Hey Rhody Winter Guide 2017 by Hey Rhody Media Co.

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C ON TE N T S Winter Guide 2017

33 52

Sweep your way to victory with the Ocean State Curling Club

Warm up with Southern-style fried chicken from Winner Winner

Lace up and hit the ice with the whole family in Providence

1 1 R H O DY HAP P EN IN G S

3 7 SE ASONA L STYL E

Cold weather fun and games

Mind your body, mind and

See Chinese legends come to life at Shen Yun

home this season 12 Hot Tips for Chilly Months

Photobraphy by (Top L) by Meghan H. Follett, (Top R) by Tony Pacitti

17 Events Calendar

38 Whole Body Wellness 43 Home Services 44 Winter Skincare

2 7 W IN T ER IS H ERE

SPON SO R ED C O NTENT

21 Operation Clean Competiton 36 Family Services

Make the most of the season

47 WI NTE R DI NI NG 28 Indoor Family Fun

Food and drink to warm

29 Outdoor Family Fun

you from the inside out

40 Fitness 46 Dentistry

30 Grownup Fun 31 Grownup Education

49 Soup for Snow Days

32 Cultivate Peace of Mind

50 Seasonal Eats

33 Stay Fit

52 Rhody Fried Chicken

34 Get Active

55 Coffee with a 21+ Twist

O N THE COVE R:

56 Dining Deals

Th e s kat ing rink at A l ex a nd Ani C i ty Center.

58 SI GNS OF THE SE A SON

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The seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comfort food dining trends

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Winter Guide 2017 |

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WINTER GUIDE

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FROM THE EDITOR

Winter Wonderland As the calendar turns to January, it’s easy to feel a little

Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell

Creative Director Julie Tremaine this season. You can’t argue with science.

bit bummed out. Short days, cold nights, tight pants from

From creative ways to keep your fitness resolutions

all of that holiday merrymaking… it’s enough to make you

(both inside and outside) to family day trips everyone will

want to curl up with a blanket and hibernate until the tu-

enjoy, we’ve got tons of ways to have a great time, not de-

lips bloom. But that’s not going to cut it, at least not in

spite the fact that it’s winter, but because of it. We’ve also

Rhode Island. The scientifically proven method for curing

got new ways to cultivate mindfulness, winter style ideas

the winter blues is to get out and enjoy yourself, regard-

and all of the awesome seasonal dining you don’t want to

less of the temperature – and our annual Winter Guide is

miss. Spoiler alert: there’s fried chicken. A lot of it. What

the best resource for all of the fun stuff you’re going to do

are you waiting for? It’s the winter. Make the most of it.

Managing Editor Grace Lentini Editor Tony Pacitti Content Coordinator Caitlin Howle

Art Director Meghan H. Follett Assistant Art Director Katie Leclerc Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas

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| Winter Guide 2017

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R HO DY H AP P E N I NGS

RHODY HAPPENINGS

Photo by Alan Sullivan

Your guide to winter in the Ocean State

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RHODY HAPPENINGS

How to Survive the Snowpocalypse 13 essential survival tips for anything Mother Nature throws at us Just like snowflakes, no two winters in New Eng-

land are ever alike. Will it be manageable and charming? Will it cripple the entire state? We don’t know. We never know. Assuming that Mother Nature has the worst in store for us (or does she…), we’ve compiled a checklist of the following snow preparedness tips so you can be ready for whatever Winter 2017 decides to throw our way.

Post a Facebook update encouraging everyone to stay safe and warm. Seriously. Do it now. Do you want your friends to die a horrible, freezing, snowbound death? You’ve got to warn them!

1. Stock up on milk and bread. Obviously.

8. Gather the supplies you’ll need if there’s an extend-

2. While you’re at the market, might as well pick up other food that you might need to eat an actual meal instead of subsisting off milk and bread like a Dickensian street urchin.

3. Hold up the entire line like there’s no one else waiting while you look for that expired coupon for milk and/ or bread.

4. Act like it has never snowed before. Ever. 5.

Call a parent, grandparent or older relative so they can remind you how this is nothing compared to the Blizzard of ‘78.

Start live-tweeting the storm now so that your hashtag wins. #SnowedIn #StatingTheObvious #DidIMentionItsSnowing? #CatchingUpOnGOT

ed power outage: candles, flashlights, warm blankets, non-perishable food, booze, satellite phone, animal pelts, whale blubber, a trashcan to throw through the front window of whatever store you’re planning to loot.

In the event of both a parking ban and a power outage, set your car on fire to stay warm and avoid costly parking tickets.

10.

Repent and pray.

11.

If you are indoors, stay there. Quickly move to a safe location in the room such as under a strong desk, a strong table or along an interior wall. (Oops. On second thought that one might be an earthquake safety tip.

Still, it helps to be prepared for anything.)

12.

Make plans for Friday or Saturday to have dinner with that friend or relative who you really don’t want to see, but keeps bugging you to hang out. Cancel them due to weather.

13.

Above all, please stay safe and warm.

There, we feel better already. –John Taraborelli

Root For the Home Team From hockey to fencing, RI colleges have something for every sports fan we sure pack a lot of athletic punch. Strong performances from our college squads and standout players like Kris Dunn have attracted a national eye recently, but locals know the score: we’ve got college teams worth talking about. Even RISD has a hockey team. Over in Friartown (Friars.com), both Providence College’s men’s basketball and hockey are facing rebuilding seasons after losing some big stars to the pros, but these young teams are taking the competition head on. Women’s hockey has already defended their Mayor’s Cup title this year, and the women’s basketball team came out of the gate running with a seven win streak to start the season. Kingston is Rams country. After four wins to open the season, the URI’s men’s basketball issued a statement or purpose to the 2016-2017 season. Meanwhile, the women’s team is ready to prove they’ve got more up their sleeve after setting a few program records last season, including three-pointers scored in a season by a single player (82 for Chaise Wilson) and the team as a whole (208) (GoRhody.com). The Anchormen and Anchorwomen of Rhode Island College (GoAnchormen.com) are both coming off of disappointing seasons, but if there’s anything Rhode Islanders know it’s that you can’t keep a good sailor down. Over on College Hill in Providence, the Brown University Bears (BrownBears.com) offer the usual

| Winter Guide 2017

The URI Rams women’s basketball team takes it to the hoop at the Ryan Center

suspects of winter sports, like men’s and women’s basketball and hockey, but they’ve got a couple of distinctly Ivy League teams as well. In case you didn’t get your fix of fencing or women’s water polo during the Rio games last summer, keep your eye on the Bears. And then there’s the Nads (Facebook: RISD Nads).

Leave it to the Rhode Island School of Design to turn hockey into performance art. Their mascot is an X-rated bit of male anatomy, their rallying cry is “Go Nads!” but hey, hockey’s hockey. And if you like your sports a little weird, you can’t really go wrong. –Tony Pacitti HeyRhody.com

Illustration by Katie Leclerc, Photo courtesy of URI by Michael Scott

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RHODY HAPPENINGS

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RHODY HAPPENINGS

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RHODY HAPPENINGS

Curl Up By The Fire Five local reads for those lazy winter days There’s nothing better, especially after a day shoveling snow or pulling little ones around on a sled, than curling up by a fire with a good coffee and a good book. 2016 had some great releases by local scribes. In case you missed out, here are five you should read this winter

THE LAST GOOD HEIST

Little Rhody, as its residents affectionately call Rhode Island, is a small state with a lot to offer and that’s especially true in its capital city of Providence. Well-known for its eclectic culinary and arts scenes, Providence is also rich in history, culture, and entertainment, offering visitors of every age and interest the ability to create their own adventure. 100 Things to Do in Providence Before You Die is the perfect guide for all city travelers, whether you’re visiting for the first time and want to know the best places to dine, learn, and relax or you’re a die-hard local looking to make sure you’ve truly done it all. This guide includes all you need to know to have a wonderful time in Providence and offers insight into what makes our city the Creative Capital. Rebecca Keister lives and writes in Providence, Rhode Island. A communications professional, she has covered the city’s tourism and hospitality industries for the Providence Business News and has written for other regional publications including the Sun Chronicle Newspaper. A wine and theatre enthusiast, she loves exploring the city with her family and friends. Learn more at rebeccakeister.com.

100 THINGS TO DO IN PROVIDENCE BEFORE YOU DIE When you live in the smallest state in the country it’s easy to assume you’ve done it all, but 100 Things To Do in Providence Before You Die made us really stop and consider what hometown fun we might be depriving ourselves of. Full of must-dos in dining, entertainment, culture and shopping – and certainly not limited to the Providence city limits – this essential Rhode Island bucket list is a great way to think warmer thoughts.

100 THINGS TO DO IN PROVIDENCE BEFORE YOU DIE

Written by WPRI’s Tim White and former Journal reporters Randall Richard and Wayne Worcester, The Last Good Heist chronicles a real-life heist that went down in Providence in 1970s. The twist? The loot that was stolen belonged to the city’s notorious criminal community. Providence Monthly called it “a snapshot of a Providence that doesn’t exist anymore, and a must for anyone curious about the good old days of mob rule.”

THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST

THINGS TO DO IN

PROVIDENCE

DIE BEFORE YOU

REBECCA K EIS T E R

PRETTY WICKED WORD SEARCH PUZZLES When they aren’t being used for catching up on a good book, winter days are for playing games. Created by a couple of local graphic designers, Pretty Wicked Word Search Puzzles takes the idea of your Sunday paper word search and pushes it to its trippiest, brain-bustingest extreme. As So Rhode Island put it, “The puzzles are mind-meltingly satisfying, especially coming off of a summer of a zombielike addiction to Pokemon Go. The oversized pages make Pretty Wicked Word Search Puzzles ideal for playing with friends, which is perfect because you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

Letting your imagination run wild through far away and fantastic places is one of the great joys of reading, but sometimes it’s nice to revisit someplace familiar. The Book That Matters Most, for instance, written by best selling Providence author Ann Hood, takes readers to our favorite little city. According to East Side Monthly, “On the very first page… locals will find references to PPAC and Weybosset Street. As the book continues, they will also visit the skating rink downtown, the Providence Athenaeum, The Eddy and other familiar haunts.”

WHAT THE WAVES KNOW Block Island gets the fictional treatment in the debut novel from Rhode Island native and Johnson and Wales professor Tamara Valentine. Eight years in the making, the novel was inspired by our own island getaway. “I remember standing on the cliffs on Block Island, and looking at this white house, starting to fill in the characters that might live there,” she says. “That is how this piece started, not with the characters, but with the place. I worked backwards, filling in the slots as I went. I kept a picture of that house up in front of me when I started writing.”

Listen Up, Wise Guys Crimetown delves into Providence’s colorful past If you can’t resist a good crime story – or you’re just looking for a refresher course on the Providence of 40 years ago – check out the new podcast Crimetown. Created by the producers behind HBO’s true crime miniseries Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, Crimetown follows in the footsteps of podcasts

| Winter Guide 2017

like Serial, where each season will dive deep into a specific topic. For their first season they chose Providence, and so far the response has been huge. Each half hour episode dives deep into the city’s criminal underworld during the height of the mob’s power. Using Buddy Cianci’s mayoral rise and fall to frame the story, Crimetown strikes that perfect

balance of familiarity with the unbelievable – a story early in episode one will have you back away from that cozy fireplace you’re sitting next to while listening. If you question whether truth is stranger than fiction, look no further than Crimetown. These stories are the stuff Scorsese movies are made of. Stream Crimetown on iTunes and Spotify. HeyRhody.com

2017 ARTISTIC ICONS SERIES

RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY WORLD PREMIERE!

Witness a thrilling new work by America’s greatest living choreographer – in Providence before its NYC debut – during an evening of glorious masterworks with music by the Brown University Orchestra and guest soloists.

FEBRUARY 3, 8PM Photo | James Houston

AMERICAN STREET DANCE THEATER

A pioneer of hip-hop dance and his celebrated company return to Providence with a powerful new suite of movement and music forged in urban crucibles.

FEBRUARY 24, 8PM

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HeyRhody.com

RHODY HAPPENINGS

Must-Do Winter Events Mark your calendar for these great events, happening all season long

CAN’T MISS CONCERTS

Providence Preservation Society holds its Winter

Sure, outdoor summer concerts are great, but national touring acts come through Little Rhody all year long. On January 19, the ‘80s-inspired indie rockers Rubblebucket are going to play Fete Music Hall (FeteMusic.com) in Providence. Aesop Rock is going to rock The Met (TheMetRI.com) in Pawtucket on January 24. The Columbus Theatre (ColumbusTheatre.com) in Providence will be filled with the soulful sounds of Son Little on January 26. Richard Marx comes to The Stadium Theatre (StadiumTheatre.com) in Woonsocket on February 3, followed by Blue Oyster Cult on February 24 and Marshall Tucker Band on February 25. The Greenwich Odeum (GreenwichOdeum.com) has acts like ‘70s favorites Sha Na Na on February 18, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band from New Orleans on February 25, and Keith Partridge himself, David Cassidy, on March 3. Indie rockers Young the Giant play Providence’s Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel (Lupos.com) on February 24, songstress Regina Spektor headlines March 6 and happy hippies Grouplove play March 18.

Bash at a different historic property each year

Photography (top) by Cat Laine, (bottom) by Brad Smith

GET DRESSED UP FOR CHARITY You’re probably spending most of your winter bundled up in sweaters, scarves and puffy coats. Ditch the dull duds for a night and don your finery for one of the season’s gala events. The Matty Fund’s (MattyFund.org) annual Snow Angel Ball is a Roaring Twenties Party this year, on January 28 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. The benefit is to support the Matty Fund’s work with people suffering from epilepsy and their families, and promises small bites, specialty cocktails and great entertainment. The Winter Sparkle, hosted by the Junior League of Rhode Island (JLRI.org), is a benefit to support the organization’s charity work. This year, the party is on February 11 at the Lippitt House Museum in Providence. The Herreshoff Museum’s Frostbiter’s Bash (FrostbiteBash.com) happens inside the sailing museum’s Hall of Boats on February 11, and serves up delicious bites from restaurants in Bristol and beyond. Ocean House’s annual Black and White Masquerade Ball (OceanHouseEvents.com) is on February 11 at the Watch Hill hotel. This year’s event is Gatsby-inspired, and promises a bit of mystery along with dinner and dessert buffets, cocktails and live music. Providence Preservation Society (PPSRI.org) hosts a Winter Bash fundraiser that’s not to be missed. It’s held every year in an endangered or preserved historic property. This year’s party is on February 25, at 47 Rathbone Street in Providence.

STAND UP COMEDY Major standup comics are coming through Little HeyRhody.com

Rhody this season. Make it a point to see one live. Not only does it help the winter blues, but laughing burns up to 40 calories in just 15 minutes. See? You just saved yourself a trip to the gym. You’ve seen D.L. Hughley on The Hughleys and his Showtime specials. Now see him at Stadium Theatre (StadiumTheatre.com) in Woonsocket on January 12 for an evening of standup. On February 3, Lewis Black comes to PPAC (PPACRI.org) with his Rant, White and Blue Tour, bringing the biting wit and self-described “pissed off optimism” that you’ve seen on The Daily Show and his HBO specials. The Naked Magicians are coming to The Vets (VMARI. org) on February 25 for an adults-only evening of full frontal illusions, other naughty jokes, plus some magic thrown in. There’s nothing up their sleeves, because they don’t have any sleeves. Billy Crystal is letting all of Rhode Island “Spend the Night with Billy Crystal” when he headlines the PPAC Annual Gala (PPACRI.org) on March 23. Ralphie May, who got his big break on Last Comic Standing and is now four times platinum, comes to the Greenwich Odeum (GreenwichOdeum. com) on March 26.

Young the Giant (pictured), Regina Spektor and Grouplove are on the bill at Lupo’s this winter

NEWPORT WINTERFEST It’s an understandable instinct to want to stay inside, bundled up under blankets, for all of the winter. But if Newport has anything to say about it, that’s not how you’re going to spend this season. Newport Winterfest (NewportWinterFestival.com) Winter Guide 2017 |

RHODY HAPPENINGS

During the Newport Winterfest Ballard Park will be lit up with thousands of lights including Chinese lanterns

Say Hakuna Matata to The Lion King, which returns to the PPAC stage February 28-March 19

| Winter Guide 2017

SEE A PLAY Great plays are happening all season long, all over the state. Trinity Rep stages two totally different and totally unforgettable shows this winter. The Mountaintop, from January 12-February 12, reimagines one fateful day in Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will bring Shakespeare’s most magical characters to life from February 9-March 24. Lillian Hellman’s groundbreaking The Children’s Hour will go up at Pawtucket’s Gamm Theatre (GammTheatre. org) from January 12-February 12, and the sci-fi fairy tale The Nether follows from March 2-26. There’s a Romantic Comedy going on at Newport Playhouse (NewportPlayhouse.com) from February 16-March 26, when a Broadway playwright gets his perfect life turned upside down by a Vermont schoolteacher. Providence Performing Arts Center (PPACRI.org) investigates The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime from February 7-12. The Providence-based Players at Barker Playhouse (PlayersRI.org) are staging Wait Until Dark, a sinister tale of murder and deception, from January 20-29, and Romeo and Juliet from March 10-19. Burbage Theatre (BurbageTheatre.org) offers up Don’t Be Evil, a dark comedy about government and technology, from January 27-February 25 at Aurora in Providence. The Wilbury Group (TheWilburyGroup. org) in Providence has Harold Pinter’s Betrayal from January 12-February 4, and Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play about what pop culture remains after the apocalypse. Spoiler alert: it’s The Simpsons. For musicals, there are even more options. The Stadium Theatre (StadiumTheatre.com) is showing a live musical production of The Wizard of Oz from February 10-19, High School Musical from March 3-4 and Annie, Jr. from March 24-25. The unforgettable stage production of The Lion King comes back to PPAC for another run from February 28-March 19.

IMPROV COMEDY, ALL WEEKEND LONG There’s nothing better than a good belly laugh – and if you’re in on the fun, even better. Improv comedy troupes all over the state encourage audience participation and deliver a brand new show every time. The Providence Improv Guild (PIGImprov.com) has shows every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Troupes rotate performances on different nights – but with names like Fool’s Pudding and Seagull Related Fish Fight, they’re definitely going to be funny. Bring Your Own Improv (BringYourOwnImprov. com) to the Warwick Center for the Arts, where the troupe performs two shows every Friday night: a family-friendly performance at 7, and an adults-only one at 9. The Contemporary Theater Company (ContemporaryTheaterCompany.com) in Wakefield has two house troupes: Micetro Improv on Friday nights, and The Weekender on Sunday afternoons. Improv Jones (ImprovJones.com) has been around since 1992, and performs on the first Saturday of every month at AS220 in Providence. The Bit Players (BitPlayers.net) perform Friday and Saturday evenings in Newport, and have a late show on Saturday called Late Night Bits. All of their shows are BYOB, which you’re definitely going to want to do, because they may well call you up on stage.

HeyRhody.com

Photography (bottom) by Grace Lentini

is back for its 29th season, from February 17-26. The ten day winter fun extravaganza is New England’s biggest winter fest, and has concerts, food events, outdoor fun like ice carving, an outside ice bar, a children’s fair and more: there are over 150 events total. There will even be an Illuminated Garden at Ballard Park from February 23-26, with thousands of lights adorning the park, and a luminary labyrinth made from Chinese lanterns. Who says there’s nothing fun to do in February?

RHODY HAPPENINGS

ADD VARIETY SHOWS TO YOUR WEEKEND Traditional theatre is one thing: lovably weird performances are quite another. Try something out of the ordinary this winter, like Empire Revue (Facebook: Empire Revue). The monthly sketch and variety show is a ton of fun, and happens on the first Sunday of the month at AS220 in Providence. Sweet Little Variety Show (Facebook: Sweet Little Variety Show) takes place at mixed performance space Aurora in Providence on the second Thursday of the month – January 12, February 9 and March 9. The show features a rotating cast of musicians, performers, comedians and people with weird talents, and it’s different every month. Every Friday night, Everett Company in Providence (EverettRI.org) stages Friday Night Live, a family-friendly evening

of sketch comedy, on-the-spot musicals, live music and dance.

CLASSICAL ENTERTAINMENT When temps go low, you go high – highbrow, that is. Make good on that New Year’s resolution to become more cultured. The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra (RIPhil.org) has formal concerts all winter at The Vets in Providence: Schubert’s Unfinished on January 21, Beethoven’s Eroica on February 18 and All Brahms on March 17. The Friday night before each Saturday performance, the orchestra holds an open rehearsal, offering inexpensive tickets and an informal atmosphere for people with kids, or who are just trying out classical music for the first time. Festival Ballet (FestivalBalletProvidence.org) is staging a world premiere performance of Romeo

Shen Yun returns to PPAC on February 4

and Juliet from February 10-12 at The Vets, featuring spoken word scenes directed by Tony Estrella from The Gamm Theatre. FirstWorks (First-Works.org) is bringing a noteworthy contemporary dance performance to The Vets on February 3, when the world-famous Paul Taylor Dance Company performs Esplanade to Bach’s Double Violin Concerto. Shen Yun returns to PPAC (PPACRI.com) on February 4, bringing with them 5,000 years of Chinese history through incredible feats of dance and storytelling.

BRING BOOKS TO LIFE Reading with Robin (ReadingWithRobin.com) brings big name authors together for the monthly Point Street Reading Series at Point Street Dueling Pianos in Providence. The January 17 event features readings by Rachel Hulin, Fiona Davis, Amy Poeppel and

The RI Philharmonic Orchestra performs

Photography (left) courtesy of Shen Yun, (right) by Mike Braca

concerts all winter long at The Vets

CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY THE RHODY WAY

Don your finest green and join in the festivities at the Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 11

In Rhode Island, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just confined to March 17 – or the month of March, for that matter. Celebrate in true Irish style with these events. The Irish Comedy Tour comes to the Greenwich Odeum (GreenwichOdeum.com) on February 24. Irish and Irish-American stand up comics turn the theatre into a boisterous Dublin pub atmosphere and commiserate over a pint. The Guinness Tour De Patrick (TourDePatrick.com) is a huge event of three road races to help you run off all of those green beer calories in advance of the parades. HeyRhody.com

Run one, or accumulate points and your finish times in all three. The Irish 5k happens in Pawtucket on March 4. The St. Pat’s 5k happens in Providence on March 18. The Shamrock Shuffle 5k happens in North Kingstown on March 25. The state’s first St. Paddy’s parade of the year is the Pawtucket St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Facebook: Pawtucket St. Patrick’s Parade) on March 4. The 61st annual Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade (NewportIrish.com) is happening on March 11. Don your finest green and get ready for pipe bands, marching bands, fife and drum corps, historical reenactors and local civic groups.

The Providence St. Patrick’s Day Parade (ProvidenceStPatricksParade.org) is happening through the city’s Smith Hill neighborhood on March 18, with festive floats and all of the green beer you can drink. Winter Guide 2017 |

RHODY HAPPENINGS

YOUR KIDS’ FEBRUARY VACATION, PLANNED

The Children’s Library at the

Water play at the Providence

Providence Athenaeum

Children’s Museum

Sunday The RISD Museum (RISDMuseum.org) offers free admission on Sundays, and offers special programming and tours just for kids, to help little ones better understand and appreciate fine art. If they’re feeling artistic, take them to Family See and Sketch, a kid-friendly open studio. Monday The Providence Children’s Museum (ChildrenMuseum.org) has fun programming every day for vacation week, starting with three performances by popular kids’ entertainer Keith Munslow on Monday, who will hold participation-encouraged shows with lively piano tunes and tongue twisting poems. Tuesday Biomes Marine Biology Center (BiomesCenter.com) in North Kingstown is Explore the ocean deep at

Snow Leopards at Roger

Biomes in North Kingstown

Williams Park Zoo

the state’s biggest aquarium, and is open every day for up close and personal encounters with sea creatures. During school vacation week, their weekend programming happens every day: think pufferfish demonstrations, and feedings of tortoises, seahorses, stingrays, dogfish sharks and horseshoe crabs. Wednesday Roger Williams Park Zoo (RWPZoo.org) has weeklong camps for kids ages 4-13, but the zoo is worth a visit any day during Winter Wonder Days. Admission is half-price in winter, and many of the zoo’s animals, like their snow leopard, are more active in cold weather. Thursday In the afternoon, head to Bristol’s Rogers Free Library (RogersFreeLibrary.org) for Lego Building. Kids and teens are invited to build any creation they can imagine, which will be put on display in the Children’s Room for the week. Friday The Save The Bay Aquarium and Exploration Center (SaveBay.org) at Easton’s Beach in Newport is open Friday-Sunday in the winter, and offers touchtank experiences with Atlantic sea life and educational programs for little ones.

more. On January 18, Two Amigos and Friends: A Poetry Celebration brings together two of Rhode Island’s former poet laureates – Tom Chandler and Lisa Starr – for an evening of readings at the North Kingstown Free Library (NKLibrary. org). The Rogers Free Library (RogersFreeLibrary. org) in Bristol hosts a monthly Adult Reading Group, discussing Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling on January 25 and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez on February 22 in collaboration with Roger Williams University. On the second Wednesday of the month, the Barrington Library (BarringtonLibrary.org) hosts a Literary Pairings Book Discussion Group, which pairs a classic work with a contemporary, complementary one. The February 8 meeting will discuss Winter by Christopher Nicholson.

SEE A DIFFERENT KIND OF MOVIE You could Netflix and chill, or you could check out something unexpected and under the radar at a film event. The Jamestown Arts Center (JamestownArtCenter.org) hosts Third Thursday,

| Winter Guide 2017

an evening of short films on the third Thursday of every month, in conjunction with the Rhode Island International Film Festival. The Three Stooges Film Festival is a free night of nyuk nyuk nyuks at Woonsocket’s Stadium Theatre (StadiumTheatre.com) on January 6. On January 14, you’ll be able to measure the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow when John Cleese comes to PPAC (PPACRI.org) for John Cleese and the Holy Grail, a showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail followed by a Q and A session with The Black Knight himself. The Providence Children’s Film Festival (ProvidenceChildrensFilmFestival. org) is happening February 17-26, and has kidfriendly films and workshops for aspiring young filmmakers all over the city. The Galactic Theatre (GalacticTheatre.com) in Warren shows vintage movies on the weekends: Thursdays are for classic ‘40s film noir and ‘50s B-movies. Fridays are for old school horror movies. Saturdays are Cult Movie Nights, and Sunday afternoons are for Cartoon Matinees, showing old cartoons and Three Stooges shorts.

Catch cult classics and other obscure films Thursday through Sunday at the Galactic Theatre in Warren

HeyRhody.com

Biomes photography by Stacey Doyle, Roger Williams Park Zoo by Robert Lavoie, (top right) courtesy of Providence Athenaeum and Providence Children’s Museum, (bottom) by Kendall Pavan St. Laruent

Saturday Every Saturday morning, the Children’s Library at the Providence Athenaeum (ProvidenceAthenaeum.org) shows short films based on picture books. The stunning Greek Revival library is open to the public, but you have to be a member to check out books.

• SPONSORED CONTENT •

Teaching Rhode Islanders that not all vitamins and supplements are healthy choices

he Rhode Island Interscholastic League, the governing body for high school athletics in the state, oversees sports played by 30,000 student athletes annually at 60 schools throughout Rhode Island. In addition to running state tournaments for 28 sports, and ensuring fair play and equal opportunities for all participants, the RIIL focuses on the health and safety of its athletes. For over four years, through a grant funded by the RI Foundation, the RIIL has been tackling the topic of appearance and performance enhancing drugs and nutritional supplements. The program named Operation Clean Competition, with the help of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, the RIIL’s strategic partner on the topic, puts out public messaging, including free educational assemblies to middle and high schools, colleges and universities, about the health dangers of taking illegal performance enhancing drugs and untested, “healthy” supplements and vitamins. The problem is bigger than most people realize. Research has shown on average only 19% of adult influencers recognize that youth steroid use is a problem, yet 1.5 million teenagers admit to usage of some form of APED, and an even higher number are admitting to using supplements. RIIL wants students, parents and other adult influencers to know the severe risks of taking performance enhancing drugs, but the conversation is much bigger than

simply warning against steroids and HGH. There are unknown risks being marketed as healthy choices, and students and parents are unknowingly taking dangerous substances. Data released during the anti-doping symposium organized by the International Association of Athletic Federations showed a sad reality: 25% of all vitamins and nutritional supplements on sale are spiked with anabolic steroids and people use them without any knowledge. “That’s because nutritional supplements are not regulated,” says RIIL’s Director of Marketing and OCC Program Director Tracy Quarella. The Food and Drug Administration has standards of quality for the food we eat and prescription drugs we take, but it doesn’t oversee nutritional and dietary supplements. Taking a supplement is a risk to your ability to play sports and to your health. Take Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich, for example. He was suspended for four games this season for taking what he claims was an over the counter supplement, then testing positive for banned substances.

students take a protein supplement. “People want to get bigger and stronger, think they’ll get scholarships for college, perform better,” says Quarella. You see it all the time at the gym, in the hallways at schools, in the workplace – people holding and shaking blender bottles, or taking that “new” supplement aimed at losing those few extra pounds. The problem is that there is no real way to tell what’s inside those pills, or what is safe to take. The best choice is good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. “If you’re eating properly, you don’t need those supplements,” Quarella says. However, sometimes it’s a matter of ease and convenience. The RIIL simply wants to make sure you are informed – to know that when you buy that bottle or powder, that what it says on the package isn’t always what you’re getting. You may be getting more than you bargained for. The most important thing you can do is to do your homework on safe choices. There are sites you can go to for more information and how to know if what you are taking is “clean.” Remember the RIIL’s motto: “Before you shake or take, educate.”

The problem is bigger than most people realize: over 12 million youth use untested, potentially dangerous appearance and performance enhancing supplements, and 35% of middle and high school

» » » »

25% of vitamins and supplements are spiked with anabolic steroids 40% of students call steroids “easy to obtain” Median age for first-time steroid use: 15 Operation Clean Competition has educated over 50,000 people and counting

For more information or to schedule a program, visit

OperationCleanCompetition.com

HEALTH TREND ALERT

Healthy and Versatile:

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Several appliance brands produce

when combined, convection and steam

steam ovens. Some brands require

create a powerhouse of versatility and

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ease in your kitchen.

utilize a water reservoir that is filled

A combination oven may be used as a steam oven, a traditional oven,

| Winter Guide 2017

Bake, roast, steam, defrost, warm, and

Steam

and

available.

and baked goods with convection.

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| Winter Guide 2017

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T HE M O S T WI N TERF UL T IME OF THE YE AR

WINTER FUN

Photo courtesy of Yawgoo Valley

Resist the urge to hibernate this season - there’s too much fun to have

HIT THE BUNNY SLOPES Yawgoo Valley in Exeter (Yawgoo.com) might be Rhode Island’s only ski area, but that just means it’s a great place to start if you haven’t been on skis or a snowboard in a while (or – gasp! – ever). They offer daily

skiing and snowboarding lessons in season, then you’re free to spend the day hitting the slopes on their 36 acres of skiable terrain. Yawgoo also offers snow tubing if you prefer a reclining position for your snowy fun. Skiing at Yawgoo Valley

WINTER FUN

Museums for Days Keep the whole family entertained and cultured Shake up your weekend routine and take a fun excursion to one of many of Rhode Island’s museums.

MORE INDOOR FUN CLIMB THE WALLS Go rock climbing at Rock Spot Climbing Gym (RockSpotClimbing.com), an indoor climbing gym with locations in Lincoln and Peace Dale. The allages facilities have 10,000 square feet of climbing space with features that change every six weeks, so no two climbs are the same. JUMP FOR JOY When was the last time you jumped on a trampoline? Bring the family to Launch Trampoline Park (LaunchRI.com) in Warwick, which has a trampoline dodge ball league. Sky Zone Trampoline Park (SkyZone.com) in Rumford hosts an all-ages Friday night Glow Night, with a live DJ, black lights and an LED show. HIT THE ICE Pawtucket’s Lynch Arena and North Smithfield’s RI Sports Center (RISportsCenter.com) both offer public hockey hours during the week, for pickup games for players with their own equipment. URI’s Boss Ice Arena in Kingston (BossIceArena.com) offers regular hours for open hockey, public skating, figure skating, skating lessons and rock ‘n skate.

For a small state,

we have a ton of great museums, from fine arts to great moments in sports to exploring the cosmos. The biggest of them all is the RISD Museum (RISDMuseum.org) in Providence, which has a permanent collection of world art and rotating exhibits. This season, check out Inventing Impressionism, featuring works by Cezanne, Renoir and Pissarro. The Newport Art Museum (NewportArtMuseum.org) highlights local artists and has fun events like Mystery at the Museum. Also in Newport, the National Museum of American Illustration (AmericanIllustration.org) features work by national treasures like Norman Rockwell. If your family is more into action, bring them to Bristol’s Herreshoff Marine Museum and America’s Cup Hall of Fame (Herreshoff.org), which captures great moments in sailing history. The International Tennis Hall of Fame (TennisFame.com) in Newport has interactive games and a life-sized CGI rendering of Roger Federer. For a fun-ducational experience, there are lots of options. The Providence Children’s Museum (ChildrenMuseum.org) has hands-on fun for little ones, with educational exhibits on everything from nature and scientific phenomena to Rhode Island’s heritage. Exeter’s Tomaquag Museum (TomaquagMuseum. org) celebrates Rhode Island’s indigenous peoples. At Roger Williams Park in Providence, there are two great places to explore. The Roger Williams Park Botanical Center (ProvidenceRI.com/BotanicalCenter) is New England’s largest botanical garden and feels like the tropics year round. The Roger Williams Museum of Natural History and Planetarium (ProvidenceRI.com/Museum) explores this world and beyond.

| Winter Guide 2017

SHOOT TO THRILL Who knew shooting lasers could be so fun? United Skates of America (UnitedSkatesRI.com) in Rumford offers intergalactic laser tag. Mission Combat (MissionCombat.com) in West Warwick is part haunted house and part battleground. BattlegroundZ (BattlegroundZ.net) in Lincoln has laser tag, airsoft, paintball and bubble soccer.

Take to the lanes at Lang’s Bowlarama

HeyRhody.com

Photo (left) courtesy of the RISD Museum, (right) by Tony Pacitti

The RISD Museum features artistic works of international renown, like this centuries-old Buddha

STRIKE OUT Bowling isn’t always just bowling. Lincoln’s CW Lanes (CWTheaters.com) has an arcade, movies, laser tag and a really good restaurant. Lang’s Bowlarama in Cranston (LangsBowlarama.com) channels its retro history and has a Mad Men-inspired Skyline Lounge. Warren’s Dudek Lanes (DudekBowlingLanes.com) has duckpin bowling, rock ‘n bowl and Saturday night extreme bowling. Winter Rock ‘n Bowl at East Providence’s Bowling Academy (BowlingAcademyInc.com) happens every Friday and Saturday night.

WINTER FUN

Glide Into Winter Good times, even in cold temperatures Usually, people attempt to

avoid ice at all costs this time of year – but not you. You’re going to conquer enormous sheets of slippery ice… on skates, that is. Whether you’re an accomplished skater or it’s been decades since you’ve laced them up, make it a point to hit the ice at least one this year. Skating rinks all over the state offer fun options for novices and experts of all ages. The Alex and Ani City Center (AlexAndAniCityCenter.com) is right in the heart of downtown Providence, and has all of the winter in the city warm and fuzzies you’ll need to make it to spring. The rink is open seven days a week and offers beginner and refresher classes for both kids and adults. The Newport Skating Center (NewportSkatingCenter.com) offers seaside skating every day and nightly skating deals all winter long. In Westerly, The Washington Trust Community Skating Rink (OceanCommunityYMCA.org) offers open skating, plus lessons in skating, hockey and figure skating. The Legion Way Skating Rink in Barrington, at the end of Legion Way, comes together through a huge community effort every year to provide locals with a neighborhood place to skate and for pickup games of pond hockey.

Skate into the season at Alex

Photo (top) courtesy of the Alex and Ani Skating Center, (bottom) by Scott MacNeill, courtesy of the Frosty Drew Observatory

and Ani City Center

MORE WAYS TO HAVE COLD-WEATHER FUN GO SLEDDING The best thing about snow? Sledding. You probably have a go-to spot, but this year, head off in search of bigger hills. The Big River Desert in Exeter (135 Gansett Road) really is a desert, and has huge sand dunes. St. George’s School in Middletown (StGeorges. edu) has big hills with views of Second Beach. Burr’s Hill Park in Warren (DiscoverWarren.com) has short but steep hills, and in Providence, the sledding is legendary at Moses Brown School (MosesBrown.edu).

GAZE AT STARS Some of the best stargazing happens on dark winter nights. Bright stars like Castor and Pollux, Sirius and Betelgeuse are their most visible, and constellations like Taurus, Cassiopeia and Perseus are in prime viewing position. See them at Charlestown’s Frosty Drew Observatory (FrostyDrew.org) on Friday nights, and Providence’s Ladd Observatory (Brown.edu/ Departments/Physics/Ladd) on Tuesday nights.

SEE SEALS Think boats are only for summer? Think again. Harbor seals are most active in the winter, and Save the Bay (SaveBay.org) offers Seal Tours to get an up close and personal look. Tours happen on weekends throughout the season, and leave from Newport and Westerly. To see the seals from the warmth of your house, follow them at RomePointSeals.org.

BE WITH NATURE Explore cold weather wildlife with the Audubon Society of Rhode Island (ASRI.org), which offers winter programming at locations all over the state, like Owl Prowls in Exeter, Winter Beach Walks in South Kingstown, Animal Tracking in Smithfield and elevated Walking Trails at their Education Center in Bristol.

HeyRhody.com

See the Milky Way and other celestial objects from the Frosty Drew Observatory

Winter Guide 2017 |

WINTER FUN

Fun With Friends Get a sitter and head out for some adults-only activities Try something new, get out of your comfort zone and make some great memories – whether you’re looking to turn up the romance or

Relive your video game greatest hits at Providence’s Shelter Arcade Bar

have a fun night out.

Rhode Island has a ton of local breweries, wineries and distilleries, all ready and waiting for you to go tasting. Some of them, though, add entertainment into the mix. Sons of Liberty (SOLSpirits.com) in South Kingstown hosts Freedom Friday on January 27 and February 24, when the distillery stays open late, pours samples of their seasonal releases like the recent Gala Apple Whiskey and has live entertainment and food trucks on hand. On Thursday nights, Pawtucket’s Bucket Brewery (BucketBrewery.com) hosts Bucket Movie Night, when they play a movie on their 120” screen and pour glasses of their brews. The Barrel of Laughs Winter Comedy Series at Newport Vineyards (NewportVineyards.com) in Middletown brings in national comedians on February 24 and March 31. When you’re doing a tour of the state’s most spirited spots, there’s always one problem: a person has to volunteer to be your designated driver. Not with the Rhode Island Brew Bus (TheRhodeIslandBrewBus.com), which has four weekly routes through some of Rhody’s best spots for tippling.

DINNER AND DANCING Looking to heat things up? Hit the dance floor. The Narragansett Cafe (NarragansettCafe.com) - or The Ganny as its known to Jamestown locals – serves dinner and has live music 365 nights a year. Westerly’s Knickerbocker Cafe (TheKnickerbockerCafe.com) has a Dine and Dance menu to fuel you up before you hit the floor to their rock and blues acts. DeWolf Tavern (DeWolfTavern.com) in Bristol hosts regular Salsa and Sangria nights. Providence’s Blend Cafe (BlendPVD.com) is a fusion of Latin food and music,

and hosts live music and meringue, salsa and bachata dancing on Thursday and Sunday nights. Mishnock Barn (MishnockBarn.com) in West Greenwich is a barn full of country music that offers line dancing lessons for beginners and boot-stomping fun. The Narragansett Towers (TheTowersRI.com) offers a weekly ballroom dancing evening, with lessons.

GAME ON You don’t have to wait until your kids are asleep to play their video games and get your fix. Shelter Arcade Bar (ShelterArcadeBar.com) in Providence has vintage pinball and arcade games, and cocktails named after Nintendo classics. Bo’s Bar and Billiards (BosBarAndBilliards.com) in Warwick has free pool on Sunday nights, and has a lounge with air hockey, pinball and arcade games. If board games are more your speed, drop in at Julian’s (JuliansProvidence. com) on a Monday night. The Providence restaurant hosts an informal Scrabble league: just bring your board, have a seat and wait for an opponent. At The Board Room (TheBoardRoomRI.com) in Providence, you drop in and give them $5 and spend the night playing their vast array of board games.

Hit the dance floor to live music at the Knickerbocker Cafe in Westerly

PLAN YOUR ESCAPE Lock yourself and your friends in one riddlefilled room and see if you can solve the mystery to escape. Providence’s Escape RI (EscapeRhodeIsland.com) and The Great Escape Room (TheGreatEscapeRoom.com), and Lock and Clue

(LockAndClue.com) in Pawtucket all offer opportunities to work as a team, figure out complex puzzles and prove once and for all that you really are the smart one.

Have a boot-stomping good time at the Mishnock Barn in West Greenwich

Hey Rhody! Drop the Mic

If you’d rather not listen to one more teary, off-key karaoke Adele performance, get a private room. Sura (Sura-RI.com) in Johnston, and The Boombox (SingBoombox.com) and G Pub (ProvidenceGPub. com) in Providence all offer private room karaoke. It’s just you, your friends and all the ‘90s hip-hop you can handle.

| Winter Guide 2017

HeyRhody.com

Photography (top) by Tony Pacitti, (center) by Ron Cowie, (bottom) courtesy of Mishnock Barn

GET IN THE SPIRIT

WINTER FUN

Mad Skills Learn something new this year, and have fun while you’re at it 2017 is the year you turn your Pinterest board into actual skills. There are so many interesting new things to learn – and the best part is, it’s really fun to learn them.

Sharpen your cooking skills at

Put your money where your mouth is at pub trivia Monday nights, test your smarts at The Breachway Grill (BreachwayGrill.com) in Charlestown. Aidan’s Pub (AidansPub.com) in Bristol hosts pub trivia on Tuesday nights, as does Ogie’s Trailer Park (OgiesTrailerPark.com) in Providence. On Wednesday nights, Fat Belly’s Pub (FatBellysPub.com) hosts trivia at their Warwick, Providence and Coventry locations. Thursdays, head to Pancho O’Malley’s (Facebook: Pancho O’Malley’s) in Narragansett or Bar 31 (Bar31RI.com) in Bristol. On Sundays, head to Mews Tavern (MewsTavern.com) in Wakefield for Stump Trivia, or The Wild Colonial (WildColonial.com) in Providence, which offers really challenging questions every other Sunday.

Photography (top) by Michael Cevoli, (bottom) by Kendall Pavan St. Laurent

Newport Cooks in Middletown

SHARPEN YOUR KITCHEN SKILLS

WRITE OUT LOUD

You don’t need to enroll at Johnson & Wales (JWU.edu) to learn your way around a kitchen. The Providence campus offers one-day drop-in classes on everything from knife techniques to appetizer and tapas classes to cuisines of the world. Professor Chef (ProfessorChef.com) in North Providence is a husband and wife duo that teaches in their own kitchen while you sip wine. Middletown’s Newport Cooks (NewportCooks.com) brings in guest chefs from some of the East Bay’s best restaurants for one-night classes. Fine dining restaurants like Jamestown Fish (JamestownFish.com), Ella’s Fine Food and Drink (EllasFineFoodAndDrink.com) in Westerly and Simone’s (SimonesRI.com) in Warren all offer cooking classes where the chefs give you tips and tricks while they personally cook you dinner.

Writing is a solitary activity, but sometimes you need external motivation and guidance to get the best work out of yourself. Goat Hill Writers (GoatHillWriters.com) is run by acclaimed Rhode Island authors Ann Hood, Taylor Polites and Hester Kaplan, who

offer workshops and expert advice on getting published. In Providence, Frequency Writers (FrequencyWriters.org) provides a quiet workspace and writing classes from local professionals. The Association of Rhode Island Authors (RIAuthors.org) hosts regular events with national authors around the state.

PAINT THE RAINBOW Well, you’ll probably only be seeing rainbows after your second glass of wine at a Paint and Drink class. Paint and Vino (PaintAndVino.com) in Pawtucket, A Splash of Color (SplashOfColorArt.com) in Riverside, Hello Van Gogh (HelloVanGoghPaintParties.com) in Narragansett and Paint The Town Studios (PaintTheTownStudios.com) in Cranston all offer opportunities for you and your friends to channel your inner artists. It’s a fun night out and you get a piece of art to take home. Pro tip: how much you like your painting that night versus how much you like it in the morning is directly related to how much wine you drink during the class. HeyRhody.com

Channel your inner Monet at a paint and wine class at A Splash of Color in Riverside

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WINTER FUN

Good Vibrations Cultivate mindfulness and follow your bliss this season These days, we’re in a time epidemic. Resolve to check out for an hour or two – and check in with yourself.

Meditation and mindfulness have been proven to help everything from stress to high blood pressure to insomnia. Get started with the Rhode Island Community of Mindfulness (MindfulnessRI. org), which hosts monthly meditation sessions all over the state, like Mind Tamers on the second and fourth Tuesday in Barrington, Generations Sangha on the second Saturday in East Greenwich and Joyfully Together Sangha on Wednesday evenings in Providence.

TAKE 40 All That Matters (AllThatMatters.com) is a yoga studio with locations in Wakefield, East Greenwich and Providence. Their 40 Day Revolution will give you an entirely new perspective on yourself and how you interact with the world. The program involves weekly (or daily) yoga practice, meditation, nutrition guidance and daily inspiration to make you, for once, actually make yourself and your peace of mind a priority. The program is intense, but it really is a personal revolution, in the best possible way.

EMBRACE EASTERN MEDITATION The Providence Zen Center (ProvidenceZen.org) in Cumberland is the closest thing you’re going to find to Japan in Rhode Island. The retreat has a main building that offers weekly meditation instruction and sessions, a monastery and walking paths on their serene 50 acre property. On Wednesdays, the Zen

Center offers free walk-in introduction to meditation, and sitting and walking meditation sessions to help you find your own zen place.

COLOR YOUR WORLD The Rogers Free Library (RogersFreeLibrary.org) in Bristol has a Thursday morning Coloring Group, for adults to zone out of stress and zone in to coloring inside the lines… or outside, depending on what feels right at that moment.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY The Water Journey at Newport’s Bodhi Spa (BodhiSpa.com) is a tiny vacation. The hydrotherapy facility is a series of hot and cold mineral plunge pools and saunas designed to clean out toxins and boost your lymphatic system. Plus, it just feels really wonderful to be so warm and relaxed during such a cold season.

OM IS WHERE THE HEART IS Pawtucket’s Om Kids Yoga (OmKidsYogaRI.com) offers joint classes for toddlers and grownups and kids-only yoga, but their Parent Child Retreats are really something special. The two and a half hour sessions - open to all parents and kids - include yoga, cupcakes and bonding activities like love letter writing and foot rubs.

SWEAT IT OUT You could blast the heat in your car, or just start

The Himalayan Salt Grotto at Urban Sweat purifies your body and boosts your health

eating a lot more hot sauce, but nothing will feel as good as the sweat you’ll make at Raffa Yoga’s Urban Sweat (RaffaYoga.com). The Cranston yoga studio and wellness center has a huge area devoted to heated rooms designed for specific health benefits, like the Himalayan Salt Grotto that boosts your respiratory system, or the Yellow Turmeric Room Dry Sauna to reduce inflammation.

MAKE MEDITATION A FAMILY VALUE The weekends are so full and so fast that they feel like a blur come Monday morning. Take a family timeout on Sunday morning at Providence’s Atisha Kadampa Buddhist Center (MeditationInRhodeIsland.org) with Meditation for Kids and Families. Parents and kids spend an hour of meaningful mindfulness clearing their heads and bonding in a totally different way.

EAT MINDFULLY The Grange (GrangeProvidence.com) is one of Providence’s best vegetarian restaurants. On Mondays, the good vibes go one step further: the restaurant tries to go cellphone free. Mindful Monday gives 10% off the bill to people who leave their phones with the hostess for their meal.

SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND

The Water Journey at The Bodhi Spa in Newport feels like a mini-vacation to the tropics

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Tiffany Peay (TiffanyPeay.com) has built her fine jewelry design business on the idea that gems aren’t just gems - they can beautify and heal. In addition to her baubles, she also creates GemWater, which adds the healing properties of crystals to water bottles and wands to boost the vitality of water. Tiffany recently added a Crystal Bed to her store in Tiverton Four Corners, which is a healing modality where you spend 20 minutes (or more) in the positive-energyfilled space clearing your mind and connecting with your highest self. HeyRhody.com

Photo (top) courtesy of Raffa Yoga, (bottom) courtesy of Bhodi Spa

CLEAR YOUR MIND

WINTER FUN

Fun and Fit Out-of-the-box workouts to keep your routine fresh The key to keeping your New Year’s resolution to exercise more is to keep your workouts fun. Mix up your routine and enjoy yourself while breaking a sweat. You’ll actually look forward to going to the gym. A DIFFERENT KIND OF CURLS You can curl your bicep, or you can curl… a stone. The Ocean State Curling Club (OceanStateCurling. com) is a statewide curling league that meets in Cranston at the Cranston Veterans Memorial Arena. The league matches up teams of four players who slide 40lb granite stones across the ice and try to land more of their stones closer to the target than the other team’s. Sounds simple, but it’s more complicated (and more of a workout) than you think. Check it out for yourself at one of their Learn to Curl sessions, or just bite the bullet - er, stone - and join the club.

Photography (top) by Tony Pacitti, (Center) by Amy Amerantes, (bottom) by HIlary Block

DANCE AROUND THE WORLD

benefits to the body. What that means for you: a super fun hour bouncing around to great music, with the added benefit of burning roughly 40 million calories per class.

BE A CHEER-TATOR You might not be able to fit into your old cheerleading uniform, but you can feel those Friday Night Lights again at Providence’s Cheer Up Athletics (Facebook: Cheer Up Athletics). The cheerleading gym primarily works with school teams, but they offer open gym on Sundays where adults can work on jumping, tumbling, stunting, dancing and reliving their glory days.

Providence arts collaborative AS220 (AS220. org) offers tons of ways to broaden your cultural horizons, from indie rock concerts to 3D printing classes to… Contemporary African Dance. AS220 hosts weekly drop-in classes in yoga, ballet, modern dance and - you guessed it - African dance. Learn the moves that are all the rage on the other side of the world.

HONE YOUR SWORDSMANSHIP

JUMP INTO FITNESS

JUMP THROUGH HOOPS

Remember back in the day when you’d jump on a trampoline just for fun? Jounce Fitness in Johnston (JounceFitness.com) is a low impact, high result workout on a trampoline, based on NASA research that exercise using G-force has increased

It turns out hula hooping isn’t just fun for kids. It’s still fun for grownups, and it’s actually a pretty great cardio and core workout. Cardioglow (Cardioglow. com) in Barrington offers Hoop There It Is classes, combining childhood nostalgia with a good solid

Channel your inner olympian at Ocean State Curling Club

So you don’t normally get to play with swords, right? Spar and jab to your heart’s content at Rhode Island Fencing Academy (RIFAC.com). The East Providence studio offers kids and adult classes for beginners, experts and people looking to hone their historical fighting skills. No, really. Winter is coming, and you’d better be prepared.

Stay en garde at Rhode Island Fencing Academy

hour of elevated heart rate. If you’re not quite so coordinated with your hips, try a Dance Cardio class instead - just as fun, but without all of the pesky bending over to pick up your dropped hoop.

HANG TEN While you can technically surf in the winter, only the most passonate surfers will brave the ocean when temps are below freezing. Capture the summer feeling at Surfset classes at Wakefield’s Coastal BodyWorx (CoastalBodyWorx.com). The classes take place on an actual surfboard, and strengthen your core while stretching your muscles and honing your sense of balance.

MOVE TO YOUR OWN DRUM

Hang ten at surf classes at Coastal Bodyworx

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In a Pound class, you hold two oversized drumsticks and turn the studio into your own personal set of drums. The rhythmic jumping workout is offered at The Edge Fitness for Women (TheEdgeFitnessForWomen.com) in East Greenwich and Cranston, and challenges your muscles, your sense of balance, your endurance and your ability to keep the beat. Winter Guide 2017 |

WINTER FUN

Pulaski State Park in Chepachet offers the state’s only groomed cross-country trails

Brrrring It On Get out and get moving outside – yes, even this season Don’t confine your exercise to the gym just because it’s winter. Put on some layers and appreciate all the natural beauty (and fun!) the season has to offer. GO FOR A WINTER HIKE If you bundle up properly, a trek through a frozen landscape can be a rewarding experience. There’s the beauty of nature in winter, the animals that prefer cold weather, the serenity of exploring a space in total quiet. The Dundery Brook Trail (Nature.org) in Little Compton is an easy loop, part of which is on a boardwalk path above the wetlands, that gives you a peek at over 60 bird species. Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge in Charlestown (ExploreRI.org) has six miles of hiking trails through grasslands, wooded swamps and gorgeous views of Ninigret Pond, the largest coastal salt pond in Rhode Island, from the observation deck at Grassy Point.

OUTRUN THE COLD If the idea of running in freezing temperatures has you on the treadmill (or, let’s be honest, on the couch), find some external motivation with a running club. In Providence, the Rhode Runner Running Club (RhodeRunner.com) has weekly training runs on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and Sunday mornings, plus access to in-depth coaching and discounts at the store and local races. RunNewport (Facebook: Run Newport) has a running group that meets every Tuesday evening, and runners can choose between a three or five mile course. At nearly 200 members, the Rhode Island Road Runners (RIRR401.Wordpress.com) is the

| Winter Guide 2017

state’s biggest running club. They have monthly meetings, and an active website where members can join up for smaller weekly training runs throughout the state.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AND SNOWSHOEING In the winter when there’s enough snow, Pulaski State Park and Recreational Area in Chepachet (RIParks.com) offers free access for cross-country skiing. There are 10 miles of groomed trails in the 100-acre park, which is inside the 4000 acre George Washington Management Area. Find more details through the Appalachian Mountain Club Narragansett Chapter (AMCNarragansett.org). The horse trails and golf course at Warwick’s Goddard Park (WarwickRI.gov) are popular with Nordic skiers after a heavy snowfall, although you’ll have to carve your own path). Arcadia Management Area (RIParks.com) in Exeter has seemingly endless hiking and mountainbiking trails suitable for backcountry cross-country skiing as well. Another popular option is the South County Bike Path (SouthCountyBikePath. org), which has the advantage of being wide and generally flat (the paved surface, however, means the snow generally melts faster than on natural trails). Rhode Island Cross Country Skiing (Facebook.com/RIXCSki) is a good source of information, too.

Keep your motivation high this winter by training for a road race The South County 4th Season Race Series (Sites.Google.com/ Site/4thSeasonRaces) will keep you running all winter. The Resolution 5k Beach and Trail Race is on January 7, the Old Mountain 5k Trail Race is on February 4 and the Belleville Pond 10k Trail Race is on March 11. Dodge obstacles - we recommend dodging wrenches as training - at the Boldrdash Winterdash (BoldrdashRace.com) happening on March 4 in Exeter. The 5k course at Camp Canonicus will have 15-20 obstacles in wooded areas and open fields. Make a splash at The Ocean’s Run Marathon, Half Marathon, 4 Miler and Kids’ Fun Run (TriMomProd.com) on March 5 at Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly. This relatively flat course has ocean views for the whole distance, and is a benefit for The Westerly Track and Athletic Club.

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