Road Trip: Rhode Island

Kathleen, Danielle and I took a quick trip to Rhode Island, the state where Kathleen and I lived briefly and the site of our 1988 wedding. We first stopped at the large, attractive state capitol in Providence, sharing the atrium and hallways with a number of school groups touring the building. Completed in 1904, the statehouse is made from Georgia marble and boasts the fourth largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, after St. Peter’s Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol and the Taj Mahal. Map link: Providence, RI

We drove south for another 30 minutes, stopping at 8025 Post Road in North Kingston, the house we rented in 1988 and the location of our wedding rehearsal dinner and reception. Not surprisingly, it has undergone significant upgrades and improvements since then, but the lines, bones and location were all recognizable. We stopped for lunch in the nearby Village of Wickford, enjoying the shaded deck and sea breeze at Wickford on the Water restaurant in the 90-degree heat. Map link: Wickford, RI

Next we crossed the Jamestown and Newport Bridges that span Narragansett Bay to Aquidneck Island (the original Rhode Island) and the city of Newport, population 25,000. Famous for being a sailing center and summer resort for the wealthy, Newport hosted the first U.S. Open tournaments in both tennis and golf and every America’s Cup sailing regatta from 1930-1983. It was a major hub in the slave “triangle trade” of early America, where Caribbean molasses was distilled into rum, which was then exchanged for West African captives. Today Newport is home to Salve Regina University, the National Sailing Museum and Hall of Fame, Naval War College, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Naval Supply Corps School and Naval Station Newport, where Kathleen did her surface warfare training and where we were married 38 years ago next month. Our first stop was The Breakers, a 70-room, 138,000-square-foot mansion completed in 1895 as a summer “cottage” for Cornelius Vanderbilt II. The Breakers is the grandest and most-visited of a dozen Gilded Age mansions that are open to the public, most along the Cliff Walk, a 3.5 mile National Recreation Trail with stunning views of the historic properties and the ocean. The northern terminus of the Cliff Walk is at Easton’s Beach, which we visited briefly, but the stiff wind and chilly air coming off the ocean limited our enjoyment. Instead we strolled through Downtown Newport, with its waterfront wharves, hotels, restaurants and shops, until it was time to head home. Map link: Newport, RI

It was a two-hour drive back to Boston, interrupted by a vicious line of thunderstorms that brought thunder, lightning, heavy rains and road flooding. By the time we arrived at Jay and Danielle’s at 7:00 PM, the rain had stopped and the skies were clear. After dinner, we watched Jeopardy, and were excited that one of the questions on the show was about The Breakers in Newport!

Bonus Content: It’s Walter Cup and Stanley Cup playoff time and I am watching as much of the action as my schedule allows. Ice hockey is by far my favorite spectator sport and is unique among sports, in my humble opinion. There are also many peculiar and little-known NHL rules and regulations—here are some of them:

1. The Blood Rule: To improve player safety and minimize the spread of infectious disease, players must leave the ice if they have blood on their jerseys. The rule applies regardless of whose blood it is. 

2. The Two-Stick Rule: Players may not carry more than one stick. They cannot pick up a dropped stick and pass it to a teammate or carry a replacement stick without dropping their own first. 

3. The Gretzky Rule: From 1985-1992, the NHL forced teams to play 5-on-5 rather than 4-on-4 during coincidental penalties, specifically to limit Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers’ dominance on open ice. 

4. The Jersey Tuck Rule: Players may not tuck their jerseys into their breezers, so that player names and numbers are always visible and hip pads are not exposed. Famous former “tuckers” were Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and Wayne Gretzky, who superstitiously tucked in the right side of his jersey before every game. 

5. The Brodeur Rule: Established in 2005, a trapezoid behind each goal limits the area that the goalie may play the puck. It was implemented to prevent talented puck-handling goalies, specifically the New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur, from playing the puck in the corners on dump-ins, which limited offense and scoring. 

Other Goalie Rules: Teams may only play one goalie at a time. Goaltenders must use white tape on their sticks, to allow refs to see the puck better. Goalies may not leave their sticks in the crease when pulled in an empty net situation. The Emergency Backup Goalie (EBUG): Teams typically roster two goalies, and in the event that both are sick, injured, or otherwise unable to play, a local player is hired to fill in. Each NHL home team is required to have an EBUG in the stands—they are typically local amateurs, former college or junior hockey players or recreational league goalies. It is rare that EBUGS ever play, but it does happen, and has resulted in some legendary moments in professional hockey. David Ayres, a 42-year-old Zamboni driver and former American Hockey League goalie in Toronto, filled in for the visiting Carolina Hurricanes in February, 2020 and was credited with the win when the ‘Canes beat the Maple Leafs. He is in the NHL record books as the oldest goalie to win his regular-season debut.