Tiverton - Fort Barton - 9-4-16

Goofy Nana

Sunday started off well at the Cozy Kettle Diner in Fall River...we were on the way to Fort Barton in Tiverton. The Cozy Kettle was a nice little neighborhood breakfast joint with just the right amount of everything. Friendly waitress, charm and no line to wait in. And the home fries were some of the best I have had, filled with spices, peppers and onion and cooked up just right. They even got my toast toasted just the way I like it. To top it all off it wasn't at all expensive either, although we did splurge on an additional plate of crepe and apple..which was very good indeed. Once we finished up and paid we set the GPS and headed on down to Fort Barton and the 'Sin and Flesh Brook'.

A bit of history

Parking was limited along the main road but we found a spot, strapped on the backpacks and grabbed out hiking sticks and were off, up the hill. A short paved road lead to the top of the hill where there was an elevated observation  platform with a view of the Tiverton basin, Mount Hope Bay and on to the Mount Hope Bridge and Narragansett Bay. The wind was blowing as hurricane/tropical storm/wind Hermine was heading

View from the observation deck 

up the coast and beginning to have an effect on the area, mostly just a windy day but the forecasters were having fun trying to scare everyone with predictions of doom. From the top of the hill, after scrambling up the tower, we headed out on the red dot trail. This is a very pretty winding trail with good ups and downs but not too strenuous. Then we came to this sign. 

I wonder . . .

And you have to wonder just what went on here to name this place Sin and Flesh, I mean, really. I kept looking for both sin and flesh and came away a bit disappointed. The trails are well marked and the walk was a good one today, close to three miles and mostly uneventful. We did meet several people along the trail and everyone was friendly and we even met a cute puppy. The actual Sin and Flesh Brook was completely dry, just a rocky stream bed. We need to come back here once the water starts to flow again. The one bit of excitement, well not excitement as much as - 'oh shit' -  was when Nana bent over to tie her show and he phone fell about a foot to the ground, but it was enough. The screen cracked and that was that.. amazing how it can all change in an instant..and we are all so attached to these darned things. Poor Nana was feeling guilty and anxious and sad all at once..I reminded her that we had purchased the insurance and that the ATT store was right on our way home. 

Damn!

Although she felt bad, she felt better. And as it sometimes happens I got a picture of the moment the phone hit the ground. As we returned to where the tower is we approached from the rear and were able to make out the original earthworks of the old fort. This is another of those hidden gems here in Rhode Island. I have lived here for almost 50 years and this was another first for me. So advice to all you readers out there (yes both of you) - get out and explore - there are some really great spots nearby, I guarantee it.