Back when we were growing up in PrU, we didn't realize we lived in "historic downtown" Providence. But now that the hillside fruit orchards and many of the farm fields have been turned into housing developments, the center of town has taken on old-time significance. The area does have a number of quite wonderful old houses.

But it's hard to compete with PRI's Benefit Street, which claims the "most impressive concentration of original colonial homes in America." The beautifully restored homes, churches and museums overlook the city's waterfront. Self-guided walking tours take you past a lot of history; guides are available at the Providence Preservation Society.

For all the similarities we found in the two cities, however, a few things didn't translate. One of them was the Russian submarine Juliett 484, a remnant of the Cold War and star of movies such as "K-19: The Widowmaker," starring Harrison Ford. Before they let you on the sub, you have to show that you will fit through a mock submarine hatch — no getting stuck.

Eventually, the plan is to add the USS Saratoga to the site. The aircraft carrier, which played a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, Gulf War and Bosnian conflict, was once stalked by the Russian Juliett subs. You won't find anything like that in PrU.

Another one-of-a-kind attraction in PRI is the Culinary Archives and Museum. Considered the "Smithsonian Institution of the food service industry," it contains items and artifacts related to the culinary arts, including a gallery of chefs through the ages, tools of the trade from as far back as 3,000 B.C.; spoons dating back 1,000 years and a collection of U.S. presidential culinary notations.

There's also the Roger Williams Zoo and the Roger Williams National Memorial (Rhode Island's only national park), which tells about the life and times of the state's founder.

There's also the Old Statehouse, where on May 4, 1776, the General Assembly repealed a previous act of allegiance to the crown, the date now celebrated as Rhode Island's Independence Day. It was the place where, in 1784, the assembly passed the first act in the United States providing for the gradual emancipation of slaves. And it was where George Washington attended banquets and balls.

And there's the new Statehouse, which looks something like Utah's Capitol, with its classic dome.

All in all, we found our stay in the other Providence very enjoyable — and not just because of the reminders of home. "I'm happy to share the name of our hometown with this place," said Joy.

Over the years, we have collected a number of sayings about Providence. And even though they don't apply to the cities, we like to use them in that context. And so, one night at the Old Court Inn, we were talking about Mark Twain's words: "There are many scapegoats for our sins, but the most popular is Providence?" We always claimed it explained a lot about us. Does that apply to PRI, too? we wondered.

But we also thought about the words of Charles Dickens, who noted that "in love of home, the love of country has its rise." We thought that described our two Providences quite well.

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E-mail: carma@desnews.com