Behind the Red Door

The peaceful charm of the south side of Block Island with thoroughbreds grazing
in front of the yachts moored in New Harbor. Click on the horses to see this scene
on all its beauty. cctoday photo by Pat Brooks

On the road within 100 miles of Cape Cod
Two islands, a unspoilt seaport and two cities in ten days

By Walter & Patricia Brooks

We decided in mid-July to trade one crowd for another, so we threw the bikes on the back of Pat's Volvo and headed for Martha's Vineyard, Point Judith, Block Island, Providence and Boston, all within an easy hour and a half of our home on Cape Cod.

A night in Galilee and 3 days on Block Island

The same glacier which formed the cape & islands created Block Island. Click on the map to see larger.

This was the colorful scene from our room's private porch at Ballards on Block Island. Click the image to see the inn.

We stopped at the airport on our drive around the island. Every form of transportation is shown here. Note the pleasure and work boats, tractors and planes plus our vintage Mustang rental. Click the car to see the rest.

Part of the fun of visiting Block Island is staying the previous afternoon and evening in the oh-so-natural, laid back tiny seaport of Galilee at Point Judith RI where you catch the ferry to the island. This is the only place left on earth where they make clam chowder the way it was originally made - no cream or thickeners.

We always stay at The New Lighthouse Inn, 307 Great Island Road, (401) 789-9341, Narragansett, RI, because it's practically the only place in town, and it's directly cross the Block Island Ferry you'll take the next morning. This working seaport is the way the cape was fifty years ago.

And if you ask nicely the innkeeper may let you leave your car there while you're on the island. The ferry is $18.75 round trip, a buck less for Seniors. The trip lasts less than an hour.

The mile-high glacier that created Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard also left behind an appropriately diminutive summer playground of Block Island for Rhode Island.

Lodging;
We stayed at Ballards Inn on the dock a hundred feet from the ferry, see the photo on right. This famous hotel, restaurant and night spot has been in the same family for generations. This is a youth oriented inn, but the music is first rate, and the Patio serves excellent food a foot from the beach bunnies. Ballard's is smack dab in the middle of everything.

Getting around;
Turn left as you walk off the ferry on your way to Ballards to Old Harbor Bikes where you can rent wheels. The 10 square mile island is great for biking, but the 90 degree heat last month led us to rent a "Classic Mustang". They also offer Mini-Hummers, convertible Jeeps, Mini-Vans, Mountain Bikes and even Kayaks.

Dining;
Eli's, Chapel St., Old Harbor,  (401) 466-5230 - Eli's is one of the island's most popular eateries, but it can serve only 50 hungry diners at a time, and the no-reservations policy means waits of up to 2 hours unless you come early. It's worth it. Choices like "Hunter's Dastardly Duck" bring a half of that bird together with apples, pheasant sausage, brandy, and demi-glacé.  The Cod & Clam chowder was a gastronomic wonder, and the huge portions defy anyone to finish.

The Oar, New Harbor, Jobs Hill Road, (401) 466-8820 - The Oar is so cool we had lunch there three days in a row. Sit outside and order a lemonade and grilled grouper sandwich on toast ($7.95), or the fabulous Mediterranean Salad for the same price, and order the local RI beers on draft. The view from the deck looks down at the harbor filled with yachts docked below (see photo at top of page) and across Great Salt Pond to the Long Island ferry dock nearby.

On to The Red Door at the Biltmore in Providence

The historic Providence Biltmore Hotel opened in 1922 as shown in this old postcard. The white, domed building next door is the City Hall.  Click on the image to see the original postcard larger.

The hotel just became home to the most beautiful Red Door Spa we've ever seen. The Elizabeth Arden PR dept. wouldn't tell us how much to cost to build, but it is so elaborate and posh, that the spa alone is worth a trip to Providence because even Boston doesn't have a Red Door Spa. 

After three days on Block Island we were ready for a little city life, and the Providence Biltmore, that grand dame of a hotel, had just announced the opening of their new Read Door Spa, that most extravagant of indulgences and the closest one to Cape Cod.

The hotel, which recently underwent a $7.5 million renovation project to add two new floors of luxury suites, and high level, elegant boardrooms, is centrally located in Down City Providence within walking distance of the business, historical, governmental, and cultural communities, and adjacent to the Rhode Island Convention Center and Providence Place Mall. The Hotel has been placed on the National Preservation Register as one of the country’s cherished architectural treasure.

Patricia and I have visited the world's most famous spas, even one on the new Indian luxury train, but none we have seen can compare with this new Providence Red Door Spa. It's truly in a class by itself.

Ladies, bring your husband along, and turn him into a metroman with a facial and an aqua therapy massage behind The Red Door.

The hotel is also home to a new McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. This chain of high-end seafood eateries started in the West Coast and is gradually moving east. We sample six different oysters, a seafood and roasted corn chowder, and an oyster stew before jumping into our entrées.

The next night we returned to the Hotel Providence for another taste of their incredible restaurant, L'Epicureo where Pat started with the Pan Seared Foie Gras with Pear Currant Chutney and I sampled the Potato & Truffle Frittata with Sherry Vinagrette. Our entrée were Open Face Maine Lobster Pot Pie with Winter Truffle Sauce and Tuscan Style Slow Braised Pork Belly with Creamy Garlic Mascarpone Polenta. This is a very fine restaurant. The boutique Hotel Providence, a Small Luxury Hotels of the World affiliate, opened in January of 2005, is located on historic Westminster Street has already earned a well-recognized AAA Four Diamond rating, becoming the second property in Providence to acquire this status.

R & R at Four Seasons overlooking Boston Garden

The tuna on a potato roll in front, the crispy crab meat on brioche on right and the Nicoise Salad pan bagnat all pleased the palate. We wrote a previous story about this elegant property here.

As you can understand, all this self improvement is exhausting, so after two days in Providence we drove one hour north for an evening at The Four Seasons in Boston where they just introduced an exciting new  menu in their swank bar called Aujourd'Hui.

This is the kind of "bar menu" you expect to find in Boston's only five star hotel (yes, The Ritz is four stars). Everything was unique and elegantly presented.

The bar overlooks the Public Garden, and the large New England portraits entice guests to lounge over a pre-dinner glass of champagne or after-dinner drink.

Heading for home via The Vineyard

All this city living made us hunger for something as different as possible, and what's more the opposite of five star city hotels than The Wesley Hotel in Oak Buffs on Martha's Vineyard? This Victorian splendor looms protectively over the harbor where one can sit all day watching the passing parade in this wonderful, funky town.

You can sit in a rocker on the Wesley's front deck and shoot great photos forever. Click on the boats
to see this photo full size. The schooner is the Alabama and the small, black ferry is a Patriot boat from Falmouth which runs year round.  

This is the scene from the Wesley's deck. For more photos like this, click here, or click the photo to see Patricia biking past a gingerbread cottage.

We grabbed the first ferry from Hyannis for the almost two hour sea voyage. Arriving at the Oak Bluffs docks we lashed our rolling suitcases to our bikes and pedaled the 150 yards to the hotel. After registering we biked along Nantucket Sound to Edgartown's swank shops 9 miles away.

After lunch at The Wharf, I threw my bike on the front of the superb Vineyard Transportation Authority bus for a $2. trip back to the Wesley Hotel while Pat continued shopping.

That night we had the best Puttanesca we've had in ages at Jimmy Seas in Oak Bluffs. Jimmy uses the island's quota for garlic in each king-sized entrée which is served in a skillet.

The next night we couldn't get in Zapotec where we've had excellent meals in the past, but found another Mexican restaurant in the middle of Circuit Avenue with no wait and very good food and drink, but the name escapes me.

Be sure to bring your bikes when you visit The Vineyard. Failing that rent one immediately and pedal the great bike paths all over the island. Ride your bike through the delightful Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association directly behind the hotel past all the quaint gingerbread cottages from another era. Click the photo of the Wesley deck on right to see the cottages.

We visit here at least once each year, preferably after September 15 when the crowds are gone, but the restaurants are still open.

For more information check of island's Best Read Guide, or read the island's two excellent weekly newspapers, The Vineyard Gazette and the Martha's Vineyard Times.