The following morning, as we set out for a walk, we discovered that we couldn't have asked for a better location for our hotel either!  It was a perfect spring day as we made the short trek to historic Benefit Street, where we admired the beautifully preserved and restored homes on that picture-perfect street.  The trees and flowers, namely beautiful tulips and bright yellow daffodils, were all in full bloom and we could smell the lilacs that bloomed in manicured yards as we passed.  The delicious croissants we enjoyed from a corner European bakery only added to our buoyant mood.  We continued our stroll on some of the more noteworthy architectural streets in the College Hill area of town (as pointed out to us before leaving home by our friend Margaret, a former Providence resident), and across the small but pleasant campus of the prestigious Brown University.  We could have walked for hours down all of the beckoning side streets, but alas, it was time for lunch and we had big plans.  We were here for the seafood and we'd gotten a couple recommendations from friends and family for Quito's Seafood Market and Restaurant located just a short drive south of Providence in Bristol, RI.  After an enjoyable drive on this gorgeous sunshiny Friday through charming small-town Rhode Island, we arrived at Quito's.  Upon being seated in the small dining room, we proceeded to order a smorgasbord of fresh seafood off the tempting menu: raw oysters, lobster bisque, a stuffed Quahog (aka a stuffie), clamcakes and over a pound of steamers.  Everything was delightful (the bisque was positively divine!) and we left feeling only marginally less stuffed than we did the previous evening when we departed Flo's.  This trip was starting to look like bad news for Caroline's waistline!  But it was another perfect spring day, and although it was a bit too breezy and cool in the shade to enjoy our meal on the restaurant's covered patio, it was perfect in the sun and we enjoyed a brief stroll along the sparkling waterfront following our second glutton-fest of the weekend before returning to Providence to continue our adventures. 

Upon returning to Providence, it was almost time to attend our first wedding event of the weekend.  But before heading to the church for Ben & Melanie's late-afternoon ceremony, there was still time to pass a pleasant hour lounging in the hot sun and cool breeze at the Hot Club, a casual bar perched on wooden decking directly over the water in the industrial waterfront area of Providence.  Our friend Christopher, an Attleboro native and former Providence resident (and husband of Margaret) who now lives in Albuquerque, suggested we stop by if we wanted to relax with a drink.  He also suggested we try their specialty, the Dark & Stormy, a concoction of local ginger beer and rum.  While we thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the open-air deck at an early happy hour with quite a few locals getting their weekend off to a timely start, let's just say that the Dark & Stormy is perhaps a bit of an acquired taste.  If you are simply looking to get drunk, however, it might be just the thing for you at this bar known for its heavy pours!

We finished our drinks and, ready to move on, we returned to the hotel, quickly changed clothes, and were some of the first to arrive at the ornately beautiful old Sacred Heart church in Attleboro.  Following the pleasantly brief ceremony, we attended a dinner graciously hosted by the groom's father, Roger, who had just returned from a contract position in Afghanistan the previous week.  He did a great job putting together an elegant buffet dinner in a private room at the charming Colonel Blackington Inn, especially in such a short amount of time.  After mingling over drinks and enjoying the meal, which ended with a delicious creme brulee for dessert, we were more than ready to hit the hay back at our hotel after a full and satisfying day.

Downtown Providence - what WaterFire looks like during the day

Bristol, RI waterfront near Quito's Restaurant - everything was in bloom!

The picturesque waterfront in Bristol, RI

Scott strikes a seafaring pose on a dock near Quito's at the Bristol waterfront...

 The lovely Bristol waterfront was made for photographing!

Sampling a Dark & Stormy at the Hot Club in Providence

Scott's not so sure he'll be ordering one of these again anytime soon!

Newlyweds, Ben & Melanie!

Not needed elsewhere, cousins Kyle and Scott stop for a pose