Location: East Providence, Providence County, RI
Difficulty: easy, flat riding with one short hill
about nine miles as described
boxes accessable by foot by parking at
strategic locations
Placed: 6/29/02 by Tweety and Mr. Coon
Email: damccombs@mindspring.com

Guide to a series of letterboxes along the East Bay Bicycle Path
Series II

The directions for this series of boxes begin at the first
parking lot for the bike path a mile or so along Veterans Parkway
(Rhode Island exit 4 from I-195). The first box in this series is
located here and the last in Haines Memorial State Park in
Barrington. The second parking lot along the parkway is about three
quarters of a mile south of the first and, although much smaller, may
a good place to park to walk the middle three boxes. There is also a
bike path parking lot further down after the parkway gives way to
Bullocks Point Avenue from which one could walk northward the same
distance to reach those boxes.
For more info on the East Bay Bike Path, as well as other
bike paths and cycling in Rhode Island in general check out the RIDOT
website at www.dot.state.ri.us/webTran/bikeri.html . They even have
a cycling map on there which you can use to zoom in on areas of
interest such as the bike paths.
For other info on cycling in Rhode Island and elsewhere try the
website for the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen at www.nbwclub.org

The Sightseer
The Sightseer is hidden behind the second yew from the south
end of the retaining wall between parking lot 1 and the path. You can
stand against the wall on the bike path side and scootch around for
it in the mulch between the shrub and the wall. This spot is a
definite photo-op with its great view of Providence, in fact while we
were here someone was taking a group photo as they were about to set
out on their bikes. As native west bay Rhode Islanders this place
knocks us out every time we come by. The bike path continues
northward for about another mile to the soon to be more bike and
pedestrian friendly Washington Bridge and thence into the city which
is very cool, but to get to the next box turn your attention
southward.

The Fisherman
The second parking lot is .7 of a mile south of the first one
along the bike path. Another half mile (1.2 mi. s of lot 1) is a
small bridge over an inlet opening to Watchemoket Cove. There were
several people fishing here when we passed by on our return from the
planting expedition. Look under a couple of flat rocks at the base of
the fourth fencepost north of the bridge for the Fisherman. You can
reach under the fence to do this without climbing over it.

The Stroller
Continue south for about another half mile (1.9 mi s of lot
1) and cross another bridge just past the Squantum Club. Next to a
rocky cove, find the diamond shaped marker indicating 3 miles south
on the path. Stand on it, look out to the bay, turn slightly to your
left, and sight across the tracks to the first tree (very near the
tree are two metal rings in the rock) on the little rocky point to
your left. Directly beneath where this line of sight passes over the
tracks lies a sleeper with the Stroller hidden (hopefully) in the
ballast under its seaward end. Its the ninth sleeper to your right of
a series of ties with their ends completely buried. Many of the
strollers we pass by on the path have sleepers in them.

The Letterboxer
About three-quarters of a mile south of the Stroller (2.7 mi
s of lot 1 and 2 mi s of lot 2 if you parked there) you will come
abreast of Fuller Rock Lighthouse. Tear your attention away from the
view and you will see a small cliff or rock face on the opposite side
of the path with a fence ending at it. Two or three paces south of
the end of the fence the letterboxer is hidden underneath (what
else?) a small pile of rocks. A half mile farther south (3.2 mi s of
lot 1) is the bike path parking lot at the corner of Bullocks Point
Avenue and Washington Ave. A few hundred yards before this parking
lot the path goes through a tunnel that has some nifty paintings of
local scenes.

The Handcyclist
At Haines Memorial State Park ( two miles south of the
Letterboxer and 4.7 mi s of lot 1) pull into the parking lot for the
picnic area, not the new boat ramp lot, but the one next to a
boatyard. The lot entrance is from Metropolitan Park Drive which can
be reached from RI 103. Some fellow cyclists we met who were riding
handcycles told us they often meet friends at this lot to start a
ride, so it seemed an appropriate spot for this stamp. They also told
us that there some of these expensive machines available for people
to use are stored at a couple of locations along the path. For info
check the website www.challengecycling.org
To find the box circle the lot and find a short hedge on the marina
side of the lot near the entrance. Go around the west end of the
hedge and take three short paces toward the marina fence and you
should be standing next to some junipers. Look under them. Sit on the
rock if its there and reach the box.