Bristol (Rhode Island)
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Bristol is a town in Rhode Island. It is situated on a peninsula with Narragansett Bay on its west and Mount Hope Bay to the east. It has the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By car
From Providence, go east on I-195 to exit 7. Follow Route 114 into Bristol.
From Boston I-95 south to Rt. 24 south. Take exit for Mt. Hope Bridge. Follow signs for Bristol and Mt. Hope Bridge. Go over the bridge and follow Rt. 114 north into Bristol.
[edit] By air
- T.F. Green Airport (PVD)[1] in Warwick offers many low cost and regular flights from many cities in the United States.
- Boston's Logan Airport (BOS), [2] is much larger and is generally used for most international flights.
[edit] By bus
- R.I.P.T.A., Phone: +1 401-781-9400, [3]. Services across all of Rhode Island.
[edit] Get around
[edit][add listing] See
- Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum, 101 Ferry Road, ☎ +1 401-253-2707, [4]. 10AM-5PM. An excellent piece of historic Bristol. An English-Style mansion of 45 rooms, with 33 acres of lawns and vividly colorful gardens host to an impressive collection of flowers from around the world. However, it can be incredibly uncomfortable and hot walking around the gardens in the middle of the summer. $10, children under 15: free. edit
- Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, ☎ +1 401-253-8388 (fax: +1 401-253-1198), [5]. Hitherto the Haffenreffer museum has been located within Bristol, displaying a collection of various cultural artifacts from the Americas, Africa and Oceania. However, due to mold and other reasons, the museum is turning its Bristol site into storage and has relocated its exhibition in Manning Hall on the Brown University campus, in Providence. edit
- Herreshoff Marine Museum, 1 Burnside Street, ☎ +1 401-253-6222 (fax: +1 401-253-6222), [6]. May-Oct 10AM-5PM. Yachting museum and America's Cup Hall of Fame. Dockage space is available at the Museum pier, reservations are recommended. $8 Adult, $7 Senior, $2 Student, free under 12. edit
[edit][add listing] Do
Bristol is host to many events and celebrations, particularly in and around the 4th of July.
[edit] The Fourth of July Parade
Bristol’s parade has been annually running since 1785. The parade annually begins on July 4th at 10:30AM, starting the corner of Chestnut and Hope Street, and runs down Hope Street (whose traffic lines are painted red, white, and blue) until High Street.
You must bring your own seating. The parade is always well-attended, do not wait too long to set up your seating arrangements, but do so no earlier than 5AM, otherwise your chairs, towels, and/or coolers will be confiscated. Plenty of parking is available downtown, apart from strict parking bans which go into effect for Hope Street and surrounding streets the night before. It helps to know someone in town, a friendly driveway is a great convenience when the parade is over and people rush to their cars and make crowded parking lots your painfully slow exit.
You can bring your own food and drink as well as purchase refreshments from vendors along the parade route, but alcohol is strictly prohibited. Vendors along the parade route also sell a variety of knick-knacks and souvenirs.
The parade itself goes by in several divisions, filled with music, motion, and color. There is an abundance of sound, diverse bugle and drum corps from all over the US march and play in the parade wearing their colors and twirling their flags. Bristol’s own Mt. Hope High School marching band performs along the route. Various floats from different organizations drive the parade route as well. Among other marchers found walking the parade route would be Rhode Island political figures and Elmo. The parade is also rife with historical and patriotic reverences to our Revolution as well as our men and women in uniform.
The parade, as well as other Fourth of July activities have their own website[7] for further information.
[edit][add listing] Buy
[edit][add listing] Eat
- Beehive Café, The, ☎ +1 401-396-9994, [8]. M-F 6:30AM-6PM, Sa-Su 7:30-6PM. Coffee, tea, smoothies, pastries, deserts; everything baked in-house. edit
- Bristol House of Pizza, 55 State St, ☎ +1 401-253-2550, [9]. M-Sa 5PM-9PM. Pizza, pasta, salads, grinders, club sandwiches. edit
- Cabral Gourmet Chicken, 585 Metacom Ave, ☎ +1 401-253-3913. Casual, no alcohol. $8-$12. edit
- Classic Pizza, 390 Metacom Ave, ☎ +1 401-253-1871. edit
- Daily Scoop, The, 446 Thames St, ☎ +1 401-253-2223, [10]. Ice cream, smoothies, desserts. Right next to Redlefsen's. edit
- Hope Diner, 742 Hope St, ☎ +1 401-253-1759. Small location, it can be easy to overlook if you're not familiar with the downtown area. Look for the little white building near the gas station. Serves good food despite its awkward location. expensive. edit
- Jacky's Galaxie, 383 Metacom Ave, ☎ +1 401-253-8818. edit
- Kam Shing Restaurant, 16 Gooding Ave, ☎ +1 401-254-1012. Asian-style lunch buffet Inexpensive. edit
- Lobster Pot, 119 Hope St, ☎ +1 401-253-9100. Lunch, dinner. Casual. Reservations suggested. $12-$20. edit
- Papa Joe's Wrap Shack, 567 Hope St, ☎ +1 401-253-9911, [12]. Su-Tu 11:30AM-9PM, W-Sa 11:30AM-10PM. Pizza and wraps. Small and limited seating arrangement. Inexpensive. edit
- Pizzawave, 400 Metacom Av, ☎ +1 401-253-8811, [14]. M-Sa 5PM-9PM. Pizza, pasta, steak, seafood. Located behind a Blockbuster, not necessarily visible from the road at a glance. edit
- Ricotti’s, 11 Gooding Ave, ☎ +1 401-253-1614. Sandwiches, pizza, broccoli pies. $5-$10. edit
- Roberto's, 301 Hope St, ☎ +1 401-254-9732, [16]. Su-Th 5PM-9PM, F-Sa 5PM-9:30PM. Italian. Reservations suggested. edit
- Tweet Balzano's Family Restaurant, 180 Mt. Hope Ave, ☎ +1 401-253-9811, [18]. Lunch and dinner - Italian. $8-$12. edit
- Zelia’s Diner, 20 Gooding Ave, ☎ +1 401-253-4041. Breakfast and lunch. edit
[edit][add listing] Drink
- Aidan's Pub, 11 John St., Phone: +1 401-254-1375.
- Judge Roy Bean, 1 State St., Phone: +1 401-253-7526.
- Elbow Room, 29 State St., Phone: +1 401-253-5916.
- Gillary's, 198 Thames St., Phone: +1 401-253-2012.
- J.G. Goff's, 251 Thames St., Phone: +1 401-253-4523.
- Topside Lounge, 805 Hope St., Phone: +1 401-253-1566.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
[edit] Hotels and Motels
[edit] Bed and Breakfasts
- Bradford-Dimond-Norris House, 474 Hope Street, Phone: +1 401-253-6338, [19]. 4 rooms. On the parade route.
- Bristol Harbor Inn at Thames Street Landing, 259 Thames Street, Phone: +1 401-254-1444, [20]. 40 room inn on the water. Bike and kayak rentals on the property.
- Hearth House, 736 Hope Street, Phone: +1 401-253-1404, [21]. 3 unique rooms.
- Rockwell House Inn, 610 Hope Street, Phone: +1 401-253-0040, [22]. 4 rooms. On the parade route. Tea or sherry in the afternoon.
[edit] Get out
- Colt State Park, Hope St., RIparks
- East Bay Bike Path, RIparks
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