmopolitan and historic city of Providence and a surprising array of agricultural activity, punctuated by a small but thriving wine industry. If this surprises you, you're not alone ... we were surprised as well! But grapes grow in plentiful numbers here, and winemakers have adapted their art in accordance with what nature provides.
There are five wineries in Rhode Island, making this is a perfect weekend wine travel destination. Interestingly, Rhode Island's climate is very similar to the north of France, which is famous for its wine production. Since Providence is our starting point, let's learn a bit more about this charming and vibrant city adjacent to Narragansett Bay.
Providence: A City Of Great Neighborhoods
We were delighted to discover that Providence, the capitol of Rhode Island with a population of 175,000, is a very walkable city. What better way to explore a city than to feel its pulse on foot? Among Providence's neighborhood destinations are Wayland Square, Federal Hill, and of course the downtown area.
Federal Hill, long known for its "Little Italy" area, teems with dining opportunities. If you're a fan of independent stores and shops, don't miss Wayland Square on the city's east side. And let's not forget downtown Providence, a destination for dining, nightlife, and historic architecture.
Exploring Rhode Island Wine
Since Rhode Island is such a small state, one could quite possibly visit all five wineries in two days. However, you'd miss the simple pleasure of discovering all that Rhode Island has to offer. We were struck how lush, green, and rural the area became as we traveled outside of Providence.
Just a few minutes from the Massachusetts border is the small town of Cumberland, home of Diamond Hill Vineyards. Located on a 34 acre site, it's so picturesque here that weddings and special events are common in front of the 220 year old vineyard house. Known for its Pinot Noir grapes, Diamond Hill also has an excellent reputation for fruit wines.
South of Providence in Newport County, you'll find three wineries: Greenvale Vineyards, Newport Vineyards and Winery, and Sakonnet Vineyards. Each location is a scenic gem! In addition to the gorgeous scenery, each winery hosts numerous seasonal events, perfect for relaxing and enjoying crisp, delightful Rhode Island vintages.
Leaving the Newport area and heading toward Rhode Island's southwestern coastal area, you'll find Langworthy Farm Winery in Westerly, just a stone's throw from the Atlantic Ocean. Langworthy is situated on a family farm with an 1875 Victorian farmhouse that welcomes overnight guests. The grounds feature a stunning Norway maple tree that is reportedly the largest of its kind in the state.
You'll find wine for any palate at these charming Rhode Island wineries, from deep complex reds to light and crisp Rieslings. So, here's to little Rhode Island ... small in size but very very big in wine, taste, and scenery! Once you visit, you'll never forget. Cheers!
Hmm. It sounds like any other school. ?High Standards? for most of us means ?We use expensive textbooks and expect our students to do onerous homework.? At the Met, the standards are for rigorous work in the student's area of passion.
?Advisory? for most schools might mean ?we have a guidance department? and ?we help students find possible careers.? In the Met, the advisory is the class and the classroom. The advisory appears to be the heart of the program. The advisory system links one adult to 15 students and that adult (the ?advisor,? but most of us would call that adult the ?teacher?) builds a three- or four-year relationship with the student. There are other teachers, but one advisor guides the student through a mix of subjects. The students look at issues in the advisory, focusing on quantitative reasoning (math), empirical evidence (the scientific process) and communication (language arts).
Confused? I was when I first heard of this system. I thought, ?How can one teacher teach all subjects?? That's the wrong question. We should be asking, ?In my school, how can a student get a sense of direction when he or she has to deal with at least 5 different teachers each year, 20 teachers through high school? Where is the common thread binding all of these subjects in the student??
That's the secret behind the Met. One adult cares about (focuses on) one student at a time. I know at least one school district that claims to teach ?one student at a time.? The Met Center actually practices this.
I have identified five ?pillars? of the Met Center:
Five pillars of Big Picture Schools (as interpreted by a math teacher who visited The Met in Providence, RI, part of the Big Picture schools association) 1 Multi-year relationships -- The teacher stays with the same students for three or four years. The teacher teaches more than one subject. In the case of the Met, a high school in Providence, RI, the teacher stays with the students for all four years of high school.
2 The teacher is a facilitator. Teacher = Advisor = ?how can I help you?? The teacher coaches the student to choose activities to cover skill areas (language skills, quantitative reasoning, etc.) rather than special subjects, like trigonometry, algebra or chemistry. One of the teacher's prime activities is finding suitable mentors for the students.
3 Tests are by exhibition. A ?stand up? demonstration of understanding is valued above a written test. The students take the state's standardized tests and other written tests, but the school focuses on the exhibition, which is the product of at least nine weeks of work.
4 Learning through interests ? the internships (set up with the teacher) are selected by the student. Academic learning is filtered through the student's interests. This is how to build bridges between countries and people. Soon people will become interested in real estate in Florida or reefs in Belize. Everyone can learn to become a roadlover.
5 ?I'm more than a letter in the alphabet.? Evaluations are made by narratives, not by a letter grade. The teacher can afford time to write two pages of narrative about each student during the grading period because the teacher has only 15 to 20 students to meet with over a nine-week period. (I observed an ?advisor? who met with students throughout the class day, asking for updates on on-going projects. This sort of focus can come from a narrow focus of one adult on a small group of students.)
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Jim Hofman has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cardio Training, Modelling and Health. Are you interested in learning about wine travel destinations and unique small wineries? You're invited to explore this and many other largely undiscovered wine trails by visiting Wine Trails USA, a fun and informative site devoted to wine travel and. Jim Hofman's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.
Jake Solochek has sinced written about articles on various topics from Personal Desktop, Humanities and Web Development. www.RoadLovers.com travel and unravelwww.freeenglishlessons.com improve your English to travelwww.gaiglobal.org rainforest www.geocities.com/gaiglobal2/belizehome.html paradise homewww.youtube.com/watch'v=hDqvPAi_Rac selling a home in Fort. Jake Solochek's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.