Some random thoughts on Rhode Island.

A dichotomy of good and not-so-good exists shoulder to shoulder within the borders of the Ocean State, making for some bittersweet memories. Here are a few highlights and lowlights of our visit. Let’s start with the lowest of the lowlights, to get them out of the way for the good stuff to follow.

The junior senator from New York arrived in Rhode Island for some campaigning, but not before disinviting the mayor of Providence, who once headed her state campaign as chairman, over contentious union issues.

It is not too much of a stretch to say that Collier County, Florida has Rhode Island beat in terms of budgeting for snow removal.

Last week, Rhode Islanders saw the sentencing of a convicted former House Majority Leader who used his power in the legislature to benefit CVS and Blue Cross of RI while being paid big bucks by the two organizations for other outside business at the time.

More sadly, a former state senator and local town administrator was found dead of an apparent suicide after being found guilty of conspiracy and bribery charges in a scheme to shake down would-be buyers in a land deal.

Number 4 on the list of the Top Ten Things Overheard Inside The RI State Prison: “The food here was a lot better when you were in office, Governor.”

Shutting down the reckless state legislature (as it continues to far outspend the people’s ability to pay) would go a long way toward fixing things in the Ocean State.

Look up “pot hole” in your Funk & Wagnalls and you will learn that it has now become the Rhode Island State Mascot.

Now for the highlights.

In ten days, there was not enough time to put even a small dent into the number of truly great restaurants in the state. A couple of the best kept secrets of RI include the Moulin Rouge in Tiverton, and Roberto’s in Bristol.

The narrow side streets of Newport are lined with a plethora of beautiful colonial and federal style homes from the 1700s, and most of the respective owners take great pride in keeping their houses looking so good it’s as if they were built yesterday.

A trip to RI without taking in a show at Trinity Rep in Providence is like eating a box of Cracker Jacks and forgetting about your prize.

Where else can you find something called a Luca Bratsie’s (their spelling) Hot Seafood Pizza but at The Red Parrot? Yes, that’s scallops, shrimp, and crabmeat underneath all that mozzarella, parmesan, olive oil, and garlic. Your insulin pump better not be sleeping with the fishes after a slice of this tasty pie!!

Anticipating the usual heavy-handed treatment at T.F. Green Airport (where the terminal is named after, what else, a politician,) I was astonished when three simple words (“I am diabetic”) got me, my five Capri Sun juices, and a big ol’ 16 ounce plastic bottle of OJ, right through security without so much as a whimper of interrogation.

St. Mary’s Church was built in 1848 and dedicated in 1852. One hundred one years later, 750 guests saw Jacqueline Lee Bouvier walk down the aisle in her ivory silk taffeta gown, just before adding “Kennedy” to her name.

Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister led a charity concert in Providence for the benefit of those who survived the tragic fire five years ago at The Station Night Club. Acts included heavy metal bands, country music artists, and even former Chicago dummer Danny Seraphine and his band, CTA.

Among the best things Rhode Island has to offer are restaurants like the White Horse Tavern, quaint villages like Wickford, and scenic vistas such as those along Ten Mile Drive and The Cliffwalk. Experiencing these and other of the state’s assets makes you want to return again and again.

A decent glass of water can often be had from pretty much any tap in most places in the state.

Even in February, Mark Malkovich III is working behind the scenes on the upcoming 40^th anniversary season of The Newport Music Festival. This July, concertgoers will see and hear some of the world’s finest classical musicians performing in magnificent settings that include mansions like The Breakers (it's the "cottage" shown in the photo above,) Marble House (where scenes from The Great Gatsby were filmed,) and Ochre Court at Salve Regina University (set of the opening scene in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, True Lies.) Years ago, I had the pleasure of working with Mark and his family, and they never fail to assemble a line-up of the most talented, energetic, and charismatic musicians from all over the world (many of whom made their American debut at the festival) to enthrall audiences of all ages.

Boston Magazine’s New England Travel & Life presented its first annual Best Winery award to Sakonnet Vineyards in 2006. I’m not a huge wine drinker, but I have to mention this great place that first broke ground in 1975 right in my home town of Little Compton. Tours and tastings go on all year long in a beautifully secluded setting that includes a café, wine store, B&B, and of course, acres of lovingly nurtured grapes!

I neglected to mention last week that the Colony House in Washington Square was used for shooting courtroom scenes in the movie Amistad. If you’ve seen the film, here’s what the area behind the building looks like when Steven Spielberg is not in town turning back the clock a couple of centuries. If I recall correctly, the asphalt, curbings, and traffic signals of this intersection were expertly disguised or removed to look like something straight out of the mid 19^th century.