Sunday....bloody, Funday!

Entrance to Lincoln Woods

For many, Sunday is a day of rest but not for these cowpokes.
Sunday is a day to ride in search of local biker-friendly establishments or to visit some of our favorite destinations. Sometimes with a group of friends and other times, just the two of us. It's a day of fun and the perfect way to prepare for the long week ahead.

This past weekend, we chose to visit one of our recent, yet quickly becoming a favorite, biker-friendly find.

Lincoln Woods State Park, located in Lincoln, Rhode Island is an easy find off 95 on Rte. 146. There is no entrance fee, however, there is a $2 charge for a private picnic area with fireplace.

Throughout the park, there is a beautiful lake with a public beach and canoe and kayak rentals.  Next to the beach there is a large, paved parking lot.

We have visited a few times this summer and hung out in a few of their picnic areas. Some are easy to park in with packed, level dirt spaces, however, some are on hills with a lot of rocks. Before paying for the picnic area, we drive around to see what is available, which ones are easy to park in, and have some privacy and then head back to the front office.  We have found the perfect spot, pictured below.  But...I'm keepin' it a secret!  Want to make sure it is there for us the next time we visit. :-)

Look at that view...and, only $2 to reserve for the day.

Favorite site

So this is the set-up...we (or shall I say, my husband) bring a bag of charcoal, a stocked cooler and all the fixins' for a bbq.  Then, my favorite 'spatula-man' does what he does best and fires up the harley travel grill (don't have one? No worries...there is also a bbq/fireplace pit in most, if not all, sites). 

Picnic at Lincoln Woods

The end result....not your average picnic meal, is it?

Yum

Keep in mind that the park is 'trash in, trash out'. Meaning no trash barrels...you leave with what you came with.  We found out the hard way on a previous visit with a couple of friends...had to ride around on the back of the Harley carrying a bag of trash. Wish we got a picture. 

After a quick clean-up, we had dessert and watched as the sun set on a beautiful fall day in New England. Life does not get much better!

Oh, and the park is open year round from sunrise to sunset..and trust me, they do lock the gates at sunset!

Contact details:

Lincoln Woods State Park

2 Manchester Print Works Road

Lincoln, RI  

401-723-7892

http://www.riparks.com/lincoln.htm

  

Shenanigans at State Park in Bristol, RI

Entrance to Colt State Park, Bristol, RI

Labor Day weekend this year was a gorgeous time in New England. Plenty of sun, blue skies with puffy clouds and perfect temperature. Conditions were excellent for riding so hooked up with a pair of friends we have known since high school...in other words....a longgg time! Great friends.

We have always had fun together so were very excited to try out one of their favorite riding destinations to Colt State Park in Bristol, RI.


After stopping at a local liquor store to pick up a beer...or two...we made our way to the park.  Not sure if there is an admission charge, there was nobody at guard shack so passed through the gate. There is a loop to drive around that borders the ocean then goes through some woods and around the bay.

We went the day after the so-called hurricane 'Earle' so water was choppy and winds were heavy but it was warm and felt good.  Riding along the edge of the ocean with the seaspray splashing up at us was pretty cool.

On this Saturday of a long weekend, the park was very busy, several large groups (reunions and weddings), lots of couples, families flying kites...whole smorgasbord of people. And still, plenty of space to spread out...lots of empty picnic tables with beautiful views. So we found a picnic table with a beautiful view and sat with our friends for a while. Pic below shows that even on a busy day, there are tables with space available.

Here we are with our 'beverages'...haven't drank out of brown paper bag in a long time, well not sure I ever have but it was kind of fun! Felt a little dangerous with my large beer can and brown paper bag...dangerous, you say?  Yeah, for me...it is...what can I say, I'm a bit boring.

Up to shenanigans at state park...shhhhh!

We were lazy and just sat and enjoyed each others company with a wonderful view but there is a lot more to do than just lounge. Colt Park has activities for all types...there is a bike trail, plenty of places to walk and hike, and we even saw some people fishing. 

We enjoyed our time so much we decided to go back the next day, just hubby and I. We packed a picnic and came back with our portable Harley charcoal grill.  We had concerns about the flame staying lit so drove around the back of the park to the bay side, which is much more calm. Seems to be less busy as well so it was very nice for our picnic for two.

Bay side picnic area

You can see from picture above that we had plenty of space, it was not private as we were close to the parking lot and there were families around flying kites, etc...but we had plenty of space.

Harley charcoal grill

So how cool is that little grill above?  Guys, let me tell you...it is worth the money, if you can find one. My husband cooked me a great lunch with boneless chicken, beans, and a salad...even served it with wine.  It was a phenomenal afternoon. and trust me..your lady will thank you for it...my heart grew three sizes that day...just like the grinch.

View across bay side

Only saw one bathroom but did not use it.  Real toilets though...none of this porta-potty nonsense. Garbage cans also seem to be lacking...perhaps it is 'take what you bring'...not sure.

We really enjoyed our time here and can't wait to go back.  Oh and bonus points for the Del's Lemonade truck making the rounds on both days.

Hey Boo-Boo, how about a Pic-i-nic?

If your travels take you out to the Sutton/Northbridge, Massachusetts area, consider a stop at Purgatory Chasm State Reservation.

Located right off route 146, this state park offers plenty of free parking and picnic areas. The Chasm itself is about 1/4 mile long with plenty of trails, rock climbing and even some caves.



Although extremely busy on weekends and sunny days, we have always found our own grilling area since many people are there to hike the trails and climb the rocks. There is a Visitors center with CLEAN bathrooms - very nice.

Pictures show our last visit to Purgatory, a few weeks ago. Packed up the bike, bought one of those charcoal bags that come coated in lighter fluid, and filled up a cooler. This picture shows our favorite spot - plenty of space, picnic table and tall hibachi. Many spots have privacy, while some are out in a wide open field. Most of them have room for several bikes.

Check out this meal my hubby made for me...better than going to a fancy steakhouse and a heck of a lot cheaper.


For a nice after picnic treat, there is a cute little ice cream stand right down the street. Within the park on weekends and holidays, there is normally an ice cream truck parked by the visitor center that sells the usual and refreshments.

Admission to Purgatory Chasm is free and we think a wonderful way to spend a day.

Contact info:Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
190 Purgatory Road
Sutton, MA (508)234-3733