Things to Do in Seekonk

Perfectly picturesque with white wooden fencing, a bright red barn, and lush, green pastures, Grandview Farm's storybook surroundings provide a welcoming setting for riders to hone their horsemanship skills. Once awakened from their standing slumber inside the 16-stall facility, Grandview equine employees and their certified human handlers teach students saddle seat, hunt seat, and Western riding styles in both private and group lessons.

As neon obstacles glow under a series of black lights, teams move through two levels of mazes and catwalks as they avoid the photon blasts of opposing players' and the pitfalls of the 7,500 sq. ft. arena. While sprinting up ramps and seeking cover, players must avoid strategically placed laser mines that flash and beep before tagging anyone within reach, which effectively deactivates their equipment and James Bond trivia knowledge for 12 seconds. Players can earn points by blasting the mines first, while bases and targets offer chances to earn even more tally marks.

After futuristic battles conclude, guests can putt through an 18-hole mini golf course surrounded by alien planets and dinosaurs. Off the course, visitors can also sling skee balls and pop tokens into games in the arcade to win tickets redeemable for prizes. With a laser maze where players navigate beams of light and four party rooms added to the mix, Lazer Gate becomes the ideal spot for birthday parties or training camps for lethargic clones.

Jeffrey Hall will never toss a wrapper out the car window again. That’s because he knows that every piece of trash strewing the highway’s meridian attracts mice. And mice attract hungry hawks, who can’t always dodge oncoming trucks. Not everyone is so aware of the potential far-reaching implications of a single fast-food wrapper, but the Audubon Society director learned such lessons long ago, seeing first-hand the victims of those circumstances in injured hawks and falcons on just such a rescue.

Now, Jeffrey hopes to spark a similar awareness in his fellow Rhode Islanders. “When people learn about plants and animals, they appreciate them. And once they appreciate them, they want to save them,” says Mr. Hall. As no one in Rhode Island lives more than 20 minutes from an Audubon Society wildlife refuge, he's certain they can find ample opportunities to do so. In addition to conserving land for hikes and staring contest with owls, the Society boasts an Environmental Education Center, which hosts events, programs, and interactive exhibits year-round. For the Audubon Society to thrive, Jeffrey knows the organization's programs must inspire young stewards. “They’ll grow up to be the voters who want to protect this land,” he says. That's why, among the many programs guests can partake in, the society's also offers a summer camp and kid-friendly classes.

Devised in 2001 by a Brown University medical student in order to support Hasbro Children's Hospital's Asthma Camp, the annual Breeze Against Wheeze 5K run and 3K walk raises a quarter of the funds the camp needs each year to educate youngsters about managing a disease that stands as the leading cause of child hospitalization nationwide. At the start of the race, athletes trek across the Brown University campus and down Blackstone Boulevard, speeding past other runners or strolling at a heart-healthy pace to show their anti-asthma verve. The top competitor in each age bracket, plus the three fastest men and women overall, win a bounty of gift certificates and sports gear to help fuel their future challenges, while postrace raffles lend the chance for any participant to be crowned a winner. Before the adult events, kids can race for free, testing their endurance and agility without crawling through the TV screen into their favorite video game.

In 1958, Ryan Family Amusements founder James A. Ryan opened a simple, eight-lane bowling alley, planting the foundation for a slew of entertainment centers throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. At 10 locations, visitors enjoy a variety of arcade and skill games in addition to traditional candlepin, tenpin, or duckpin bowling. Every Friday and Saturday evening from 9 p.m. until midnight, bowling lanes take on an incandescent glow, allowing bowlers to experience futuristic entertainment without the inconvenience of rising jetpack-fuel prices. Bumper bowling is available for younger players, and an onsite concession stand refreshes responsible adults with glasses of beer and wine.

Ann and Michael Martini have long shared a love and familiarity with Rhode Island's culinary landscape. Ann left her post at Rhode Island Monthly to work with chefs, restaurants, and food events, and Michael, a professional chef, has let his knives fly at upscale Rhode Island eateries for more than 25 years. Together, they bring outsiders into New England's culinary gems to sample signature dishes, tour kitchens, meet chefs, and get lucky guests’ tongues autographed. Ann coordinates each tour, then sends Michael off with up to a dozen people to receive insider access to restaurants, gourmet shops, and other palate-pleasing stops. For two hours, groups cover about 2 miles of ground at a leisurely pace. There are treats to sample at each stop—although, according to the Sun Chronicle, "What's almost as good as the food is the fact that the chefs welcome tour guests into their kitchens, which in many cases have sous chefs and other personnel beginning to prepare for dinner service."