Blackstone Valley

Touring the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley Heritage Area

Quietly meandering between Worcester , Massachusetts and Providence , Rhode Island , the Blackstone River is one of the mightiest rivers in the country. The recent transformation in the region has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations, returning the Valley to an enclave of economic prosperity and natural beauty.

 

For decades, America raced past the Blackstone River Valley , seeing few good reasons to stop. The region had allowed the river to deteriorate, its economy slide and the many historic mills that dot the landscape, stand in ruins.

 

Now, undergoing an astounding revitalization, the work and accomplishments of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Commission give travelers plenty of reasons to visit.

 

The region's heritage tells the story of how America transformed from a rural farming society into one fueled by industry. With a 430 foot drop in just under 50 miles, the river offered an excellent source of power that made the mill culture possible.

 

Spotting both a business opportunity and the ability of the colonies to free themselves from dependence on Britain for textile production, Samuel Slater utilized the design of the Arkwright spinning jenny to create an operating mill in Pawtucket . Others soon copied Slater's ideas to establish mills using the new water-powered technology.

 

Once powering over 1,100 mills along the river, the waters of the Blackstone River Valley provided a living for thousands of workers. Adding depth to the industry, enterprises in the region were able to manufacture both the textiles and the machines that produced them.

 

Today, a trip to the Blackstone River Valley introduces you to this fascinating and important piece of American history. Beginning at Slater's Mill in Pawtucket , you'll experience the flawless workings of the machinery and the massive waterwheels that functions exactly as they did when production was in full swing.

Ultimately, as the mills became the workplace for whole families, stories about the adverse working conditions ran rampant, but were an accepted part of life, since in contrast to the first settlers who had come to America seeking religious freedom, the settlers here came seeking jobs.

 

As the textile industry settled into New England's very rural landscape, the authors of Working Water conclude that "the location and craftsmanship of the village structures in combination with the quiet woods and fields along the river banks, created a unique landscape."

 

Unfortunately, the thriving industry also led to the pollution of the Blackstone River , but no matter how dire the conditions became, within the stories of these hardy people, you'll find stories of innovation and invention, prosperity and hope.

 

Nearly 200 years later, you'll witness the reemergence of the unique riverbank landscape where the beautiful structures of the long-abandoned mills have been put to use as senior housing, condominiums, shops, boutiques, galleries and more. Where trees once grew through buildings, luxury living now prevails.

 

No matter how long you visit any one of the 24 carefully-restored quaint communities within the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, you'll quickly come to understand this truly important American history.

 

To get an even better view of the historic mill experience, you can hop aboard an excursion boat to get out on the river or even stay overnight on the Samuel Slater Canal Boat Bed & Breakfast.

 

Traveling the backroads of the Valley region, you'll discover fruit stands and orchards, root beer stands where car hops still bring the tray to your car, antique shops, scenic byways, waterfalls and more.

 

Plan also to explore and enjoy the heritage and culture of the Blackstone River Valley , while learning the story of the region that was so important to the development of America .

 

Blackstone Valley: A Volunteer Tourism Itinerary

 

The Blackstone Valley tells a fascinating story. The powerful Blackstone River has been the nucleus of this lively community since the area was founded in 1635. Today, the river still holds its allure, thanks largely to the efforts of concerned citizens who have worked to restore and protect the river and its environs.

 

The Reverend William Blackstone became the first European settler in Rhode Island when he settled near the river in present-day Central Falls. Many followed his lead, and soon the area became a haven for renegades escaping the religious oppression from nearby Massachusetts Bay Colony. For more than a century, the Blackstone River was home to thriving farming villages. In 1790, the wheels turned in another direction, this time the river’s falls gave birth to the American Industrial Revolution. The Slater Mill in Pawtucket is credited with operating the first successful water-powered cotton-spinning mill in America. Almost overnight, the region exploded with factories and mills, and the villages around the river transformed themselves into bustling cities.

 

Today, the Blackstone Valley consists of restored mill villages, open farmland and untouched woodlands standing side-by-side. Beside the great volunteer work with the cultural and historic sites of the Blackstone Valley, on this journey you will visit a working horse farm, tour the first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill in America, take a cruise on the M/V Blackstone Valley Explorer, tour the City of Newport and enjoy the Italian foods of Federal Hill in Providence.

 

Day 1: Arrival

8:00 am – Check-in and drop off luggage at the Tourism Council offices

 

8:30 am - Orientation at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center

View award-winning film “Hidden in the Blackstone Valley.”

 

9:00 am - A scholarly presentation on Rhode Island’s history and heritage

A lecture by expert historian Albert Klyberg, former President of the Rhode Island Historical Society, author of several books and interpretive staff for the Kelly House Museum. -

 

10:00 am - Meet people behind the Blackstone Valley VolunTourism Experience.

Dr. Robert Billington, President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Kathy Jellison, Director, Slater Mill Historic Site
Anne Conway, Director, Museum of Work and Culture
Mark Brodeau, Operations Director, Rhode Island Division of Tourism

10:30 am - Slater Mill Living History Museum

The birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, this museum complex includes the Old Slater Mill (1793) America’s first power-powered cotton spinning mill, the rubble-stone Wilkinson Mill (1810)

Home to a working replica of an early 19th century mid-breast water mill and mid-19th century machine shop and the Sylvanus Brown House (1758) a restored 18th century middle class artisan’s home.

 

12:00 pm - Riverside Picnic Lunch at the Slater Mill

 

1:00 pm - Walking self-guided tour on Great Road in Lincoln – N/C

The Great Road was constructed along ancient Native America trails in
the mid-1600s and its one of the earliest roads in America. During the driving tour, you will be introduced to several more architectural treasures. There is nothing more historical in America that contains so much history on the Great Road.

 

5:00 pm - Dinner at Diamond Hill Vineyard

Meet the Vintners Peter and Claire Berntson and take a tour

Diamond Hill Vineyards is a small family-run vineyard and winery that planted their first vines in 1976. No herbicide, insecticide or chemical fertilizer is used and attention is paid to low yield and vinification in the ancient tradition with aging in French oak barrels. The Berntsons decided to revive the old New England tradition of making wine from local fruits which when updated to modern equipment and techniques produces the complex table wines, fruity, delicious peach and berry wines that are rapidly becoming true N.E. classics.

 

6:30 pm - Hotel - (Based on Double Occupancy)

 

Day 2: Blackstone River Day

 

9:00 am – Blackstone River Revitalization Project

The Blackstone River is America’s first polluted river. It is also the first river to “die” in North America. It is on the re-bound with life. Work on a necessary revitalization project along the Blackstone River.

 

12:00 pm - Enjoy a picnic lunch under a tree on the banks of the Blackstone River

1:00 pm - Guided River Tour on the Blackstone Valley Explorer

A River’s Rebirth Waterfowl, fish and other wildlife are returning to the shores and waters of the river that once turned the colors of dyes produced in the Valley’s textile mills. During a riverboat cruise, a historian tells the remarkable comeback story of this America Heritage River whose powerful waterfalls turned the waterwheels of the nation’s earliest factories.

 

2:00 pm - Free time then return to the Hotel

 

5:00 pm - Walking Tour of the famous Newport Cliff Walk

Walk with expert guide Anita Rafael of Newport-on-foot.
The Cliff Walk is a public access road running three and a half miles along the shore of Newport. It offers a breathtaking view of the mansions and the Atlantic Ocean, sometimes aspiring to heights as high as seventy feet!

 

7:00 pm - Hotel (Based on Double Occupancy)

Day 3: Slater Mill Day

 

9:00 am – Slater Mill Historical Site

Assist with the work on replacement of historic water turbine

The venerable river front museum complex is reinventing itself with a living history format to complement its traditional fiber arts demonstration, exhibits of early textile machinery and two-ton waterwheel.

12:00 pm - Lunch at Federal Hill

Lunch at one of Providence’s fine Italian restaurant on Federal Hill and this will be followed by a walking tour along the Hill, its home of the Italian Foods in Rhode Island.

3:00 pm - Visit the Campus of Brown University

Tour this Ivy League campus and learn about the history and the future of Brown University.

 

5:30 pm - Dinner at the J&W Culinary University at Snowdon Hall

Johnson and Wales University is America’s top institution for preparing the world’s chefs.

 

7:00 pm - Hotel (Based on Double Occupancy)

Day 4: Agriculture Day

9:00 am - Grace Note Farm

This is a unique opportunity to live and work on a farm that dates back to the 1700’s. Here you will have a chance to participate in the day-to-day chores of maintaining the farm and caring for the farm animals or simply take in the beautiful vistas, sounds of nature and breathe in the fresh air. You can also help mend fences, paint barns, weed gardens, mow fields, clear trails, unload hay and grain, clean barns and paddocks or tend to the fire wood.

 

12:00 pm - Lunch on the Farm prepared by Virginia Sindelar with recipes from the time of Thomas Jefferson.

3:00 pm - Canal Boat Tour

The Canal boat was built in Cambridgeshire England for the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The Samuel Slater is an authentic British canal boat. It is located on the Blackstone River that runs 46 miles from Worcester to Providence. Travelers aboard this amazing cruise will observe watchable wildlife and will be pleasantly surprised by the beauty and uniqueness that the river offers.

 

4:30 pm - Return To the Hotel

 

5:30 pm - Dinner at China Inn

China Inn, operated by the Louis Yip family has been a favorite of Rhode Island for 30 years. This is fine oriental dining at its best.

 

7:00 pm - Theater Performance

Enjoy great theater at either Mixed Magic or the Gamm

 

9:00 pm - Hotel (Based on Double Occupancy)

Day 5: Departure Day

 

10:00 am - Visit Museum of Work & Culture

This interactive museum presents the compelling and touching story of immigrants who came to find a better life in the mill towns along the Blackstone River. You will journey through the workday world Woonsocket residents and immigrant arrivals. The exhibits also recreate their life at home, church, school and present the unique Woonsocket labor story of the rise of Independent Textile Union, which grew to dominate every aspect of city life.

 

12:00 pm - Lunch at the Ye Olde English Fish and Chips

Operated by the Robinson Family for four generations. This is Rhode Island’s most famous Fish and Chips restaurant.

 

1:00 pm - Departure

 

Welcome To Rhode Island

Rhode Island is an unforgettable destination. If good things, as they say come in small packages, this tiny New England state is a true gem, boasting hundreds of miles of breathtaking beaches, a history both rich and dramatic, attractions for every interest and passionately proud citizens who’ll go out of their way to make your visit pleasurable.


Rhode Islanders like to say that our state is America’s first resort. In the 1520’s, navigator Giovanni da Verrazano sailed the islands of Narragansett Bay and liked it so much he decided to stay for a couple of weeks.

 

There is something for everyone here, whether your perfect visit consists of outdoor adventure, taking in history, arts and culture, shopping till you drop or simply relaxing on a sandy beach.

 

No matter what time of year you visit, you’ll find plenty to keep you fascinated and busy. Winter brings Christmas in Newport and the city’s month-long Winter Festival for weeks of celebrating. Ice skaters, sledders and skiers alike come out in full force during Rhode Island’s snowy months. Spring means Daffodil Days in Bristol, traditional May breakfasts all over the state and the opening of baseball season at Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium; home of the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Boston Red Sox minor league affiliate) summer brings outdoor music festivals, evening theater in the city parks and the oldest Fourth of July parade in the nation. When the leaves turn golden, orange and red, the ocean and bay take on a deeper blue hue and the scent of apple cider fills the air, it’s officially autumn in Rhode Island.

 

The wonder of all of this is that Rhode Island’s small size means you can take it all in – the nature, the sports, the history, the arts, the shopping and the relaxing – without spending long hours getting from one place to another. In tiny Rhode Island you can breakfast at a café in South County, head up to Providence or the Blackstone Valley to take in a historic house tour, lunch on the East Bay on your way to little Compton for a wine tasting and vineyard tour, then wander over to Newport for dinner.


In this diverse, fascinating and beautiful state, you can create the perfect tour. The choices are endless and the memories will last a lifetime.

What you need to know about Rhode Island

Rhode Island Visitor Information
Rhode Island Tourism Division
800.556.2484
www.VisitRhodeIsland.com

Blackstone Valley Visitor Information
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Blackstone Valley Visitor Center
175 Main St
Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860
401 724 2200

 

The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has prepared this package.


If you need any further details, please contact Lilly Kayamba on 401-724 2200 or email her on BVTClilly@aol.com

 

Total cost: $721 

 

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the culture, heritage and preservation of the Blackstone Valley.

Package One: Touring the Backroads of the Blackstone River Valley

If you're one of those people for whom leisurely travel on scenic byways and backroads is a favorite pastime, traveling through the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, it will be hard to believe that you're less than 50 miles from the hustle and bustle of Boston. Dissected by the most scant sprinkling of Interstate highways, the Heritage Corridor stretching between Providence, Rhode Island and Worcester, Massachusetts is a rural enclave of quaint, immaculate, charming historic towns, natural landscapes and scenic byways to take you from place to place.

 

When visiting, you'll be delighted to discover that here life still moves at a slower pace, permitting you to enjoy more than a one sentence conversation with residents, while also enabling you to take your time while exploring the region.

 

This region is also a place of great stories. In Pawtucket , you'll discover the mill where Samuel Slater installed the first spinning jenny, the catalyst which ultimately transformed America to an industrial power. In Woonsocket , another story reveals how whole, poor French Canadian families moved near the textile mills because they discovered they could make as much money in one season as they did in a year while farming. In Worcester , Massachusetts , you'll discover a 1722 town at a crossroads of commerce, where neighbors who occupied the original mill villages never stopped caring for one another.

 

In between, you'll find America 's oldest continually operating general store and the country's first outlet store, both offshoots of the region's textile mills. You'll pass mill after mill on the banks of the Blackstone, some restored, some under restoration and a few still awaiting new life.

You'll marvel at centuries old towns anchored by the proverbial New England church and green, now filled with antique shops, galleries, and scenic spots where you'll want to stop the car and savor. Bring your camera, your walking shoes, and driving directions and plan to enjoy!

 

This Package Includes:

•  One nights accommodations at the Pillsbury House Bed and Breakfast

•  Two nights accommodations at The Grafton Inn

•  Breakfast following each night's stay

•  Parking at the Inns

 

•  Museum of Work and Culture Learn about the lifestyle of mill families who migrated to the Blackstone Valley

•  Walking tour of Woonsocket Stroll through a town that has always been an important urban center on the Blackstone River

•  Brown & Hopkins Country Store The longest continuously operating store in the United States

•  Job Armstrong General StoreWatch artisans at work in a fully restored general store

•  Douglas Flea Market Home to the unusual Dutch Hoop Bosma Barn

•  E.N. Jenckes Store Museum/Douglas Historical Society Discover the museum that is also home to the Historical Society

•  Manchaug Mills Visit an original mill now filled with shops and galleries

•  Purgatory Chasm State Reservation Stand in awe of striking rock formations created thousands of years ago

•  Walking Tour of Grafton Unique New England mill town built around a central green

•  Waters Farm Living history homestead built in 1757

•  Vaillancourt Folk Art Delight in original creations for Christmas and other seasons

•  Eaton Farm Confectioners Producing the finest in chocolates for over 100 years

•  Keown Orchards Pick your own at this four generation family owned farm

•  Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary Meander through 400 acres of woods, fields, streams and marshlands

•  Willard House & Clock Museum America 's premier 18th century clockmakers

 

You can add the following options to your trip:

•  Additional nights at The Grafton Inn

•  Blackstone Valley Explorer River Tour (if available)

•  Blackstone Valley Scenic Railway Tour (if available)

•  Spirit of the Blackstone Valley Boat Tour (if available)

 

Prices starting at: $339.

Per person, double occupancy, including taxes. Prices may vary by season and day of the week.

 

For current pricing and to book call American Driving Vacations: 877-485-TRIP (8747)

Package Two: Blackstone River Valley Recreational Mecca

Ever thought about staying on a Canal Boat Bed & Breakfast? Or climbing rocks in a chasm where legend has it that the Native American devil caused indentations with the head of his victim? Want to meander along a canal path where you can stroll as slowly as the water is moving?

 

There's outdoor recreation at its best in the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor; robust, serene, slow or fast. The ever present Blackstone River snaking its way through the valley delivers wonderful outdoor adventures, nicely complemented by the region's rich industrial heritage story.

 

To introduce you to the range of possibilities for outdoor recreation, we've designed an experience that includes walking, hiking, biking, and canoeing or kayaking. To make the trip even more interesting, we've designed in a visit to savor the wines at a local vineyard and even a tour of a historic site or two.

 

And, yes indeed, you'll be staying on the authentic Samuel Slater Canal Boat Bed and Breakfast, a replica of those that traveled up and down the canal. How's that for a unique experience?

 

Hiking in the Purgatory Chasm, you can reflect on the legend of the Native American devil. In contrast to that rugged terrain, you'll find walking serene on the Blackstone River Canal path made absolutely flat for the horses that once walked along it pulling cargo up and down the canal.

 

Similar to other canals in the US , the beasts of burden walked under a canopy of trees, that makes great shade for you as well.

 

While you're on this trip, you can decide whether your trip is full of "soft" adventure or leans more to the "wild side."

 

But we're sure that after having spent a few days enjoying outdoor recreation in the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, you'll be returning home, refreshed, relaxed and renewed from the fresh air, activity and serenity. Enjoy!

 

This Package Includes:

•  Two nights accommodations on the Samuel Slater Canal Boat Bed and Breakfast

•  One nights accommodations at Morin's Victorian Hideaway

•  Breakfast following each night's stay

•  Parking at the Inn

 

•  Walking tour of Pawtucket Explore this very historic town first settled in 1671

•  Blackstone River Valley Visitors Center Begin to learn the story of the settling of the Blackstone River Valley and its heritage

•  Slater Mill Compler Explore a flawlessly working version of Samuel Slater's original mill that started the industrial revolution in America

•  Blackstone River Bike Path Created to enable visitors to enjoy the pristine environment along the river

•  Kelly House Museum  Tour the historic home built by Captain Kelly now transformed to interpret transportation in the Blackstone area

•  Spring Lake Beach Rent a boat or a canoe and enjoy the lake for the day

•  Purgatory Chasm State Reservation Stand in awe of rock formations created thousands of years ago

•  River Bend Farm Visitor Center Learn more of the Blackstone story at one of the Heritage Corridor's four Visitor Centers

•  Diamond Hill Vineyard Savor the unique wines produced in the Blackstone River Valley

  

You can add the following options to your trip:

 

•  Additional nights at Morin's Victorian Hideaway

•  Blackstone Valley Explorer River Tour (if available)

•  Blackstone Valley Scenic Railway Tour (if available)

 

Prices start at: $319.

Per person, double occupancy, including taxes. Prices may vary by season and day of the week.

 

For current pricing and to book call American Driving Vacations: 877-485-TRIP (8747)

Package Three: A Historic Vacation in the Blackstone River Valley

If you looked at the length of this trip and wondered why it's so long, it's because we believe some of the best historic homes, towns, stories and historic properties in the nation, are found in the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.

 

Each of the twenty four historic communities that comprise the core of Heritage Corridor has a full complement of historic structures. Whether you start in Providence , Rhode Island and wend your way north to Worcester , Massachusetts , or the other way around, a whole plethora of wonderful buildings await.

 

In Pawtucket , your journey will begin at Slater Mill, a "must see," in an impeccably restored mill building dating from 1793.

 

Located on the very spot where the industrial revolution in New England began, Slater's Mill was the first of nearly 1,100 mills that hugged the banks of the Blackstone River during the heyday of textile manufacturing.

 

In addition to this and other mill buildings you'll visit on this trip, you'll visit the John Brown House, residence of a prominent local merchant in Providence; the Roger Williams National Memorial, dedicated to the founder of Rhode Island; the Kelly House, integral to the building of the Blackstone Canal; the Hearthside Mansion, built for unrequited love; the Great Road Historic District, a whole collection of historic buildings built starting in 1683; several early churches and meeting houses, the Brown and Hopkins Country Store; and several other outstanding historic structures.

 

Each of the locations has a different story to tell and each contributes to a full understanding of the rich history of the Blackstone River Valley as it transformed from a rural enclave to America 's first industrial region.

 

Plan to enjoy all of these and the other fascinating stories that you'll find in the astounding collection of historic architecture that we've brought together in one trip.

 

This Package Includes:

•  Two nights accommodations on the Samuel Slater Canal Boat Bed and Breakfast

•  One nights accommodations at Freeman Farm

•  Two nights accommodations at Pillsbury House Bed and Breakfast

•  One nights accommodations at Edgewood Hill House

•  One nights accommodations at The Captain Slocum Bed and Breakfast

•  Breakfast following each night's stay

•  Parking at the Inns

 

•  Blackstone River Valley Visitors Center Begin to learn the story of the Blackstone River Valley

•  Slater Mill Complex Tour Samuel Slater's working mill that started the industrial revolution

•  Walking Tour of Pawtucket Stroll this historic town settled in 1793 and chartered in 1886

•  John Brown House Explore the home of one of Providence 's prominent merchants

•  Roger Williams National Memorial Dedicated to the founder of Rhode Island

•  Kelly House Museum Tour the historic home built by Captain Kelly now transformed to interpret transportation in the Blackstone area

•  Blackstone River Canal Path Enjoy the Canal path which has been transformed into a greenway

•  Lincoln Friends Meeting House Explore an original Meeting House dating from 1704

•  Eleazer Arnold House An original 1693 "stone-ender"

•  Hearthside Mansion Tour the "house that love built"

•  Great Road Historic District Built in 1683 as a major road on the west side of the Blackstone River

•  Hannaway Blacksmith Shop Experience forging of nails and hinges first hand

•  Valentine Whitman Sr. House 1694 "stone-ender" house in the Great Road Historic District

•  Job Armstrong General Store Explore living history at the Gloucester Heritage Society

•  Walking Tour of Chepachet Meander a charming New England village

•  Blackstone Gorge Bi-State Park/Mammoth Mill Ruins Natural area that spans Massachusetts and Rhode Island

•  Museum of Work and Culture Learn the story of the immigrants who came to work in the Blackstone Valley mills

•  Walking tour of Woonsocket Tour the historic area original formed from six mill villages

•  Market Square Historic center of Woonsocket

•  Bernon Mill Village One of the original mill villages of Woonsocket

•  Stadium Theater Restored building in downtown Woonsocket

•  Depot Square Explore another preserved area of Woonsocket

•  Ballou Cemetery Explore one of New England 's favorite haunted spots

•  Union Village Historic District A very historic area which first saw European settlers in the 1660s

•  Douglas Flea Market Home of the historic Bosma Hoop Barn

•  Chestnut Hill Meeting House  A meeting house architecturally unchanged since 1769

•  Cornet John Farnum House Visit the site of the first Uxbridge town meeting in 1727

•  Uxbridge Friends Meeting House Built in " Quaker City " for the sum of 206 pounds in 1770

•  Stanley Woolen Mill  Located near one of the best preserved sections of the Blackstone Canal

•  River Bend Farm Visitor Center Learn more of the Blackstone Valley story at one of the four Heritage Area Visitors Centers

•  Taft Home Tour the residence of a prominent Uxbridge businessman

•  Vaillancourt Folk Art Delight in original creations for the Christmas season

•  Asa Waters Mansion Considered one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture in the country

•  Willard House & Clock Museum America 's premier clock makers of the 1800s

•  Worcester Art Museum Explore more than 35,000 pieces of art

•  Worcester Historical Museum Dedicated to displaying artifacts vital to understanding the history of Worcester

•  Walking Tour of Worcester Introduce yourself to this " All American City "

 

You can add the following options to your trip:

•  Additional nights at The Captain Slocum Bed and Breakfast

•  Blackstone Valley Explorer River Tour (if available)

•  Blackstone Valley Scenic Railway Tour (if available)

 

Prices start at: $629

Per person, double occupancy, including taxes. Prices may vary by season and day of the week.

 

For current pricing and to book call American Driving Vacations: 877-485-TRIP (8747)

Package Four: The Art and Culture of the Blackstone River Valley

Throughout history, thriving, authentic, well grounded cultures have produced some of the world's greatest art in impressive quantities. Most often, these same cultures particularly appreciate and collect the art of other cultures as well. Building on traditions started in the late 1600s, this is certainly true for the Blackstone River Valley .

 

From paintings and sculpture to unique glass, beautiful wool and cotton textiles, the Blackstone Valley has always been a haven for outstanding artists, craftsmen and inventors practicing their craft.

 

As avid collectors, the Worcester Art Museum alone has 35,000 items, some dating as far back as 5000 years. Founded in 1898, the museum has continued to collect for more than 100 years.

Exhibits include everything from Pre-Columbian American gold work and pottery to European masterpieces and some of the best American art by Copley, Stuart, Whistler and Homer.

 

The City of Pawtucket decided to support its thriving arts community by creating more than 850,000 square feet of space for artists since 1995.

 

On this trip, in addition to enjoying Worcester and Pawtucket , you'll discover the Vaillancourt Folk Art workshop which produces original collectibles, Eaton Farm Confectioners does the same with chocolate and other sweet goodies and learn about the amazing Willard family and their four outstanding clockmakers whose clocks still operate in the US Capitol and Supreme Court Buildings in Washington , D.C.

 

You will also be touring four world-class university art museums, at Rhode Island College , Providence College , Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design.

 

By the end of your trip, you'll come to appreciate the whole spectrum of arts that thrive in the Blackstone River Valley ; whether congregated, collected or created. This trip is a visual lover's dream.

 

This Package Includes:

•  Two nights accommodations at The Captain Slocum Bed and Breakfast

•  Two nights accommodations at the Pillsbury House Bed and Breakfast

•  One nights accommodations on the Samuel Slater Canal Boat Bed and Breakfast

•  Breakfast following each night's stay

•  Parking at the Inns

 

•  Worcester Art Museum Explore more than 35,000 pieces of art

•  Walking tour of Worcester Introduce yourself to this " All- American City "

•  Higgins Armory Museum The only museum in the western hemisphere dedicated to the display of arms and armor

•  Worcester Center for Crafts One of the earliest craft centers in the nation established in the late 1800s

•  Salisbury Mansion Enjoy this wonderful example of historic architecture dating from 1772

•  Willard House & Clock Museum America 's premier clockmakers in the 1800s

•  Vaillancourt Folk Center Delight in handmade creations for the Christmas season

•  Eaton Farm Confectioners Making fine chocolates for over 100 years

•  Douglas Flea Market Home of the historic Bosma Hoop Barn

•  Walking Tour of Woonsocket  Tour the historic area originally formed from six mill villages

•  Museum of Work & Culture Learn the story of the immigrants who came to work in the Blackstone Valley mills

•  Blackstone River Gallery of Fine Art Select from local, regional and European artists

•  Main Street Historic District Explore some of Woonsocket 's oldest architecture

•  Grey Room Gallery Interesting gallery located in the First Universalist Church

•  North End Historic District  Originally part of the Harris farm now Harris Avenue

•  Allen Street Historic District Follows the original course of the Blackstone Canal through the city

•  Cato Hill Historic District  A quaint, working class neighborhood overlooking Main Street

•  Union Village Historic District  Home of European settlers as early as the 1660

•  J.H. Rowbottom Fine Art Gallery   Exhibiting and selling both 19th and 20 century paintings

•  Edward Mitchell Barrister Art Gallery Delight in the fine arts gallery at Rhode Island College

•  Hunt Cavanaugh Gallery Explore the fine arts gallery at Providence College

•  Bell Gallery Discover this gallery designed by Phillip Johnson

•  Rhode Island School of Design Displaying more than 80,000 works of art

•  Pendleton House Featuring the first ever American collection of decorative arts and furniture

•  Slater Mill Complex Experience Samuel Slater's flawlessly working second mill built in 1793

•  Slater Mill Gallery  Explore fine art in the Slater Complex

•  Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Gallery Located in the Visitors Center

•  Attleboro Museum of Art Featuring changing exhibits and masterworks

 

You can add the following options to your trip:

•  Additional nights at the Samuel Slater Canal Boat Bed and Breakfast

•  Blackstone Valley Explorer River Tour (if available)

•  Blackstone Valley Scenic Railway Tour (if available)

 

Prices start at: $489.

Per person, double occupancy, including taxes. Prices may vary by season and day of the week.

 

For current pricing and to book call American Driving Vacations: 877-485-TRIP (8747)

Package Five: Exploring Rhode Island in the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Area

Virtually transforming the nation from a rural society into an industrial powerhouse, it's astounding to be able to stand on the very spot in the Blackstone River Valley where the industrial revolution in America began.

 

More fascinating is the fact that Samuel Slater, who brought the first mechanized spinning technology from England in the 1789, was working to solve a very practical problem.

 

Up until that time, even though freed from England as a colony, America was totally dependent on the British for machine produced textiles. Able to manufacture textiles from the cotton produced in the United States , Slater broke the British hold over the textile industry. The fact that America would become an industrial powerhouse as a result, was only happenstance.

Slater's mill was ultimately joined by nearly 1,100 more mills, as investors poured into the area to build factories. And the rest, as they say "is history."

 

The John H. Chafee Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor was established to tell this story of America 's industrial beginnings, while also supporting the incredible level of development that has occurred to restore the original mills into housing, luxury condos, community centers, museums and more.

 

Spanning the 46 miles of the Blackstone River Valley watershed and 24 historic towns, the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley Heritage Area lies in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts .

 

Traveling in the Rhode Island portion of the Valley, you begin to sense how the area was changed by mill production as you visit an operating mill with original machinery and watch "Hidden in the Blackstone Valley," a film that illustrates the whole concept of the heritage region. While here, you can also take a cruise on a canal boat, walk along the same path as the horses and mules did as they pulled the products to market, learn about William Blackstone, for whom the river is named, and the working families who filled the factories. Enjoy.

 

 

This Package Includes:

•  Two nights accommodations on the Samuel Slater Canal Boat Bed and Breakfast

•  One nights accommodations at the Pillsbury House Bed and Breakfast

•  Breakfast following each night's stay

•  Parking at the Inns

 

•  Blackstone River Valley Visitors Center Begin to learn the story of the industrial revolution in the Blackstone River Valley

•  Slater Mill Complex Explore Samuel Slater's original working mill

•  Blackstone Canal Path  Stroll on the greenway path where horses pulling canal boats once trod

•  Kelly House Museum   Tour the historic home built by Captain Kelly now transformed to interpret transportation in the region

•  William Blackstone Memorial Park   Honoring William Blackstone who arrived in the area in 1623

•  Valley Falls Heritage Park   Enjoy the 15 foot waterfall and old mill ruins

•  Diamond Hill Vineyard Savor the unique wines produced in the Blackstone River Valley

•  Museum of Work and Culture  Learn the story of the immigrants who came to the Blackstone River Valley to work in the mills

•  Walking Tour of Woonsocket  Explore this historic town what was originally a combination of six mill villages

•  Eleazer Arnold House Museum  One of the region's only remaining "stone-ender" homes dating from 1693

•  Hearthside Mansion  Tour "the house that love built."

•  Lincoln Gaming & Entertainment Center   An option for evening entertainment

•  Roger Williams National Memorial  Dedicated to preserving the memory of the founder of Rhode Island

•  John Brown House  Explore the house of one of most prominent businessmen in Providence

•  Nightingale-Brown House Explore this 1792 house that was home to five generations of the Brown family

•  The Meeting House/ First Baptist Church in America Home to the first Baptist Church built in America

•  Walking Tour of Pawtucket  Enjoy a variety of historic buildings dating from 1793 forward

 

You can add the following options to your trip:

Additional nights on the Pillsbury House Bed and

•  Breakfast

•  Blackstone Valley Explorer River Tour (if available)

•  Blackstone Valley Trolley Banner Trail/Providence (if available)

•  Blackstone Valley Scenic Railway Tour (if available)

•  Spirit of the Blackstone Valley Boat Tour (if available)

 

Prices start at: $289.

Per person, double occupancy, including taxes. Prices may vary by season and day of the week.

For current pricing and to book call American Driving Vacations: 877-485-TRIP (8747)

A 6-day Exploration of the Blackstone River Valley

Discover the back roads of America 's Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. From historic village greens to restored mill villages you will have the opportunity to cycle along the greenway and blueway of the Blackstone Valley . The Valley encompasses the towns and villages from Worcester , MA south to Providence , RI . A thriving community of artists, from pottery to chalkware Santas to chocolate confectioners will offer you a glimpse of their studios and their goods. We have included side trips to lakes to give you an opportunity to cool off, for hikes along trails in a variety of woodland and open spaces, and a paddle excursion along a section of the Blackstone River canal towpath. How about a visit to a working dairy farm or shopping at a local farmstand?

Dates: Call for Availability. Can begin any day
Price: Packages start at $649.00 per person, double occupancy
Activity: Level Easy to Moderate

To book this tour: bikeblackstone.com/biketour1.htm

Weekend Exploration based in Woonsocket RI

Discover the back roads of America 's birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. From historic village greens to restored mill villages you will have the opportunity to cycle along the greenway and blueway of the Blackstone River Valley . The Valley encompasses the towns and villages from Worcester , MA south to Providence , RI . Your B&B for the weekend is a stately Victorian located in a charming Woonsocket , RI neighborhood. As you journey through this corner of the Valley, you will visit area artists, snack at local farmstands and take a winery tour. The Museum of Work and Culture portrays life at this center of America 's Industrial Revolution. A sampling of Rhode Island 's bike paths will give you a glimpse at the possibilities of the East Coast bikeway

Dates: Call for Availability. Can begin any day
Price: Packages startat $235.00 per person, double occupancy
Activity: Level Easy to Moderate

To book this tour: bikeblackstone.com/biketour2.htm

Rhode Island - Massachusetts End to End  Weekend Tour

Discover the back roads of America 's birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. From historic village greens to restored mill villages you will cycle along the greenway and blueway of the Blackstone River Valley . The Valley encompasses the towns and villages from Worcester , MA south to Providence , RI . Your B&B's for the weekend are the Samuel Slater Canal Boat docked in Central Falls , RI and the Captain John Slocumb House located in the picturesque center of Grafton , MA . As you journey through the length of the Valley, you will visit area artists and snack at local farmstands. Diverse historical sites include The Museum of Work and Culture portraying life at this center of America 's Industrial Revolution and the canal tow path at Riverbend Farm. A sampling of Rhode Island 's bike paths will give you a glimpse at the possibilities of the developing East Coast bikeway

Dates: Call for Availability. Can begin any day
Price: Packages start at $335.00 per person, double occupancy
Activity: Level Easy to Moderate

To book this tour: bikeblackstone.com/biketour3.htm

For additional information, call 1-800-454-2882 or visit www.TourBlackstone.com

A River of Dreams

A Blackstone Valley weekend package that includes a riverboat cruise on the historic Blackstone River, admission to Slater Mill Living History Museum, the Museum of Work and Culture and Kelly House Museum; a chicken-family style dinner, welcome gift, hotel accommodations and theatre tickets.

$119 per person double occupancy
$95 per person without theatre tickets

Blackstone Valley Explorer Riverboat
Herons, osprey, turtles and other wildlife creatures are returning to the shores and waters of the river that once turned the colors of the dyes produced in Valley's textile mills. During a riverboat cruise, as a historian tells the remarkable comeback story of this American Heritage River whose powerful waterfalls turned the waterwheels of the nation's earliest factories.

It's not your run-of-the-mill museum shop
Time for a coffee break: Enjoy a cup of Starbucks coffee at the new Slater Mill Museum Store and Cafe. Located in the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, this delightful little shop features jewelry, glass, paper, fine art and textile items made by local artists and other unique gift items.

Slater Mill Living History Museum
In 1790, America's Age of Industry was born in a tiny mill on the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. An ambitious young mill manager from England named Samuel Slater, who had apprenticed on the cutting edge British Arkwright spinning machines, succeeded in reproducing the technology just above the Pawtucket Falls with the help of local craftsmen and financing from two Providence merchants.

The story of Slater's feat is told at Slater's Mill- America's first factory -- which a group of industrialists decided to save and restore in the 1920s. Over the last year, this venerable river front museum complex has reinvented itself with a living history format to complement its traditional fiber arts demonstrations, exhibits of early textile machinery and replica of an early 19th century waterwheel. Tours are flexible and guided with new programs focusing on how the American Industrial Revolution continues to affect our lives today.

A Valley Specialty for Dinner
Here in the Valley we call it chicken family style. It's a refreshing change from chain restaurants that often have no sense of place or character. In the Valley, we have 16 family run restaurants that serve this affordable, hearty meal.  It's a tradition that started in the 1930s on Sunday afternoons when Valley Italian immigrants played bocce.  You'll enjoy Italian roast chicken, salad, pasta and a potato dish.

Gamm Theatre

The Gamm Theatre thrilled audiences and critics alike during their 2003-2004 inaugural season in Pawtucket where they became the anchor of a brand new arts center. ".truly one of Rhode Island's great treasures," raved one reviewer.

Their 20 th anniversary five-play, very affordable season promises to be an equally great one as the company continues to present thought-provoking, sometimes disturbing, relevant and masterfully performed plays that speak to the times whether they were written four centuries or four years ago.

Mill Bells and Church Bells

The award-winning Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket, RI tells the story of the daily lives of the immigrant families who lived and worked in the mill villages of the Valley.  For the million or so people who left French Canada to work in the textile mills, adjusting to the daily summons of the factory bell was just one of the many cultural and labor changes they faced. Industrial history is humanized as you step into a 19th century Quebec farmhouse, parochial school classroom, parlor of a 1920s New England three-decker apartment house and the shop floor of a textile mill.

Stories in Stone
Built along segments of the river, the 1828 Blackstone Valley Canal was a liquid highway hand-dug at the height of America's canal building boom. Designed in part by an engineer from the Erie Canal, the 1828 Blackstone Canal's wealthy merchant backers had high hopes for their investment. Officially a financial disaster, the canal nevertheless transformed two New England cities into industrial powerhouses and transformed the Valley's landscape.

Now sections of the prism shaped, rubble stone canal, its towpaths and granite locks are some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the Valley to visit.  In Lincoln, RI at the Blackstone Valley State Park , the Blackstone River runs parallel to a particularly lovely canal section whose towpath has been turned into a bike path.

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