Rhode Island - Day 31 - Tiverton & Little Compton

Melville Ponds Campground, Portsmouth
Wednesday, 31 October 2018

I had to go to the campground office soon after it opened today to ask a big favor.  I had located what I thought might be a tick on the crown of my head, but couldn't qui-i-te get a clear view of it, even with a 2nd mirror - it was just too far back for me to see it, and the tick was a small one.  So over to the office to ask the poor guy sitting at the desk if he'd mind telling me if it really was a tick.  He looked and said yep, that's what it is, so I said do you mind too much taking it out?  I brought 2 different kinds of tweezers with me, so he took pity (probably also knowing a lot more than I do about how dangerous ticks can be and not wanting to leave me to my own devices) and finally got it out, along with several hairs. 

But he could have pulled them all out as long as he got that thing.  They really can be dangerous.  It was only 2 days ago that I managed to get one off that was part way around on my back but just barely far enough forward for me to get a good angle on it.  You have to pull the head out, remember, so you have to get the right pulling angle.  One of the few really important drawbacks to traveling alone.  I feed the dogs tick pills once a month, but I haven't heard of any people tick pills.

It got down in the low 30s again this morning, frost on the ground and cold in the RV.  I stopped at the dumpster before I left the campground and saw one of my fellow campers bringing a bag of trash, wearing only a t-shirt.  So I told him he was underdressed and he said, "Oh my heavens no.  It's only cold if you think it is."  So I learned a lesson.

today's route

Tonight's campground seems to be the only one open today in Rhode Island, and they tell me they'll close tomorrow.  I got to Rhode Island just in time, apparently.

Since I had to come over to Newport anyway, I decided to explore the one section of the state I hadn't been to yet - the farthest east, which is attached by land only to Massachusetts, and to Rhode Island only by one (count it - one) bridge.  The map says there's a 2nd bridge, but I tried to go that way and got blocked by road construction so don't know if it's really there or not.  It must be a full mile south of the bridge I did find - in other words, not much alternative in terms of joining the rest of the state.

The peninsula consists of 2 townships, each with several villages.  Tiverton is the northern 60% of the peninsula, and the village of Tiverton is the largest concentration of people.  Little Compton is the southern 40% with what appears to be 3 villages in it.  These villages are mostly a collection of houses, usually with a general store and maybe a restaurant.

Sakonnet village

Sakonnet harbor

We drove all the way to the southern tip, to the harbor and village of Sakonnet, named for the Sakonnet River which is what lies between this peninsula and Newport/Aquidneck Island.

That photo of the harbor shows a skiff running backward, towing a metal walkway that boats had tied up to, and it has 2 upturned skiffs on it.  It's being towed to the boat ramp where that very large orange forklift will pick it up and carry it down the road to be stored on land over the winter.  I know this because I'd already watched the procedure several times and, when I left, I drove by the land storage.

The largish building in the center of the harbor photo is a clubhouse, though I couldn't tell what club.  I know it wasn't the yacht club, because the yacht club is a tiny one-story building back in the village.

You can see that the only boats still in the water are commercial fishing boats - the buoys are still there for other boats, but no boats.

Right behind where we parked, across the road from the harbor, is the Haffenreffer Wildlife Refuge.  I saw the sign, but I think the wildlife saw the sign too, because I heard some ducks in behind the sea oats.

To get to Sakonnet we drove through some really pretty countryside.  Almost the only way I can describe it is New England rural.  Houses spaced widely, but still well within walking distance.  Maybe set back from the road with a large cornfield in front, or with a horse pasture beside the house, or a Christmas tree farm business or vineyard or apple orchard.  A duck flew out of the bushes by the road and flew right in front of the RV, but fortunately was flying a little faster than I was driving so he managed to get away - it was so sudden I couldn't stop for him.  I also passed the Sakonnet Golf Club, so you know some of these houses had wealthy people in them.  But I'm sure some of them just had regular people in them too.

Many of the houses were small, as if the owners knew how hard it is to heat a large place.  Which means they spend time there in the winter, because heat isn't something you'd worry about if you were a seasonal.  By small, I mean 800-1200 square feet.  Nothing palatial.

It was all really nice and really peaceful.  Of course it helped that today was sunny and the leaves were pretty.

Right near the land border with Mass. is the village of Adamsville.  I was going there to visit the monument to the Rhode Island Red.  I mean, once I heard it was there, I had to had to go see it.

closeup of the inscription

I had to look it up, of course, not being in the poultry business, and learned why this is a chicken that matters.  So in case you want to know, too, here's the link.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island_Red  And in case you don't want to do that, I'll include an internet photo of these pretty guys.

Rhode Island Reds

This campground charges double what my last one charged, but it's pretty and quiet and has free wi-fi and is actually open tonight (aka Halloween), so it's worth every penny.