Family tours focus on R.I. experiences

The hosts of “The Rhode Show” asked me on air about my favorite restaurants and my impression of Rhode Island in general. We were chatting about their annual search for a third co-host and what qualifications might be needed. According to the hosts a knowledge of the state, including its food scene, is a plus. They suggested to those who might be seeking the position to go out and “have a Rhode Island experience.”
There are three Rhode Islanders who have created a virtual industry doing just that. Experience Rhode Island is ostensibly a transportation service to bring foodies as well as visitors in general to some of the key attractions around our state. But it is also a guided tour of some of the things that make Rhode Island the unique place we all love.
Ted, Jonathan and Timothy Stricklin are three brothers who grew up in Rhode Island. Their family often entertained out-of-town guests, who they treated to tours of their favorite attractions around the state. The Stricklins brought their visitors everywhere, from Federal Hill to the Newport mansions.
The guests looked forward to their Rhode Island excursions. Soon the brothers found themselves in demand to give their tours to other people’s guests, as well as some lifelong Rhode Islanders. All found their memorable day or evening an experience they long remembered and recommended to others.
Finally, the family decided to make Experience Rhode Island their full-time job. They created several unique itineraries and their gleaming, white tour bus is a familiar sight from the cities to the beaches.
The business seems to have overcome some of the pitfalls that hampered previous tour operators who have attempted to overlay a public or semi-public transportation system over the city’s already crowded streets and traffic patterns. Since downtown Providence has still not yet transformed into a vibrant residential community, the potential passenger base must come from the suburbs. This means locating shuttle pickup points out of town or near highway exits at the city limits. Either has the potential to make the service cost prohibitive when added into the evening’s tab for dinner, drinks, theater tickets and the like. Experience Rhode Island and the Stricklins came up with the solution in a real Rhode Island manner – free parking on state property. Shuttle passengers may park and meet the transport at the state-offices parking lot off Exit 23 from Interstate 95. There are other locations to hop on along the route.
Destinations include the most popular attractions around the city, Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence Performing Arts Center, Trinity Repertory Company, Federal Hill and Thayer Street. Shuttle drivers are familiar with city landmarks and offer descriptions en route. Passenger tickets are valid all evening for unlimited getting on-and-off from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Providence’s world-class attraction WaterFire is a Rhode Island experience specialty and has become a signature service. For the remainder of the season, the Experience will donate $5 to WaterFire Providence for every $10 adult ticket sold on WaterFire nights. This has enabled some Providence restaurants such as Cav in the Knowledge District and some Federal Hill eateries to become so-called “WaterFire restaurants,” offering parking for their dinner patrons who utilize the Experience shuttle on WaterFire nights.
Ted Stricklin says this is just part of the story. “As one of the many tourism and hospitality businesses that benefits from WaterFire, my brothers and I wanted to create a program with WaterFire that will grow our business and support the nonprofit organization at the same time,” he explained. “We’re offering visitors convenience and rich Rhode Island experiences.”
The Experience does not limit its support to nights when the braziers are lit. Even on non-WaterFire nights the service donates $1 for each ticket sold on all its runs.
There are other tours, including daytime tours that offer the experience of exploring Providence, as well as one that takes visitors to Newport for the day. The Experience’s Providence Dinner Tour consists of a progressive three-course dinner tour of three of Providence’s outstanding restaurants. Available Monday through Friday, the cost includes dinner, gratuity, tax and the tour but does not include the purchase of alcoholic beverages. The trip can be done on impulse as the cutoff for reservations is six hours before departure, which is at 6 p.m. from the Visitor Information Center at the R.I. Convention Center.
Guests from South Carolina, Michigan, Indiana and Missouri, as well as New Yorkers have all posted compliments online about Experience Rhode Island.
And my answer to the question about my favorite restaurant?
There are too many categories of Rhode Island restaurants to even begin to narrow it down. I talk about all my favorites on the radio every week. Hope to see you at one of them soon. •


Bruce Newbury’s “Dining Out” food and wine talk radio show is heard on WADK-AM 1540 and on line and mobile app on iHeartRadio. He can be reached by email at bruce@brucenewbury.com.

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