Newport is a lovely seaside town, filled with historic buildings and a lovely small-town feeling. We loved just walking through the back streets up the hill off the main drag to admire the variety of elegant Colonial, Federal, and Georgian style homes from the 1700s and 1800s. Walking through these streets absolutely transported you to another time. Our trip took place the end of July, so it seems we just missed the blue hydrangea bounty, but gardens were bursting with flora, and a joy to view. The trees were magnificent—I have tried to capture their immense size and foliage in my photos, but in person they were much more impressive. If you are a tree lover, as I am, check out this Insta, to get a glimpse into their variety: Newport Tree Conservancy
The Gilded Age mansions are one of the main attractions in Newport. I do appreciate and applaud the artisans and craftspeople who were engaged to satisfy the need to show off in these over-the-top abodes of the fabulously wealthy. There is a fantastic app called Newport Mansions that really brings the history alive, if you are inclined to view these palaces of excess. The app seamlessly guides you through each house, room by room, and enhances the experience with interesting stories about the occupants, and often includes the extravagant expenditures of the lifestyles they led. Be forewarned, some of the houses get very crowded with tourists, which makes them less pleasant to view—The Elms seemed less extravagant and had lovely grounds in addition to the house, and was my favorite of the bunch, as it was less crowded than the others as well. We also viewed Rosecliff, Marble House, and The Breakers, in that order, and each abode seems to get more decadent.
Please enjoy these photos from my trip, I think they tell the story of Newport pretty well. Also, see my posts on Dining in Newport, and Viewing Art in Newport, to get the full effect of the trip.
See more of the 3-day trip in these posts: Newport Dining Around and Viewing Art.
