By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The 33rd Annual Festival of Historic Homes in Providence takes place June 1-3, presented by the Providence Preservation Society. Neighborhoods to be visited are the Elmgrove area of College hill (named one of the 10 Best Neighborhoods in America last year by the American Planning Association), as well as tours of the jewelry district.

On June 1, there will be a Friday Night Candlelight Tour of the Elmgrove area, and tickets for that event are $50 per person. June 2, visitors can do a day-long house and garden tour of the Elmgrove section, starting at the north end of Blackstone Boulevard, with winding, tree-lined roads and architecture of varied styles.

Tickets are $35 in advance of the tour and $40 the day of the event. The jewelry district tour is June 3, which was once the center of the jewelry manufacturing trade in Rhode Island, and is now a mixed-use residential area. Tickets for that tour are $35 in advance, $40 the day of the event. Tickets for all three days are $100 per person. For information, visit www.ppsri.org or call 401-831-7440.

Providence is nationally renowned for its superior Italian cuisine, with Federal Hill a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. As it turns out, the burgers aren't so bad either.

Using data from its annual "America's Favorite Cities" reader survey issue, Travel and Leisure Magazine found that voters called Providence America's best burger city. Providence also finished No. 2 for overall dining in the survey.

Writes Katrina Brown Hunt: "Try the New England Grass-Fed Burger at Local 121, or swing by Harry's Bar and Burger for 100-percent-Hereford sliders on potato rolls and 50 beer options - proof of the city's high rankings for microbrews."

The only other New England city to make the top 22 was Portland, Maine, which came in at No. 19. (Hunt recommends The Blue Spoon's Bistro Burger). You can see the entire list here, and check out our roundup of 10 of the best burgers in New England here. And while the Hub may have come up on the short end of things, here are 10 hotspots to sit down with a burger in the Boston area.(Sorry, Bartley's.)

Photo by David Lyon

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Eat well, or more appropriately, "mangia bene" at the 13th Annual Federal Hill Stroll in historical Federal Hill, Providence, June 5, when 30 galleries, shops and of course, restaurants open their doors to welcome the expected 1,000-plus patrons who usually come to walk around.

Stroll tickets are $30 plus tax, and included admission button, two free drinks, and a map of the venue. It starts at 4:30 p.m. and includes music. Participants also vote for their favorite venues and help crown the yearly "King of the Hill" and "Most Creative Venue." A winning voter in each category gets a dinner for two on Federal Hill. Tickets are limited and have to be bought in advance at www.federalhillstroll.com or by calling 401-456-0298.

Federal Hill is Providence's quintessentially Italian section, though over the years the culinary and cultural slant has been happily diversified to include restaurants of all flavor. The Hill, as it's known locally, has long been compared to Boston's North End, only smaller. But just as tasty.

Photo of Nancy's Fancies, which will be on the Stroll, by David Lyon for The Boston Globe

National Park Service will offer free admission to all its facilities and programs from Saturday April 21 to Sunday April 29 in celebration of National Parks Week. There are more than two dozen facilities in New England, with the bulk of them being in Massachusetts. If you happen to be traveling that week, the NPS maps out locations by state on its website.

Photo of Adams Mansion in Quincy by Mary Schiess

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Quahog, R.I., does not exist in real life. It thrives on TV, however, as the fictitious hometown of the dysfunctionally funny family Griffin in the hit animated Fox series, "Family Guy," created by R.I. native Seth McFarlane in 1998.

The fake Quahog -- and real Rhode Island -- gets its tourism due May 5, when the ninth annual Tour Rhode Island rolls out on more than a dozen buses jammed with people eager to learn more about the nation's smallest state, a very popular annual event that sells out quickly, state tourism officials said.

There are 15 tours in all this year, including the return of, by popular demand, "The Family Guy Tour," which includes more than a dozen sites in Pawtucket, Providence, Johnston, and Cranston that are known, or are suspected to have inspired the Emmy-winning series. There will also be a "Family Guy'' celebration lunch at Walt's Roast Beef on Airport Road in Warwick, where a "Family Guy'' version of Trivial Pursuit will be played.

The Tour Rhode Island lineup, other than the Family Guy trek, will take people all over the literal Rhode Island map, with things like "Rhode Island Myths & Mysteries: Shades of Revolutionaries and Romantics," "Hidden Gems of the Blackstone Valley" and "Geocaching Adventure: A Treasure Hunt for Grownups."

New this year is "Independence Trail and Taste of Rhode Island," a three-mile walk that takes in more than four centuries of state history. The one-year-old Providence Independence Trail celebrates its first birthday with its founder, Robert Burke, who is the tour's host and guide, showing tour takers key spots in state history, including where the first shot was fired against English rule in Rhode Island and the spot where President Lincoln spoke.

There are also tours this year for the more physically active, including kayaking the Blackstone River, hiking land-trust trails and bicycling the East Bay Bike Path.

Ticket prices vary, from $24 to $55 for the day-long tour, and most include boxed lunch - but sorry, no quahogs.

For information, visit www.tourrhodeisland.org, or call 401-724-2200.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

By popular demand, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council in Rhode Island is again sponsoring the "Secret Ingredient Food Tour," with spring venues featuring weekly behind-the-scenes events for the public at a number of eateries in the historic Blackstone Valley. The weekly tours, held on Wednesday nights from 6-8 p.m., give participants a chance to sample a wide range of ethnic food and cultural cuisine of the valley, through live demos and meals. Cost for most is $19.50 per person, not counting tax and tip. The tour kicks off April 4 and runs through June 27, and will teach stuff like how to make chicken piccata, Japanese hibachi treats, Mexican fare, French puff pastry, Greek spanikopita, oven-grilled pizza, Irish egg roll and more. On July 13, the making of A & W Root Beer will be explained at a great old-fashioned root-beer stand up in Greenville, and on June 27, the tour wraps up with a sunset cruise on the Blackstone Valley Explorer, where participants can munch on clam cakes and chowder. Spots fill quickly and reservations are urged. To do so, and for more info, visit www.blackstoneculinaria.com or call 401-724-2200.

According to the recently-released Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, New Hampshire was among the happiest states in America last year, the only New England state to land in the top 10. Hawaii finished first in the survey with a score of 70.2.

The Granite State was ninth overall with its score of 68.2, just ahead of Vermont (67.7) and Massachusetts (67.4), which were also included among the higher-range states. With a score of 67.2, Connecticut finished mid-range for well-being, as did Maine (66.7), but Rhode Island's 65.6 score landed the Ocean State in the lower range of the survey, and just out of the bottom 10 states, where Nevada landed at No. 10 with a score of 65.0. West Virginia's 62.3 placed it dead-last.

Overall, the score for the nation was 66.2 in 2011, down from 66.8 in 2010. It was the lowest score Gallup and Healthways have recorded since tracking began in 2008. Results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey with a random sample of 353,492 adults.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The weather outside has hardly been frightful this year, but all that gray and dreary, even if on the warm side, is a little draining. You can get an energizing late-winter shot of color at the 19th Annual Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show, Feb. 23-26, at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The flower show's theme this year is "Simple Pleasures," with each garden representing special milestones in life.

Added features this year include the Cafe Bookstore, where guests can have a cup of coffee and browse books on gardening and cooking. There is also an expanded garden display area and improved garden marketplace. Horticultural guru Roger Swain, former "Victory Garden" host, will run gardening courses and give lectures.

There will also be a food and wine festival featuring a cooking demo by Sara Moulton of PBS's "Sara's Weeknight Meals," in addition to demos by Frank Terranova, chef instructor at Johnson & Wales University, restaurant and beverage booths, tastings and more. Visitors can get special hotel rates for the weekend at a variety of hotels, including: Marriott Providence Downtown, rates from $109; Providence Biltmore Hotel, rates from $79; The Westin Providence, rates from $115; and Hampton Inn & Suites Providence Downtown, rates from $109.

Tickets to the flower show are $16 in advance for adults or $18 at the door. Admission is free for children five and under, and tickets are $7 for children ages 6-12. For more information, visit http://www.flowershow.com/.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Ocean House in Watch Hill, R.I., a $140-million luxury hotel that opened in 2010, has earned an AAA five diamond ranking for 2012 -- the first and only five diamond-ranked hotel in the state.

The new Ocean House replaced the original built in 1868 which had fallen into disrepair. The old structure was razed and a new one put up, using more than 5,000 artifacts salvaged from the original including furniture, window frames, doorways, moldings, front desk and a terrific old wooden elevator.

The hotel has but 49 rooms ranging in size from cozy 500-square-foot guestrooms to massive 2,700-square-foot luxury suites, and upscale amenities such as a 12,000-square-foot spa, with 20-meter heated lap pool, and a monthly "Farm and Vine" dining program in its Seasons restaurant, which celebrates New England food.

Ocean House is offering a "AAA Five Diamond" package in honor of the award, available through April 15, which gets guests a 20-percent discount off deluxe or terrace rooms. Rates at the hotel start at $292 per night. For information, visit www.oceanhouseri.com, or call 401-584-7000.

The management of Ocean House is also managing nearby Weekapaug Inn, which has been closed as it undergoes a $15-million renovation. Built in 1899, the inn's original 67 rooms will become 28 guest rooms, plus four, two-bedroom residential suites. The Weekapaug Inn is scheduled to reopen in October, Ocean House officials said.

Southwest will no longer offer any nonstop service from New England to Philadephia when it ends its five daily nonstops from Boston on Feb. 11.

The carrier announced in July that it would halt its four nonstops to Philadelphia from both T.F. Green in Warwick, R.I., and Boston Manchester Airport in New Hampshire in January. A month later, Southwest noted on its flight schedules that it also would halt its Boston service in February.

Southwest spokeswoman Ashley Dillon said that the carrier made the decision because it decided that business was not robust enough to merit keeping the flights.

Southwest is in the process of reviewing its operations after acquiring AirTran last year. But Dillon said that this latest move had nothing to do with that but was part of a continuing review process that the carrier has embraced. In the past couple of years in reaction to higher fuel prices and the soft economy, Dillon said, the airline has taken to keeping tighter reins on flight schedules. In past years it revised service quarterly but now it makes changes as often as every month or two, adding and subtracting flights according to projected demand.

Southwest, which began service out of Logan in 2009, added the flights to Philadelphia in 2010. Going forward, it will offer nonstop service to six destinations -- Baltimore, Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Denver, and Phoenix -- with connecting flights to a number of other cities.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Providence is a pretty chilly place in the dead of winter, but warming it up considerably will be the 2nd Annual Restaurant Week, Jan. 15-28, with more than 80 restaurants featuring three-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menus for $14.95 and $29.95, respectively, per person. Restaurants in the event include fine dining eateries like Mediterraneo, CAV, Mill's Tavern and Gracies, Italian restaurants such as Amici Bar and Grille, Caffe Dolce Vita, Pizzico Ristorante and Bacaro; French favorites Hourglass Brasserie, Chez Pascal and Rue de L'Espoir, and classic American fare at Vintage Restaurant, The Dorrance, Red Stripe and The Red Fez.

Travel + Leisure recently ranked Providence as a top culinary destination, a city home to well-regarded culinary institution, Johnson & Wales University. The city is said to have more degreed chefs per capita than any other US city. Which means restaurant weeks should be pretty tasty. Check it out at http://www.goprovidence.com/RW 

National Park Service says that all 397 national parks will offer free admission from Saturday, Jan. 14- Monday, Jan. 16 to mark Martin Luther King Day. In New England there are more than two dozen parks, with the bulk of them being in Massachusetts (15). On its website, the NPS maps out locations by state.

For those interested in King himself, BudgetTravel offers these suggestions:

Those wishing to learn more about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., can pay a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia, where both the home he was born in and his tomb with the Eternal Flame are on display. Follow in his footsteps along the National Historic Trail from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, now a designated historic byway. If you happen to be on the east coast, visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and sit on the steps from which Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, or visit the newly opened Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in the National Mall. Events commemorating Dr. King's life will also take place at Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Tennessee, while the MLK Film Festival will be held at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington D.C. from January 14-16.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Hotel Viking in Newport was named a 2011 Platinum Choice Award winner by Smart Meetings Magazine, and as such is offering free stuff to groups doing business there, namely free WiFi in meeting rooms and a free welcome reception to groups of 10 or more that book and stay before April 30 next year.

There were thousands of qualified properties and organizations nominated for the award, hotel officials said, with the magazine's readers and editors picking Hotel Viking as one of the top meeting hotels in North America. Groups taking advantage of the hotel's meeting special should contact its sales office at 401-848-4800 or visit http://www.hotelviking.com

FULL ENTRY

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Providence’s Benefit Street, a stretch of gorgeous Colonial-era homes on the city’s East Side, is known as the "mile of history" for its 18th- and 19th-century architecture and facts such as the area was where Edgar Allen Poe wooed poetess Sarah Helen Whitman. On Dec. 3, "A Benefit Street Holiday" will be held, sponsored by the Providence Preservation Society, a day-long festival that includes storyteller Len Cabral reading to kids, a holiday pet parade, and gingerbread-house decorating. Self-guided house tours and educational programs will also be held. Tour tickets are $30 each the day of the event ($25 ahead of time), and for more information, visit www.ppsri.org or call 401-831-7440.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Vanderbilt Grace hotel in Newport, R.I., was already a pretty elegant place, which was renovated and reopened in April as a new brand in the Grace Hotels Group. It had been Vanderbilt Hall for many years.

Now the hotel has launched "Bespoke by Grace," a new concept that lets guests customize numerous aspects of their stay before arriving, including choices of pillows, fragrances and mini-bar contents, and other experiences such as champagne at night and use of a mobile phone pre-loaded with useful local numbers. Romantic types can arrange for fresh flowers, daily champagne and strawberries and initial-embroidered robes. Guests can complete the process at any point between booking and arrival. They will receive an online form by email once they book a room, or can call the hotel directly to discuss their requirements.

For information, visit www.vanderbiltgrace.com, or call 401-846-6200.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Contemporary British art is on display through Jan. 8 at the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design. "Made in the UK: Contemporary Art from the Richard Brown Baker Collection," showcases more than 100 paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures demonstrating the British contribution to a variety of movements, including Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art and Photorealism. With one of the largest collections of contemporary British art in the world, RISD’s exhibition features the work of John Parks, Jim Lambie, Bridget Riley, Yinka Shonibare, David Hockney, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Rachel Whitehead. Providence native Richard Brown Baker, who died in 2002 at the age of 89, donated a multitude of British works to the museum, and established the Richard Brown Baker Fund for Contemporary British Art to allow the museum to acquire new works by living British artists. Many of the exhibit’s artists are represented at the Tate and other important collections, but are not seen in depth at American museums, RISD officials said.

Those harboring a love of the all things British and edible, the Duck & Bunny, a restaurant on Wickenden Street, is offering a "Made in the UK" promotion, where $18 gets you a traditional afternoon tea, any time of the day, which includes five finger sandwiches, a homemade scone with jams and imported Devonshire cream, mini-cupcakes, sweets and an individual pot of one of the eatery’s 25 locally blended teas. For information, visit http://www.theduckandbunny.com/, or call 401-270-3300.

Admission to the RISD exhibit is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $3 for college students and youths ages five to 18. For more information, visit http://www.risdmuseum.org/

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Anyone familiar with the theater scene in Rhode Island likely knows about a small gem, 2nd Story Theatre in Warren, which has been around for 10 years in an old warehouse that until recently, was long on spartan charm but short on upscale elegance. It was theater in the round, with sloping tiers of seats facing a smallish circle where props and set pieces were wheeled in and out between scenes, often by the actors using them.

Earlier this year, the theater unveiled a $20,000 renovation which put 150 director-style chairs on a single tier directly in front of the audience, and a huge thrust stage big enough to create a hotel suite with three-step sunken living room, separate bathroom and balcony overlooking a superimposed city skyline in the current very funny production of Alan Acykbourn's "Communicating Doors," running through Oct. 23. The renovation also improved the lighting system.

The downstairs remains the same, with a wide lounge area and adjacent to it, a room with a wood-paneled bar and seating area with copper-top tables where you can get things like Narragansett beer for $5 a bottle, popcorn in aluminum pails for $3 and take whatever you get into the show. Though the theater space was renovated, it still retains its intimate charm. There are no curved seating areas, all chairs face the stage straight on.

Warren is one of those little Rhode Island towns tucked between here and there, in this case with Providence to the north, Newport to the south. It has an extensive dining scene, where pre-show you can get Italian food at places like Federal Hill Pizza, Portuguese at Jack's Family Restaurant, or more upscale fare at the venerable Wharf Tavern, a local dining institution that's been around for decades but had closed early this year when it changed hands. It has since reopened.

2nd Story Theatre's season continues with "Little Women" Nov. 11-Dec. 11, "The Suitors" Nov. 18-Dec. 18, presented at the historic Bristol Statehouse in neighboring Bristol; "Take Me Out" Jan. 13-Feb. 12; "Osage County" March 2-April 1; and "The Divine Sister" April 20-May 20. For more information, visit www.2ndstorytheatre.com, or call 401-247-4200.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The inaugural Providence Food and Wine Festival Aug. 25-27 promises to be a belly buster of gastronomic proportions. Restaurants and chefs throughout the city are holding three days of nearly 30 tastings, events, and educational panels to showcase the city's culinary offerings. Opening night features "Red, White & Bleu, An American Wine Experience.'' Night owls need to check out the late-night venue program all three nights with free appetizers, drink, and music throughout the city from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Dine Around Providence Aug. 27 lets guests, for $40 per person, trek through downtown and sample food at more than 30 eateries. Educational panels include those on understanding wine, eating locally, hosting dinners, wine pairing, and more. On opening night, charity dinners will be held around town, including at The Capital Grille, New Rivers, Gracie?s, Gallery Z, The Federal Hill House, and Centro to support a variety of Rhode Island charities. For exact times and ticket prices, visit the Providence Food and Wine Festival website or call 401-440-8916.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

For a small city, Providence does things big, including New England’s largest public film festival, running Aug. 9-14. The 15th annual “Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival,” is one of the few festivals worldwide that is a qualifier for the Academy Awards. Signature events this year include premiere screenings of more than 175 films, gala events, industry seminars, educational programs, and award ceremonies. One of the more interesting events this year is “Family Band: The Cowsills Story” on Aug. 10, a feature-length documentary chronicling the life of the Cowsills – a family band from Newport, R.I. – which rose to international fame in the 1960s, and inspired the hit TV show, “The Partridge Family.” After the screening, the Cowsills will give a reunion concert. Another is ScriptBiz.11 on Aug. 10, a one-day workshop outlining how to become a screenwriter. Attendees can also hit a number of premieres, including the US debut of three short films by Stephen Fry called “Capturing Santa,” “Bunce,” and “Car Park Babylon,” and the North American first peek at a short film by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam called “The Wholly Family.” If you want to stick around for a spell, the Renaissance Providence Hotel is offering a weekend package Aug. 12-14 for $450, which includes the stay and festival passes for two, which include select movie screenings and access to the closing night filmmaker celebration.

By Katie Johnston Globe Staff

Southwest Airlines is eliminating service between Philadelphia and T.F. Green Airport near Providence and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire, a move the airline said is due to less demand for Philadelphia and not because it is focusing on Boston.

The cuts - four daily flights from each airport to Philadelphia - will take effect Jan. 8. The airline is also cutting its daily flight from T.F. Green to Phoenix.

Southwest will also reduce the number of flights from Philadelphia to Logan International Airport to six from eight daily in January, and to five a day in February.

"In Philly, we've just made a decision to reduce service because we just feel like those aircraft can perform better elsewhere," said Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz.

In short, the airline is having trouble filling planes. To attract more passengers, Southwest is offering $39 one-way sale fares on flights from Philadelphia to all three New England airports.

All together, the airline is cutting 12 nonstop routes in January, including four to Philadelphia, three to Boise, and three to Seattle/Tacoma.

These reductions reflect changes in Southwest fuel purchases that make it more expensive for the airline to fly those routes, said Michael Friedman, a senior equity analyst at Delaware Investments in Boston. And with legacy carriers cutting costs to compete with discount airlines, Southwest no longer dominates certain routes the way it used to.

"Markets which were at one time profitable are no longer profitable, and they're reallocating their resources to address the local markets," Friedman said.

Southwest is also adding two local routes in January, a daily flight from Manchester to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a daily flight from T.F. Green to Denver. Between the cuts and the new service, Manchester is losing two Southwest flights a day, and Providence is losing one, Mainz said.

"It's not all doom and gloom," he said. "I certainly wouldn't take this as a sign of things to come that they're going to continue to lose service."

FULL ENTRY

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Anyone, say, over the age of 45 from the Rhode Island is sure to remember the Narragansett Beer ad phrase, "Hi, neighbor! Have a Gansett!" about the legendary beer made in Cranston from 1890 until the early 1980s; my dad's cousin Joe was a long-time foreman there. The plant went dormant around that time, and was then razed before Rhode Islander Mark Hellendrung, along with some New England investors, bought the rights to the name from Falstaff in 2005. It is now made in Rochester, N.Y., and Latrobe, Penn., with craft brews made in Providence and Pawcatuck, Conn.

The company is now hoping to cash in on that neighborly feel of the old-time brew with its first Boston beer dinner, scheduled for July 21 from 5-10 p.m. at Kingston Station, on Kingston Street in Boston. The event will showcase the brand's brews, from standard to craft offerings, working with Kingston Station Executive Chef Dana Love. The menu will include another Rhode Island favorite, clams, made with a saffron broth, and served with Narragansett Lager. Other pairings are lump crab salad, with Narragansett Summer Ale; braised short ribs with Narragansett Porter; and lemongrass panna cotta, with Narragansett Bock. Cost of the four-course dinner is $35 per person. Reservations are recommended by calling 617-482-6282.

There's a pretty nifty, unvarnished history of the company at its website, including how the brewery encouraged workers to have their own Gansetts - during the workday - and how the company icon was designed by a young artist named Theodore Geisel. He would later be more famously known as Dr. Seuss.

The company boldly boasts that Narragansett is "The Official Beer of the Clam." That's a pretty lofty claim in a state known for its beer and its clams, but arguing the point wouldn't be very neighborly.

By Ben Austin, Globe Correspondent

We practically invented the idea of historical landmarks and now we're going to get beat by Cincinnati?

The Newport mansions, a regional landmark for decades, is reaching out and asking for the support of fellow New Englanders. The mansions are currently neck-and-neck in a race with Cincinnati's Over The Rhine neighborhood in the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "This place matters" campaign. Designed to make sure that America's favorite landmarks get their due, the campaign has a grand prize of $25,000. As of this morning, our friends on New Engalnd's southern boarder were trailing by a mere 200 votes.

In other words, New England pride is at stake! The rest of America knows we can get behind our sports teams, but can we get behind one of our favorite landmarks? Here's the chance to prove we can. To vote for The Breakers, email word "yes" to info@newportmansions.org. Don't forget to include your local zip code as well. The deadline for voting is today, June 30, at 4:59 pm.

And just in case you feel like showing just how much New England price you have, Trudy Coxe, CEO of Newport mansions, has made a list of the other ways to show support, such as telling friends and family to vote, sending out text messages, and posting the campaign information on your Facebook page. Whatever you do, don't forget to send your vote. It's time to show that New England pride is on the rise.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Rhode Island is a place noted for its watery location (hence its nickname, "The Ocean State"), and proliferation of theater offerings. Combing both, Theatre By The Sea in Matunuck, a classic old barn-style theater near the ocean that when summer stock was the rage had the likes of Marlon Brando, Art Carney and Mae West treading its boards, has opened for a season hosting four Tony Award-winning shows. 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Bacaro Restaurant in Providence is hosting “Share Our Strength’s A Tasteful Pursuit,” a celebrity chef dinner, on June 12, one stop in a touring dinner series held across the country. The event is part of Ocean Spray’s national sponsorship of “Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry” campaign that seeks to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. The non-profit program is in its eighth year.

Bacaro chef Brian Kingsford and Ocean Spray CEO Ken Romanzi  are hosting the event, with chefs from around the state and northeast creating a menu paired with appropriate wines. Other chefs include Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto in New York, one of the top four contestants on the second season of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters;” Jason Santos of Blue Inc. in Boston, runner-up in season seven of Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen; and Jonathan Cambra of Castle Hill in Newport, R.I., and Andrew Shotts of Garrison in Providence.

Tickets are $150 per person and guests can bid on culinary and travel auction items. Cocktails start at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. For information or reservations, visit www.atastefulpursuit.org or call 877-268-2783.

 

By Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

When the sun finally made an appearance on Wednesday, I was strolling down the street in Newport, R.I., when a couple went whizzing past in what looked like a grown-up Soapbox Derby racer. Their silver hair stuck out from under their helmets and fluttered in the breeze. Then another racer came by, this time with a 25-ish couple smiling big enough to get bugs in their teeth if the vehicle could go fast enough. I followed the curious vehicles to their lair, which turned out to be Scooter World (9 Christie's Landing, 401-619-1349, scooterworldri.com).

Officially, the vehicles are called Scoot Coupes, and they're sold by Panther Motors in Florida. Unofficially, Scooter World calls the 50cc-powered, three-wheel two-seaters "Trikes" and rents them out for $50 for the first hour, $35 for each additional hour. Rhode Island law requires the driver to hold a valid driver's license (but not a motorcycle license), for passengers to wear helmets, and both passenger and driver to wear protective eyewear. Scooter World includes helmets and goggles or sunglasses in the cost of rental. Not to put down Newport's shuttle bus service, but a Scoot Coupe takes you places on your own schedule and makes quick work of the schlep from the waterfront to Bellevue Avenue or out to Fort Adams. The little pods will attain a top speed of 30mph. Downhill. With a tail wind.

Photos by David Lyon for the Boston Globe