Providence, Rhode Island; Art Overdose

Circling through Providence, Rhode Island this weekend was a wet but wonderful adventure. The hurricane rain soaked my socks and chilled my lens but it didn't dampen my spirits, especially seeing a friends' Alma Mater.

The Rhode Island School of Design (pronounced riz-dee) is just a bridge span away from downtown Providence. When I saw the balloons and party tent I had to cross and explore the campus. The school was celebrating the opening of a new hyper modern building called the Chace Center.

Part auditorium and part museum space, the Chase Center is packed to the rafters with whimsical works, ancient collections and Old Master drawings and prints. Nicolas Poussin, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso, they're all here. I jumped inside to stay dry but a museum of this size is deserving of more time than a brief respite from the rain.

If your really in mood for art overdose, visit Providence the 3rd Thursday of every month (April-November) for "Gallery Night." Live music, refreshments, art buses, celebrity guides and exhibits that stay open way past bedtime.

Hobnob with the artists and maybe buy a small token of appreciation (if you can afford it) then share a crepe from a yummy little joint called La Creperie. There's limited seating but the nutella, banana and raspberry dessert can be inhaled standing up, based on experience.

A huge festival awaits you in October called “The Stroll." It's a twice a year event, where you can stroll Federal Hill and sample cuisine from 33 restaurants, including some of the best Italian restaurants in the United States, that goes for L.A. and New York. Tickets are $20 and sell out quickly so contact the Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitor's Bureau for more information. Bring an umbrella!