Summer on the Blackstone

River's future may hang on Heritage Corridor extension
Over the past 19 years, for any organization considering a cultural, recreational or preservation project along the Blackstone River, the first stop has been the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission.

River could help Worcester become 'the next Providence'
WORCESTER -- It's home to the monkey wrench, the rocket and the smiley face.

Where the endless toil of everyday heroes comes alive
WOONSOCKET -- Admit it, historical museums can get a little dull.

Music of a bygone era gently flows along the river
UXBRIDGE, Mass. -- Time hasn't yet found this place.

Scenery changes quickly on bike path that will link Providence, Worcester
LINCOLN -- The newly restored bridge running over the Pratt Dam opened on a cloudless summer morning in June. On any given day since then, this latest section of the Blackstone Valley Bike Way has seen cyclists zooming through, couples strolling by, and dogs eagerly pulling their owners along at what seems to be twice the previously agreed-upon pace.

A touch of British gentility sets sail from Central Falls
CENTRAL FALLS -- It was a sunny afternoon last Sunday, and down by the dock, everything was ready for the 3 p.m. tea cruise. The tea was from Marks & Spencer, the genuine British canal boat was from Cambridgeshire, England. And the river was in . ...

See the Blackstone like you've never seen it before -- in a kayak
LINCOLN -- Imagine it's one of those really hot days. You know, the ones when your legs stick to the couch and you start fantasizing about midwinter snow squalls.

Spinning tales of times past paying off for Slater Mill
PAWTUCKET -- Three years ago, the managers of Slater Mill had to decide if their three-building complex was going to be a museum or a museum piece.

Lonsdale visitors step back to thriving 19th-century mill village
LINCOLN -- The man in hiking boots, long green trousers, tan shirt and a ranger's broad-brimmed hat, leading a procession of twenty-somethings, middle-aged couples and tourists along the Lonsdale Avenue section of Route 122 puzzles evening commuters waiting at the red light.

Modern-day tour boat ride evokes river's distant past
CENTRAL FALLS -- Something about the solitary mute swan gliding down the river past trees and tall grass makes you forget you are in this square-mile city.

A working river is reborn
Through the centuries, the Blackstone River has lived different lives. Today, the once-busy waterway is in a sort of working retirement.