I just went on a tour of the Blackstone Valley this weekend – you couldn’t have asked for better weather! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Blackstone Valley area, the Blackstone river is 46 miles long and runs from Worcester to Providence. Samuel Slater engineered the first water powered cotton spinning mill in 1790 in Pawtucket which encouraged other mills and mill villages to pop up along the river. The goods were then transported by boat along the canal. In 1847, steam power was king, and the Worcester and Providence railroad opened as a solution to carry the goods faster and more reliably – making the water powered mills obsolete.

The Blackstone Valley has some really fun train rides coming up:

Saturday, September 19th, in conjunction with American Girl, the Tourism Council is having a Grace Thomas train ride experience. Grace Thomas is the 2015 American Girl Girl of the Year. She has 3 books based on her life growing up in the Blackstone River Valley. In the books, Grace’s story identifies land makers such as a train ride though the Blackstone Valley, Slater Mill Historic Site, the Blackstone River and Canal and the Blackstone Bike Path. The train will depart from the Historic Blackstone Valley Train Depot in Woonsocket and there are trips at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. For more information visit www.blackstonevalleyamericangirl.com. Tickets are $69.70 and $75.70.

Saturday, October 24th there will be a fall foliage train excursion. Guests will leave at 9am and enjoy a scenic trip through the Blackstone River Valley from Woonsocket, RI to Putnam, CT. For more information checkout tourblackstone.com/fallfoliage. Tickets range from $29.50 to $59.50.

Weekends from November 20th – December 20th they offer the Polar Express Train Ride. Enjoy a 90 minute train ride inspired by the book. For tickets, check out blackstonevalleypolarexpress.com. Ticket prices range by date and by car.

Make sure to get your tickets today, the train rides sell out every year!

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