The Story Behind the Travel Photo: My Journey in Newport, Rhode Island
- Nov 15, 2025
- 11 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The NYC Traveler in Newport, Rhode Island
One place that I, as The NYC Traveler, like to visit is Newport, Rhode Island. It's a city, but nicely, it is a small one, making it easy to explore, enjoy and savor in a brief trip while having so much to do, that you can save other places to see for another visit. Like other places we visit, Newport has its own special feel, making it distinct, making it a great year round destination, which is unusual for a New England seaport town.
Many New England cities on coastal shores close up shop when the cold season rolls around. Some areas may have some activities happening during fall, like harvest or Octoberfest or early winter for Christmas. But January through March, sometimes even early April are downtime for many resort towns. But not Newport, Rhode Island. Yes, it is a city with some local colleges that are year round and people do live there, but as a travel destination, it is a great place to see and tour all year.
Newport, Rhode Island. For those in the know, it conjures up images of mansions called cottages, tea parties on the lawn overlooking the ocean, beautiful women coming down grand staircases, socialites in white playing tennis on a grass court, fabulous cars zooming down stately tree lined avenues and boulevards.
Or perhaps you envision yachts and sailboats cruising along the harbor, with lovely people lounging around sipping champagne as the sun literally sets along a perfect horizon.
For those who like watching period films and television series, Newport is the home of The Gilded Age, not just the television series, but also the actual historical era. The time when industrial millionaires built, bought and sold mansions for cash money, where deals were made in smoke filled billiard rooms while their corseted society wives sipped tea and gossiped while alternately either building or destroying someone’s reputation.
Young people lounged on verandas and gazebos, with problems no bigger than whether they were invited to the next soiree, what to wear to said soirée, whether the right crowd would be there and if they would be matched with the appropriate spouse, which was being orchestrated by their mothers inside.
What does one do in Newport, Rhode Island now, in modern times? One could still lounge in a mansion, stroll along the shore or sail on a yacht.
*Walk Along Bellevue Avenue: The Preservation Society of Newport County manages 10 Gilded Age mansions and gardens that you can tour. Other mansions on and around this area are still privately owned. While walking along Bellevue Avenue, we respected the privacy and property. The mansions are beautiful to see with their gardens during warm weather but they literally haul out the holly and deck the halls for the November and December holiday seasons. We can't wait to visit during the holiday season and to bundle up and get ready to tour where the beautiful people live.
We've toured about three of the mansions. Instead of trying to cram them in all at once, we decided to keep visiting Newport and to see only one or two mansions at a time so that we can save some for later.
*Play Tennis on a Grass Court: The International Tennis Hall of Fame is more than just a tribute to tennis greats, although we have enjoyed the museum. There's shops, restaurants and activities. And yes, you can make a reservation to play tennis or take a lesson on their grass court, but we keep missing that opportunity. One time, the timing was off and another time we didn't budget for it. But every time we visit, there is an other event besides tennis. It turns out that the Hall of Fame hosts an annual antique car show. Now that was cool. Parked inside and on the street (which was closed off for the day), were cars that looked like they belonged in the Great Gatsby era. Owners from all over were there to showcase their antique and vintage cars, ready to chat and brag about their wheels. This was in October, but always check out the info online before just in case that's something you want to do. In the colder months, the restaurant, the store and definitely the museum are still there for you to tour and enjoy, without the crowds.
*Stroll on Cliff Walk: Easton Bay (leading out to the Atlantic Ocean) is the backyard of some of those mansions on Bellevue Avenue. We've walked on Cliff Walk on a self-guided tour many times (there are QR codes along the way). In fact, once time, we stayed at a little motel that was about a quarter mile from the entrance and it was lovely to do our daily run every day along the shore. But Cliff Walk is more than just a walk: it can be a hike. So, one day, feeling ambitious, we did the hike, climbing on the rocks and all. See, part of the oceanside path is paved, accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. But roughly halfway through the 3.5 mile walk, the terrain changes (don't worry, there's a path to the streets from there for the less ambitious). Sturdy shoes and determination will get you to the end, but your four legged friends should not make that part of the journey. Some of Cliff Walk may not be accessible during the colder months, and the wind blowing from the water might be a bit brisk, but some days may be nice enough for you to walk at least a quarter mile or so for that fabulous view.
*Stay for Only One Day: Newport is on many New England and Canada cruise itineraries, particularly those leaving from New York, Boston and Canada. There is plenty to do here for a week or a weekend but you can squeeze out a mansion tour, shopping and dining if you are here for only one day. You'll dock not from from America's Cup Boulevard and Thames Street. Enjoy the wharfs and the view of the bay. That's from about May to October. We actually planned a trip to Newport one year when the cruise we were on changed their itinerary and took Newport off the plan! We did find out ahead of time and we could have changed our cruise, but we were going with a group. So, we decided to drive up and it was worth it. And guess what? During our stay, there was a cruise ship in port one day. How's that for irony!
But, a cruise is not the only way to do a one day visit. Newport is lovely but it is also pricey. So, we have driven over for a day trip. If you're nearby in Providence or Mystic (two other towns to visit all year round), you can take a day trip to Newport and see the sights we talked about above. We were in Mystic. It was about an hour away, but that was fine. Once again, it's worth it, especially to shop or have lunch.
*Browse and Shop and Eat: One of the most popular places to be is at the intersection where America's Cup Boulevard, Thames Street and Memorial Boulevard meet. Then, we followed Thames, still narrow and charming with cobblestones although it is lined with souvenir shops. But tucked in between are inexpensive eateries, honest boutiques and art galleries. But, we realized that Thames Street can get crowded, especially if a cruise was in town. So we wanted something quieter? We headed up one of the side streets until we got to Spring Street. There, I was in second-hand heaven and I could antique and thrift to my heart's content. Lucky for me, I was on a serious budget or I would not have been able to get home. I noticed that one store was closing down and I felt bad for the store owner. I try to patronize small businesses when I travel and I know that tourism is a big part of their earnings. Well, I need not have worried: she was closing one of the three shops she owned. She had sold a lot of the inventory (the reason why she needed the third shop) and she did not need the space anymore. Hmmm, makes you think what type of business to go into.
*Did We Mention Eat? Newport has a delicious combination of New England fare heartily seasoned with its historical Portuguese and Irish communities. We found interesting combinations of traditional stews, bisques, chowders and all the oysters and lobster we could afford. Like any other small city in a small state, great restaurants are plentiful. Year round, you can enjoy hearty New England and Portuguese influenced fare. Your chowdah awaits. In between, there are seemingly more ice cream shops per block than there should be. But that's ok, because when a cruise ship is in port, you'll need alternatives. We ate at the Red Parrot again and another place on one of the wharfs, but we decided the next time, we would try another place for dinner. That's totally doable: there are so many places to eat, so many hidden spots that you can return year after year and have a different experience each time.
*Brush Up on Your History: Newport was front and center in the American Revolution even though it doesn't seem to get its fair share of space in the textbooks (in print and digitally). There was activity here, but not much actual fighting. The destruction of any buildings back then actually came at the end of the war, when they were abandoned because of a lost economy, not because of a battle. But, many buildings, houses and churches are still there. Look at the maps around town. Many of the museums are open year round (remember, school trips happen), but double check the hours on their respective websites. I literally hiked all over, going from spot to spot, reading plaques, and learning more.
*Get Your Culture On: Along with the mansions, enjoy art, culture and artifacts at the Newport Art Museum, Bristol Historical and Preservation Society, the National Museum of American Illustration and the Bristol Art Museum. Rev up your engines at the Newport Car Museum, Audrain Auto Museum and other several auto museums (really cool) in the area.
The America's Cup yacht race was held for years in Newport, so we can learn everything we've always wanted to know about coastal life at The Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame and other sailing museums in the area. Like many other early American towns, there's a lot of history in Newport. We haven't been there yet, but it is on our list. If I can only keep myself out of the mansions, maybe I can get there.
One place I have been to is Fort Adams State Park. It's a cool place for kids, too, someplace they can run around and play. Downtown is nice and Cliff Walk is picturesque, but once in a while, you need a park for kids to frolic in. The fort is there, too, to explore. Now, the next time, I have to really plan my trip to see when there is a music festival. That would be special.
*Enjoy the Sunset and the Sunrise: I've seen the sunrise along Cliff Walk while you're taking in your morning constitutional and it was amazing. It's peaceful. On the other side of town, sunsets in Newport Harbor are big business. We did a sunset tour on a yacht. They offer catamarans, too (sometimes with a drink) and take in the fabulous colors of nature. Our tour went around the harbor, past lighthouses and the fort. And after we docked, it was time to shop. Bowen and Bannister Wharfs loop around to each other, making it hard to leave. In fact, one of the dozens of ice shops were there, luring me in. I resisted for a while, because I was drawn to the art galleries, especially the photography. I wonder why. After while, I did maneuver my way through the crowds for one final drink and dessert as I window shopped so more. My lodging was in walking distance, so I was OK with getting that sorbet. I was about to walk off those calories.
Newport is not only for the rich and famous and those aspiring to be. Believe it or not, its a great family vacation location. Beaches, arcades, kite festivals, summer collegiate baseball and all the ice cream you can eat. Strolling along Thames Street will give you more choices of ice cream than you could think of. That and every kind of seafood fare recipe, influenced by the aforementioned Portuguese and Irish cultures that flavor the city.
Part of the influence of being rich has remained with Newport. Staying here ain't cheap. And, since Newport is more than a summer resort town, their seems to be not much of an off season. No sooner have the summer people and the cruisers have left than the holiday season arrives, which in the Northeast starts with autumn. Harvest seasons bring some sunset cruises along the bay, mulled cider and wine that leads into Halloween. No sooner have the ghosts and goblins packed up then you have Thanksgiving and then the December holidays. January to March can be cold and there are some businesses that are seasonal but northerners are hardy people. Plus, there are colleges in town that help to keep the city alive all year long: Salve Regina University (which has some of those summer cottages as part of its campus), Naval War College (carrying along the long history Newport has with the US Navy), and one of Rhode Island's community colleges.
Despite Providence being the capital, believe it or not, the state had a legislative building but meetings still rotated amongst the cities, narrowing down to Newport and Providence until as late as 1900. It actually took a state constitutional amendment that finally stated that legislative sessions would meet in Providence. Therefore, all pun intended, you still see several stately looking buildings around Newport because of their stately history.
Music fans might scoff at the fuss about the links to the wealthy in Newport: tennis, golf, sailing, yachting, mansions. Their ties to Newport center around its music festivals, made famous by the live recordings that would come from those events. In fact, when Hollywood remade The Philadelphia Story into the musical High Society (check out that title), the backdrop was Newport and its jazz festival. The Newport Folk Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival are two huge events. Both are hosted in Fort Adams Park, itself a historical tourist attraction. Newport is home to the band The Cowsills, the group that the sitcom The Partridge Family was based on. Look for other alternative music by local underground groups.
Like its other New England neighboring cities, Newport is no stranger to the film community. Along with High Society, the 1974 The Great Gatsby and many other productions have descended upon the city to temporarily set up shop. Most notably, the television series The Gilded Age has intertwined the cottages into its plots.
Finally, enjoy the surrounding towns and the smallness of Rhode Island itself: you can broadly tour the whole state in one summer. Then, once you've found your favorite hidden gems, it can take a whole lifetime to discover what the entire state can offer.
Lots of stuff to do, see and enjoy in the small city of Newport, Rhode Island. Happy Travels.
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