How to be a Rhode Islander

So, you’ve moved here from New Jersey or Vermont and you think you’ve got what it takes to be a Rhode Islandah? You’ve got a lot to learn. Let’s make sure you have a wicked good time while in little Rhody.

First things first, start off your day with an iced cold brew from Dunkin, no matter what time of the year. There’s one on every corner, right next to Cumberland Farms. With your coffee in hand, jump on Interstate 95 and head up to PVDonuts on Ives Street for some of the best gourmet donuts in the state. Don’t worry, you’re not going deep into downtown, just past the Big Blue Bug on your left and it’s the first exit off I-95.  

On your way home you can always pick up a last-minute birthday present for your friend in Cranston at the Alex and Ani headquarters, and pick up a donut cake from Allie’s Donuts while you’re at it. If you’re thirsty and haven’t had your coffee fill, snag an Awful Awful milkshake from Newport Creamery, and if it’s a Monday, it’s buy one get one free!  

If you want your very own version at home, swing by Stop and Shop and grab a bottle of Autocrat coffee syrup to mix with your milk for a light creamy beverage.  But wait—we can’t forget about lunch. Wein-O-Rama on Oakland Ave and Olneyville New York System are the two Rhode Island staples for hot weiners. Wash it down with a nice cold Del’s frozen lemonade and you’ll be on your way.  

If you’ve got a whole day to kill, why not take a ride on the Block Island ferry? You may be able to catch it on a sunny end-of-summer day, but if not, hop over the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge and spend a day touring the mansions and walking the cliffwalk. Grab a cocktail (if you can) and some of the best calamari in southern Rhode Island, after all, it is the state’s official appetizer! For dinner, jump back over the bridge to ‘Gansett and hit up Iggy’s in Galilee for the state’s traditional clamcakes and chowdah. Don’t eat ‘em there, dine on the seawall for the ultimate on-the-water experience. If that didn’t fill you up, cruise up Boston Neck Road and hit Brickley’s ice cream while they’re still open for the season.

Now that you know the best spots in Rhode Island, go out there and have yourself a day! Don’t forget to stay hydrated by drinking from bubblahs and spend plenty of time at the beach, no matter what time of the year.

Don’t worry, you’ll get used to the lingo in no time. Sophomore Brendan Nolty says it was pretty easy adjusting to the Rhode Island dialect.

“I would probably say that the biggest thing that I have had to change about my life is adopting the term ‘wicked’ and using it as an adjective for most words,” Nolty said. “I didn’t even adopt it intentionally. I just became used to hearing it so much.”

Finally, don’t forget: Rhody, Rhody, Rhody!  We’re Rhode Island born, Rhode Island bred, and when we die we’ll be Rhode Island dead.

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