Sailing through the mansions of Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

 Newport is most famous for its mansions and sailing’s America’s Cup.       

What we did:       

She said:       

Newport, Rhode Island was the final stop of our cruise, and one of the best stops.  The town is quaint and full of Americana.  The ship was having problems with it’s tenders so we debarked rather late.  We rented a car from Enterprise, and I have to say this was a little more successful than our attempt in Bar Harbour.  The driver arrived and took us back to the rental place, and then we drove off in the car from there.  (Several other passengers were doing the same thing.)  It was a Saturday and the agency was closing at noon.  We were to take the car back and call a cab to take us back to the ship.  We arrived back at 3:00 to allow ourselves some time in the town.  We called the cab company and were told that it MIGHT be there in an hour.  Two other couples were there and one of the people was physically challenged. They were told the same thing.  It had occurred to me that we weren’t that far from town, so we decided to get a little exercise and walk.  It took us about an half an hour, and was well worth it.  Fortunately it was within walking distance.  The other couples waited for the cab and told us it took them two hours to get back.  So much for Enterprise!)         

Once we were in the car we stopped at a little local restaurant called Flo’s Clam Shack.        

We ate on the upstairs deck and it was a fun and good place for lunch.       

We then decided to visit the Mansions of Newport, and bought passes for five of the mansions for $30.00/person, thinking that we could skip through them in no time.  WRONG!!!  We started at the Breakers and it was so crowded that we just ran around the outside of the house, back to the car and went to Rosecliff.       

Rosecliff

He said:       

For me, the America’s Cup races have always been interesting to me. I was hoping to see some sailing museums or other displays relating to the races. But I also wanted to see the mansions. So, once again, we learned that one afternoon is nowhere near enough time to explore such a large and diverse area. Our idea of using a rental car was a good idea in that we could control where we went, and it did confirm a need to return to afford ourselves for a more in depth visit. And the Saturday return debacle with the rental car was a bit frustrating.       

After wasting about an hour at the Breakers before we figured we wouldn’t get through the tour in time to make it back to the ship, our tour of Rosecliff provided a taste of the extravagance those among the most privileged experienced. This mansion was used in a number of films, The Great Gatsby being the one I recognized most, and can be rented for a special occasion if one’s budget permits! The opulence is beyond description, so I won’t try to relate it in words. I did, however, find it difficult to relate to living in one of these places due primarily to their vast spaces and, to me, very cold, dark living conditions. It was very interesting to hear some of the more intimate details of day to day life for those who lived here for about 8-10 weeks a year! The costs associated with the mansions themselves, not to mention the operational costs, go way beyond my comprehension of rational spending. But seeing it all first hand was fun and we’ll definitely be back! And, fortunately, the tickets we bought had no expiration date!       

Category: East, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, what we did, where we ateTags: America's Cup, Flo's Crab Shack, Newport Mansions |