Tuesday, November 8, 2016

A Summer Weekend in Newport, RI

Rosecliff Mansion
Summer weekends in New England typically mean sitting in traffic for hours on end with the rest of the people coming out of hibernation for a few hours in the sun on the Cape.  After being cooped up for far too long, everyone is desperate to put their toes in the sand and drink a cocktail or two overlooking the beach.  Another favorite place to visit, at least in my opinion, is Newport, RI.  Newport is home to a beautiful ocean views, gilded-era mansions, and of course, the Pro Tennis Hall of Fame.

Whale Watching
Boston Skyline in the background
When my cousin told me earlier this year that she would be attending a wedding in Newport this summer, I told her and her friends to come up for the weekend and we could spend a few days exploring this ocean-front city and seeing the sights.  They came up on Friday and we spent the evening in Boston with a flight of beer at Harpoon Brewery followed by a dinner at Legal Seafoods in the Seaport district.   Saturday morning we booked a whale watching tour through the New England aquarium.  The weather was a bit off, resulting in choppy seas, but no one in our group threw-up and we saw a pod of 5 whales!

That afternoon we drove down to Newport to check in to our hotel and have a late dinner at the Conservatory in the Vanderbilt Grace.  We sat outside in the back courtyard and had  lovely meal.  By the time we were done eating, it was pretty late.

The next morning the girls sat by the pool at the hotel while I made my way to the Rosecliff mansion to get my annual pass and explore the grounds.  The Rosecliff was a beautiful mansion overlooking the water.  The rooms were decorated very lavishly and the audio tour went through the various owners and how the decor changes throughout the ages.  As the US was preparing for the war, the luxuries of the 20s and 30s were frowned upon.  The homes were donated to the Preservation Society of Newport and have been available for tours and private events.

Later that afternoon, I dropped my cousin off at the wedding and we went to have cocktails on The Lawn at Castle Hill Inn.  We considered having dinner as well, but there was a wait and the menu/price did not seem exceptionally appealing in comparison to sitting in Adirondack chairs on the lawn and watching the sunset over the ocean.  In addition to the beautiful view, many people had packed their own picnics and were listening to music while watching the boats sail by.

We headed into town that evening for a seafood dinner at a pub and some shopping.  Later that night, we picked up my cousin from the wedding and went back to the hotel.  Our last day in Newport started with a morning mimosa sail on the bay aboard the Adirondack II.  The weather was much nicer than our whale watching tour a few days prior and there were more than enough mimosas to go around.  I highly recommend doing this activity if you have some free time in Newport.

Our last planned activity in the town was to tour The Breakers mansion.  The Breakers is one of the most grandiose homes that can be toured.  There were a lot of rooms to view and a very long guided audio tour.  I don't really like audio tours because if you go with friends, you can't really talk to each other.  I also don't like how everyone congregates in one spot to view a particular painting or piece of furniture.  I understand how a lot of museums save money by not having real tour guides, but I am not in favor of this method of touring.  That being said, the mansion really was beautiful and the grounds had an amazing view!  I would love to go back this winter when they are all decorated for Christmas!


The Breakers




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