In the final part of his profile on Rhode Island dining, David Latt investigates the surprisingly forward-thinking fine-dining scene in the state’s traditionally laid-back southern half.

Newport is probably Rhode Island’s best-known tourist destination.

Located on the southern tip of Aquidneck Island, Newport is home to Cliff Walk and the world-famous mansions built at the end of the 19th century with distinctive architecture and opulent details.

Providence has a dynamic food scene with fun neighborhood hangouts, but you don’t have to stay in the big city to enjoy great food.

Hop in your car and head south.

It’s only a short trip to East Greenwich, Wickford and Matunuck in South County or to Bristol and Newport on Aquidneck Island.

College towns are hard to dislike. From the dreaming spires of Oxford, England, to the music clubs of Austin, Texas, to the coffee houses of Berkeley, California, each town seems to be infused with an energy and personality that explains why they are perennially popular with tourists as well as students.

The best college towns offer everything a large metropolis does—theater, dining, recreation, and culture—but on a more intimate scale.

New Haven, Connecticut, the home of Yale University, is no exception, particularly when it comes to dining.

In part one of Rhode Island Renaissance, David Latt explored the foods and snacks that are unique to the region.

In part two, he investigates the chefs who have made culinary waves in Providence’s food renaissance.

The locavore movement encourages consumers to buy food that’s grown locally–from local farmers’ markets, for example.

Once a resident of Providence, Rhode Island, David Latt returned decades later to discover a city that has been reborn, and a culinary scene that embraces its past while moving forward with modern cuisine.

If you lived in Providence when I did (in the mid-1970s), you would never go back.

In those days, the city was suffering the human equivalent of deep depression. Jobs were scarce. Downtown was dominated by the boarded-up Biltmore Hotel and a grimy Amtrak station.

Florida’s Everglades National Park has been damaged by urban pollution over several decades. In light of two promising environmental restoration projects, Lynn Langway investigates active adventures and scenic beauty in an underappreciated American national park.

It’s a sparkling Sunday morning in the Florida Everglades, and 16 alligators have congregated for some serious sun worship at the base of the Shark Valley observation tower.

Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio is coming to us live from the new Veranda Resort and Residences in Grace Bay, on the island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos.

Locally known as “Provo,” the island has long been a favorite destination for diving, snorkeling, fishing, or just plain lazing around on the beach.

Keep reading to find out where to discover local island experiences … straight from the locals themselves.

In part one of the Great Cape Escapes, Lynn Langway shared tips on driving through South Africa’s countryside, and her whale of an experience in the seaport of Hermanus.

Read on for her adventures in the charming culinary destination of Franschhoek.

Lunching on the veranda of a stellar restaurant called La Petite Ferme, you’d swear by the mountains brooding over the vineyards and the lavender perfuming the air that you’d been transported to Provence.

But there’s springbok (a type of gazelle) on the menu, and Afrikaans spoken here.