Newport, RI Guide Overview
Newport, RI sits on a small peninsula that is located across the bay from Narragansett. Some lucky people arrive by boat, but most people use the Rt 138 bridges. This is an old harbor town. The city dates from the 1700s and the town, the 1600s. This place is full of old history. Newport has many examples of New England architecture from the past, particularly all of the old wooden homes. It’s a bigger surprise that many people don’t know about.
This is a New England seaside community in all senses of the word. There’s a nautical feel to the town, with a lot of seafood. The restaurant scene is fantastic and I’ve recently tried a number of them. Since I was a child, I have been visiting this area with both my parents and my friends. It was great to go on a weekend getaway with my girlfriend (she isn’t from the States, so this type of place is new for her). She was thrilled. This is how I’m going to approach this report. We’ll look at it from the perspective of what to do in Newport for a weekend. This report was not sponsored by any of the locations or businesses mentioned. It’s just plain old-fashioned legwork!
What to do in Newport, RI
You can do all kinds of things here. Walking is the easiest way to get around. Newport is one of the best New England port towns for walking around. This is probably because the city itself is a decent size, compared to other vacation cities like Provincetown and Bar Harbor. The shops are a great place to spend time. There are a lot of big brands, like Gap, Sephora and others. Bowen’s Wharf is a local shopping area. It’s a small area with restaurants, pubs, bars and boutique shops.
Kiel James Patrick was our favorite clothing store. The style is preppy and nautical, which is very popular in the North East. It’s also local, well-made, and presented. The bags that they provide you with are also very cool. As I was raised in Massachusetts, I am used to this style and it is great for vacation clothing. Classic store with lots of navy and whites.
You might not have thought about it, but I recommend you also check out the scrimshaw store down there. I am not an expert but the majority of the items looked authentic and were hand-carved. They even included the artist’s name. The gentleman who runs the shop would probably be willing to talk about the items. Scimshaw, a form of art developed by old American whalers in the 1800s, involved carving images onto whale bone. They don’t use much whale bones anymore, unless they’re able to get it through approved means. Now, they also make their own man-made materials. The artwork is still amazing. Even apprentices are still required. It’s a unique thing that few people know about.
No weekend trip to Newport would be complete if you didn’t do some Cliff Walk. It’s a wonderful, mostly paved walk all the way (yes!). The cliffs. On a sunny, warm day, it’s an easy, enjoyable walk that allows you to take in the scenery, enjoy the sea air and some of Newport’s famous mansions. You can park in one of the many sections and then enter. You can do it all! It’s about 3.5 miles in total. There are some places where you will have to walk over rocks. If you need help with mobility or walking, you may want to keep this in mind. Most people will be able to navigate the area without any problems. Our hotel was located right on the first section of the main walkway, so it was easy to walk out the door. Perfect!
The mansions I’ve mentioned above are MUSTdos in the city. The majority of them were built in the 1800s by titans of American Industry. They weren’t lying when they said that the city was in a “Gilded Age”. These mansions show off opulence, wealth and opulence that is simply unbelievable. It’s never a good thing but it is always fascinating. We’re talking railroad barons, steel magnates, coal, etc. You can tell that these were some of richest people on the planet by the mansions. They had so much cash to spend, that they mixed up interior styles and elements that didn’t go together just because they were able to say “Yes, that’s what I want, my good man.” Unfathomable displays. The tubs had four faucets, two for freshwater, and two for seawater. What a cool idea! These mansions used to be the summer homes of these families. Yes, you read it correctly. These were still called COTTAGES. It’s really like another planet. You can purchase passes in advance online, and we purchased the two house package. I picked the most famous Breakers and Marble House. It was perfect, and we had just enough time to enjoy the experience before hitting the oyster bars once again. For more info, head on over to www.newportmansions.org. Now, it’s run by a nonprofit. Look at these rooms!