Weekender: The Perfect Three-Day Guide to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport’s busy harbor is a picture-perfect sight to see. (Photo: Corbis Images)
My husband’s birthday is in summer, so it’s always a challenge to make a celebration plan that gets us out of the Texas heat and is fun, different, and not too much travel hassle.
This year Newport, Rhode Island, fit the bill. (A reasonable fare on JetBlue flying direct from Houston to Boston’s Logan Airport certainly helped.) By arriving late Thursday night and departing Sunday night, we were able to avoid the busiest traffic from Boston and make the drive from the airport in under 90 minutes. Here are the highlights of what made Newport the perfect long-weekend escape.
Tip: Rent the smallest car possible, as the Colonial-era streets of Newport are narrow and the parking limited. Once parked, ride the well-planned public trolley system or rent bicycles.
The Cliff Walk winds past the spectacular and historic Newport Mansions, relics of the Gilded Age that are ripe for touring. (Photo: Corbis Images)
Gilded Age gawking. A visit to Newport offers more than just a tourist’s glance inside the spectacular Newport Mansions. During the summer months, 12 of these incredible late-19th-century summer residences are open to the public and give an eye-popping view of the lifestyles of America’s rich and famous. Make time for the Cliff Walk as well, which provides memorable ocean views and lots of photo opportunities, especially when the sun is shining and the sea breeze is kissing your face.
Related: Travel Into the Past: Historical Re-Enactment Sites, for the Pilgrim in All of Us
The Newport Casino building that houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum (Photo: Daniel Case/Wikicommons)
Game, set, love. The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum houses a vast collection of tennis memorabilia, interactive exhibits, and historical videos, making it a must-see for fans of the sport. The historic Stanford White-designed Casino clubhouse building will interest architecture buffs as well. America’s first tennis tournament was played here in 1881. It evolved into the US Open of today and was played on these grounds until it was moved to Forest Hills, New York, in 1915. The celebrated grass tennis courts can be rented by the hour if you want to make some tennis history of your own.
A statue of Fred Perry adjoins a grass court at the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. (Photo: Wally Gobtez/Flickr)
Biking in Newport is an excellent way to while away the day. (Photo: Dave/Flickr)
Two-wheeled frolics. A bicycle ride along Ocean Drive is a wonderful way to see some of the natural beauty of Newport’s seascape. If you have the energy to cycle, you will find numerous bike shops in town willing to rent. Hybrid electric bikes are also available and will give help with your pedal power when you need it, or take the car to enjoy the views.
Related: #SummerTravel: Best Secret Beach Towns in the United States
The Castle Hill Inn offers good food and views to match. (Photo: Castle Hill Inn)
Lunch with a view. The Lawn at Castle Hill has all the requisite locally sourced cred, including craft cocktails and their very own Windward Ale, but it’s the stunning alfresco dining location that really impresses. The restaurant and open-air bar are set atop a lawn-covered peninsula that allows spectacular 180-degree views of the boat traffic coming and going from the town’s harbor on one side and Narragansett Bay on the other. First-class food and drink along with a boat parade — what could be a better way to spend the afternoon?
Summer clambake at the inn’s seaside Lawn restaurant (Photo: Castle Hill Inn/Facebook)
Newport is justly famous for sailing — hit the water on an America’s Cup yacht to find out why. (Photo: 12 Meter Charters/Facebook)
Ahoy, adventure. Take a two-hour sail on an America’s Cup-winning yacht or other historic ship if you want to have the full seafaring Newport experience — and possibly the experience of a lifetime. The boats and crew available from 12 Meter Charters are extraordinary. Flying through the water on one of their lean and graceful racing boats is a genuine thrill. If you prefer something with more room for your fanny and less speed, try Classic Cruises of Newport. They have several 19th-century schooners that have been fitted to carry passengers comfortably while enjoying similar ocean views.
Related: Sail the City: Become an Urban Skipper — All the Cool Kids Are Doing It!
The Jamestown & Newport Ferry (Photo: JamestownNewportFerry.com)
A ferry to deliciousness. Dinner in Jamestown gives another opportunity to get out on the water and to experience Newport from a different vantage point. Book a table at the award-winning farm-to-fork restaurant Jamestown Fish, located a short ferry ride across the harbor. With reservations made after 4 p.m., the restaurant will cover the round trip cost. Chef Matthew MacCartney’s daily catch specials, chilled “green soup” (sweet peas with rosemary cream and bacon dust), and wood-oven pizzas are worth the trip, although the sunset ferry ride is a seafaring adventure in itself.
The wood-oven pizza at Jamestown Fish (Photo: Jamestown Fish/Facebook)
Bannister’s Wharf in Newport (Photo: Bannister’s Wharf/Facebook)
Souvenirs for all. Newport’s historic wharves offer all manner of shops, galleries, and seafood restaurants. Bannister’s Wharf and Bowen’s Wharf are located side by side at the base of America’s Cup Avenue with unique shopping opportunities for all interests along with a historic maritime atmosphere. If you are hungry, enjoy the fantastic raw bar and lobster rolls at the Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar at Sayer’s Wharf.
The White Horse Tavern, one of America’s oldest restaurants (Photo: White Horse Tavern/Facebook)
A bite of history. The White Horse Tavern has been serving food and drink to Newport since 1673, making it one of America’s oldest restaurants. Prime meats, Rhode Island produce, and local seafood, like a perfectly grilled swordfish and a delicious clear broth clam chowder, are among the contemporary dining room’s specialties and keep it a special-occasion focal point for both tourists and locals. Consider it for your last night when a delicious meal surrounded by 350 years of Colonial atmosphere feels like the ultimate way to send off this three-day vacation to your own personal history books.
The grilled swordfish at White Horse Tavern (Photo: White Horse Tavern/Facebook)
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