Newport International Polo Series

A Saturday at the Newport Polo Fields has been on my list for a few summers. The horse lover and obvious Newport lover in me was excited to spend a Saturday summer evening in my favorite state, sipping on wine and enjoying a New England summer day.  I knew that polo was cheap (12$ for general admission), BYOB (yes please), and you could bring your own picnic.   Also, I read that dogs were allowed and it was a casual low key scene away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Newport.  

 BYOB, Dogs and Boozey Picnic? I knew I needed in. 

Newport Vineyard - Rhode Island

Today we are playing catch up on the blog.  I have so many new and exciting things to blog about but first, let's catch up on some wanderings around one of my favorite states in the perfect summer months of July. 

Theres something about a New England vineyard, especially when it's in an amazing New England town like Newport.  Newport is famous for it's many restaurants, shops and bars that line the main streets by the water.  But the Newport area is also home to a few great vineyards and breweries.  

The Cliff Walk -- Newport, Rhode Island

One of the best parts about blogging is that it makes you a better writer in the long term.  The more I blog the more I find my "voice" and discover what a good blog post looks like.  Between my style of writing, the pictures I take and the way I present the information, it all gets better.  When I visit some of my favorite places a year or so later, I can update old posts to give you, dear reader, a better blog post. Today, we are revamping my post on Cliff Walk with some real Nikon photos, a better flow and information.  So let's chat (again) about a world famous walk and Rhode Island's most popular visitor attraction, Cliff Walk.

Cliff Walk in the winter 

What's a Rhode Island post without a little intro to our country's smallest state?  It's no secret I am one of Rhode Island's biggest fans.  Ocean, architecture, history, charm, scuba diving, shops and some amazing seafood, what more could you want (I bet you Utah folk just said mountains).  Newport is just one of those iconic New England towns and when you catch it on a beautiful clear summer day, sitting on the dock eating oysters at your favorite restaurant while the band plays and the cocktails are poured, those long hard winter New England months seem all worth it and so far away.  When you catch Newport on one of those days, it's hard to describe how lovely it is.  

What is it:

If you find yourself as a tourist in Newport, there is a lot to do.  Among one of my favorite things (and the one thing I insist every visitor do) is take a walk on Cliff Walk.  It is a world famous walk along the eastern shore of Newport, Rhode Island.  This walk combines the rugged Atlantic coast/Rhode Island shoreline with the mansions of Newport's gilded age.  The 3.5 mile long walk starts off as an easy paved trail in the southern portion (about 2/3 of the trial), past famous mansions like The Breakers, before turning into rugged and rocky shoreline and dirt paths through tunnels and by the lawns of private properties. A walk, a hike, a little bit of both with breathtaking scenery from the waves of the Atlantic to the manicured lawns and gardens. This is the only National Recreational Trail within a National Historic District in the United States.

Couple walking down a paved section of the trail

Cliff walk is an amazing way to see another perspective of the Newport Mansions.  On one side, you will pass famous sites like The Breakers, Forty Steps, Rough Point, and Mrs Vanderbilt's Tea House (more on all this later).  On the other side, you get sweeping views of the Atlantic and Rhode Island's coastline. During my latest trip in December, we walked about 80 percent of the trail- about from the Breakers over to the end, walking the road back to the Breakers.  From the more developed areas to the rockier quieter section, we loved it all.  

Short detour on a more rugged section of Cliff Walk

The trail leaves the nice paved path and crosses over this rocky beach

Need to Know

Free admission
Open sunrise to sunset 365 days a year
Dogs allowed on leash only
Bathrooms- Two unisex toilets on Narraganset Avenue
Time to finish: 2.5 hours
Parking: First Beach Memorial Blvd -71.297055, 41.475944
Narragansett Ave Forty Steps -71.297055, 41.475944

There are a few tunnels throughout the walk

A view of The Breakers from the trail

Seasons

It is great all year round. Cliff Walk in the summer will bring warmer temperatures but will also bring a lot more people. The winter will have more unpredictable weather and likely a chilly breeze, but you will likely have portions of the trail all to yourself.   

Source Click HERE for an interactive map.

Start/End  

"The walk starts at the western end of Easton's or First Beach at Memorial Blvd. and runs south with major exits at Narragansett Ave., Webster St., Sheppard Ave., Ruggles Ave., Marine Ave., Ledge Rd., and ends at Bellevue Ave. at the east end of Bailey's Beach locally referred to as Reject's Beach". - Cliffwalk.com

Click HERE for an interactive map.

Map Credit: City of Newport, Commonwealth Engineers & Consultants, Inc., and the RI Dept of Transportation Source

Walk a Section

There are five unique segments to Cliff Walk

1. Memorial Blvd. to Forty Steps

2. Forty Steps to Ruggles Ave: covers a close up of Mansions at Salve University campus; there are several sets of steps.

3. Ruggles Ave. to Belmont Beach: covers a touch of rough terrain and waves breaking near walk when wind is strong from South.

4. Belmont Beach to Ledge Rd: covers pieces of Rugged Terrain especially at Rough Point, however this is most rewarding for serious hikers not afraid of heights.

5. Ledge Road to Bellevue Ave: sometimes missed by Cliff Walkers, but if you have done segment 4 this is easy and better than walking out Ledge Rd.

If you only have a short time to do a piece of Cliff Walk drive down Narragansett Ave. to the Forty Steps and walk south past Salve Regina College and the Breakers.

Viewpoint along the trail

Information along the trail

There are QR Codes all over the trails that link to some great information about the walk, the area and neighboring mansions.  I also think these small stands with QR codes are the perfect way to give visitors information, without having big obtrusive signs that get damaged or graffitied.  It was really fun to be able to scan the code (get an app that can read these for free) and learn some more information about exactly what I was looking at.

  

“The Cliff Walk Trail Marker program is a noteworthy enhancement to the Walk, one that offers readily accessible information to what visitors see as they travel along the ocean’s path,” said Bob Power, Chairman of the Cliff Walk Commission. “The Walk is not only the first National Recreational Trail in New England, but it is also set in a National Historic District. Now visitors can learn about the fascinating sites they pass, such as The Breakers, Marble House, Bailey’s Beach, Rough Point, 40 Steps and others. The content of most of the information accessed at the sites was researched and written by students from Salve Regina’s Cultural and Historic Preservation Department. The markers themselves were crafted and installed by the Boy Scouts, Troop #3 Newport, Led by Conner Flynn, as part of his Eagle Scout project.” Read more about this new marker program here.

Couple walking down the trail 

Antique gate along the trail 

Be Aware

Parts of this walk do pass over a public right of way over private property.  Be cognizant of your surroundings and like any trail, be respectful and bring all and any trash off the trail with you.  Also noote that in some spots the trail is less protected and there are steep drops and cliff edges.  In some sections, just a couple of feet from the path are abrupt drops of over 70 feet and wild bushes and weeds often hide this danger. The further south you walk, the more rugged the terrain will become. Expect to cross over large rocks and boulders and proper shoes are a must. Fine sand and sea spray on some of the rock surfaces can make the walk very slippery. If you get poison ivy, keep your eyes peeled especially during the summer months.  Poison Ivy which grows well in rainy summer weather along some areas of the path.

Taking in the views along Cliff Walk

Paved section of the trail 

The Elms - Newport Mansion

When the weather gets cold and the hiking is a little less inviting, I hit the map to see what kind of "alternative" adventures I can find on a chilly December day.  I woke up with the intention of going hiking, but when the temperatures hovered in the low 20's, I decided to get creative and find something else to do on a chilly but sunny Sunday.

After spending some time on google maps, I decided a day trip to Newport was just the ticket to a well spent weekend.  I have been to Newport many times but this trip was to see some of the Mansions decked for the Holidays.  That many Christmas trees brought on the holiday spirit and a tour of two mansions I had not been in before, The Elms and The Marble House.  With so many mansions decorating Bellevue Avenue, it takes several trips to Newport to see them all.  My first stop on the Mansion tour was to The Elms, one of the first mansions on your tour towards the water down Bellevue Avenue.  

Source: NewportMansions.org

This was a tour of a beautiful mansion and one that actually felt "lived in".  Great audio tour throughout the mansion.  Parking is on-site which made it easier for us, especially because we had our dog in the car.  The grounds were beautiful with a stable, expansive lawns and gardens and amazing crazy sculptures.  We did not do this but you can go on the Servant Life tour to see how the servants lived and access the mansion (advanced reservations required).  In the summer, you can have lunch at the cafe at the rear of the property at the Carriage House Cafe.  This mansion did not abut the water and did not have the amazing ocean views that some of the mansions have. The back lawn is still one of the best things about the property (you have to see the crazy sculptures for yourself.  Or scroll to the bottom of this post).  Every time I walk into one of these mansions, I am so thankful for conservation and preservation societies that keep these pieces of American history alive, so we can all daydream about the Gatsby era. See aerial footage of the mansion here. 

Christmas at the Newport Mansions

The Newport Mansions are a history lesson and a reminder of another era.  It is here in Newport, Rhode Island where the wealthiest spent their summers.  While that time in American History is exactly that, history, the mansions remain thanks to the Preservation Society of Newport.   These mansions are now open to the public year-round to transport you to a time when swans filled the fountains, Gatsbys danced in the ballrooms and gold covered the walls.

Summer is a great time to visit the mansions.  Walking the expansive lawns at the edge of the water you can really "time travel" to the gilded age when these mansions were used as summer cottages.  The warm New England breeze coming off the Atlantic is the perfect occasion to pop in and out of mansions, with a few stops at the raw bar and various Newport restaurants in between. 

Gates to The Breakers

However, Christmas is what I consider to be the perfect time to visit these mansions.  December means less tourists (less crowds, more parking) cheaper ticket prices and most important, the mansions are decorated for the holidays.  And not just a wreath or two, I mean exquisitely decorated Christmas trees, a ton of ornaments, poinsettias, elaborate mantles, beautiful candles, and festive wreaths decorate the mansions inside and out. 

Scuba Diving: Kings Beach, Newport, Rhode Island

If you have talked to me for half a second you probably already know I am obsessed with the state of Rhode Island, and with lobsters.  And I am very very very fond of scuba diving.  So a day that combines these things together on a beautiful sunny Saturday in the middle of June is about as good as it gets for me. It was one of the weekends that puts you in such a good mood, that the weekend almost feels long and you are in such bliss that you don't even let Monday knock you down. 

Rosecliff Mansion, Newport, Rhode Island

Visiting Rosecliff Mansion

Another day, another Newport Mansion. 

Wish I could say that every day. 

There is something so lovely about the history and stories behind these mansions.  They are like real life fairy tails right in your back yard(ish).  These beautiful European Mansions on a Rhode Island coastline.  While The Breakers is the most famous of the Newport Mansions, the others are beautiful, grand, and very unique. 

Rosecliff Mansion

Let's talk about Rosecliff.