Famous for its Gilded Age mansions, Newport offers visitors a chance to see what living was like in the late 1800’s high society. I couldn’t wait to tour the abundance of lavish estates until I realized that my dear husband (DH) and teen daughters don’t share the same enthusiasm for home and garden tours. Fortunately, Newport offers a wide array of other options including the Cliff Walk, sailing excursions and many restaurants.
We traveled to Rhode Island last summer mainly because Southwest offered ridiculously low airfares to Boston. Because we decided to visit different areas of the state, we made our home base in Fall River, MA. Only about 20 miles away from Newport and Providence, the location was ideal (and less expensive) than staying in either city.
We spent our first day driving around some of Boston’s universities: Tufts, Harvard and Boston College followed by an evening with my relatives in Providence. We devoted our second day to explore Newport and arrived around 9 am.
Trolley Tour
Sometimes the best way to get a good overview is to take a tour. Since our time was limited, we wanted to get the highlights of Newport in a short period of time. We found an open-air trolley tour (Viking) that offered a 90-minute narrated drive around the city and included a ticket to our choice of one of the mansions.
Downtown
Starting at the Newport Visitor Center, our driver took us around the older parts of Newport – City Hall, the Touro Synagogue (the oldest synagogue in the U.S.) and St. Mary’s church where JFK married Jackie in 1953.
Interspersing points of interest with historical facts, we passed the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the many shops and restaurants on Thames Street. Leaving the downtown area, the driver told us that many mansions didn’t survive the 20th century. Case in point was Bonniecrest, which we drove by. Originally the estate of Stuart Duncan (of Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce), developers converted the property into condos in the 1970’s.
Next, we turned into Fort Adams State Park. Named after John Adams, the park offered views of Newport’s Harbor. It is also home to Eisenhower’s “Summer White House” and a large fortress. As we drove around, we saw a group of 8 and 9 year-old boys lined up at the water’s edge for a sailing camp. The road then curved so that we faced Narragansett Bay, with views of Ft. Wetherill State Park in Jamestown on Conanicut Island.
Ocean Ave & The Mansions
Next, we drove by the Newport Country Club (the second oldest U.S. golf course), the Auchincloss Farm (site of JFK and Jackie’s wedding reception) and the Bird House (built and owned by Campbell’s Soup heirs. ) Along the Ocean Drive, we glimpsed the beautiful surf and rocky coastline while seeing Brenton State Park and the super-private Bailey’s Beach.
Turning up Bellevue Avenue was a “Who’s Who” of famous names. We passed mansions owned by Harry Belmont, Larry Ellison, Jay Leno, Claus & Sunny Von Bulow, and Doris Duke. Fortunately, about 11 are open for tours by the Newport Historical Preservation Society.
The Breakers
Our trolley tour included a one-hour tour of The Breakers – Newport’s largest mansion. The driver dropped us off at the wrought iron gates and we strolled along a gravel path to the entrance located under a porte-cochere. Employees gave us audio headsets to wear. The navigation was easy and if we wanted more detail about a particular room we viewed, we could select optional sub categories.
We entered the 2-story Great Hall where a trompe l’oeil painting, skylight and detailed ceiling took our breath away. Opulent. Lavish. Rich. Acorns and oak leaf designs (Vanderbilt family symbols) covered the large pilasters and caen stone from France covered the walls. Can’t you picture the large parties and receptions given by the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt II back in the day?
The tour continued through the 2,400 square-foot dining room, a billiards room with a mosaic floor and a walnut walled library boasting a 16th century fireplace from Burgundy. It was hard taking in the meticulous craftsmanship in each room.
For example, the ceiling panels in the Morning Room (used at all times during the day) featured each of the four seasons. Additionally, eight wall panels in the corners of the room represent the muses from Greek mythology. The fireplace mantel contains a large agate oval. Just like the Music Room, the room was constructed in France, then reassembled on location. That’s just one of the 70 rooms at the Breakers!
Richard Morris Hunt, who brought the French Beaux-Arts style to the U.S., built the house in two years. Although each room impressed me, my favorite was the outdoor loggia. With it’s mediterranean-themed mosaic tiled ceiling, the area offered amazing views of the ocean.
Lunch – Brick Alley Pub
The trolley picked us up at the Breakers entrance and dropped us off back at the visitor center. From there, we walked down Thames street for lunch. We decided on Brick Alley Pub. Even though there was a 20-minute wait, the food was worth it. I ordered the lobster mac and cheese and it was so incredibly rich that I only ate about half of it.
Cliff Walk
One of the “must do” activities on all the literature and travel websites is the Cliff Walk. It is a 3.5-mile walking path between the ocean and the back of the mansions. There are several places to park. We started near the 40 Steps at Narragansett Avenue and walked the path by Salve Regina University, the Breakers, Marble House and many other mansions. Towards the southern end, the path became rocky and seaweed covered the sand.
Marble House
While the rest of the family continued further on the Cliff Walk, I wanted to see another mansion. I chose Marble House, owned by Willie K. (brother of Cornelius II of the Breakers) and his wife Alva Vanderbilt. I knew Alva was a character. She married her daughter Consuelo off to the Duke of Marlborough just so she could have a title. Unfortunately, Consuelo was miserable and ending up divorcing him some 20 years later. Alva was a champion of women’s rights and scandalized society by divorcing Willie K. and marrying Oliver Belmont (of the famous Belmont Stakes horse race).
I could take my time here and it seemed less crowded than the Breakers. Blue hydrangeas dotted the circular drive leading up to the large home graced by four circular columns. The marble entrance hall astounded me with four floor-to-ceiling wrought iron doors (which I later learned weighed several tons each) and a grand staircase beckoned me to explore.
After getting my headphones, I walked into the dining room on the left. I didn’t even realize that the walls were marble because they were pink Numidian marble and matched the dining room chairs. I learned that the head chairs weighed over 100 pounds.
Creamy yellow marbled walls lined the large corridor towards the back of the house. The yellow color was chosen by Ms. Vanderbilt so it wouldn’t come across as too sterile. Another room featured gold walls. These weren’t gold painted walls, but walls gilded in 24K gold!
My favorite room was the Medieval style Gothic Room with stained glass windows, dark wood and red trim. The ceiling was intricate and I could spend hours just staring at it.
Upstairs, Alva’s room felt airy with its lilac and white decor while Consuelo’s room felt heavy with curtained four-poster bed. Supposedly, Consuelo found the room stifling with its heavy fabrics and dark red walls. After taking one look, I felt the same way. Additionally, there was a back section where the two boys stayed. Despite the 50 rooms, the mansion offers only one guest room with an adjacent sitting room.
Outside, a large Chinese tea house stood near the ocean. Alva commissioned the structure in 1914 where she could host suffrage meetings inside. Today, it is a restaurant offering sandwiches and snacks. I ordered a cup of tea and then met up with the rest of the family for the next event.
Sailing on a 12-Metre Yacht
Because my husband loves sailing, I booked a sunset cruise with America’s Cup Charters.
Led by three crew, we sailed out into the bay with a great view of Ft. Adams and the Castle Rock Inn. It was nice to relax but we didn’t get much of a sunset due to clouds. That was fine and we enjoyed it. I expected the boat to go faster. However, it was a relatively calm day and we weren’t out on the ocean side. No matter. It was still a relaxing ride.
Dinner at Diego’s
Tired of seafood, we went to Diego’s on the advice of the sailboat crew. We arrived and the waitress explained they offer Pacific Mexican food. With burritos, enchiladas and guacamole on the menu, I knew we couldn’t go wrong.
As we headed back to our hotel in Fall River, we knew we made the right decision not to book accommodations in Newport. Most hotels were expensive and the B&Bs weren’t conducive for our family trip. I’d like to come back and tour more mansions and visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame.