We just love Newport and for only 8 square miles of land (22 coastline miles) and a population of 26,000, there’s WAY too much to do …including history, nature, restaurants, shopping, FUN!
…and don’t mind sharing some of our favorite things – you may notice it’s mostly FOOD! Everybody asks for a recommendation, so be sure to give us your feedback. And check out DiscoverNewport.org and WhatsUpNewp.com for all kinds of info
Newport Tree Walks– 324-9204, history & nature can’t be beat, www.newporttreeconservancy.org (smart phone app available)
Drive – Follow Ocean Drive. Check out Eisenhower’s Summer House at Ft Adams. Feed carrots to animals at the old Hammersmith Farm (Jackie Kennedy’s home). Visit the lighthouse at Castle Hill. Enjoy the kite sailing at Brenton Point State Park. See mansions along Bellevue.
Favorite Running Route – Best in early morning; left to Memorial, left and across to the Cliff Walk then South to Narragansett, right to Bellevue, right to Kay, right to Rhode Island Ave
We all know Newport is a wonderful destination for adults…but there’s also great adventure for kids. Although Admiral Sims’ House Bed & Breakfast specializes in quiet getaways for couples, we also welcome families. Here’s some ideas for fun with kids!
Ocean Drive – Check out Eisenhower’s Summer House at Ft Adams. Feed carrots to the animals at the old Hammersmith Farm (Jackie Kennedy’s home). Visit the lighthouse at Castle Hill. Enjoy the kite sailing at Brenton Point State Park. Go to the Vintage Carousel at Easton’s Beach. Fishing anyone?
More great birding spots: – Miantonomi Park – Brenton Point State Park (fields, woods, seashore) – Albro Woods, Middletown – Hazard Rd in Nepowrt (Ballard Park and Gooseneck Cove saltmarshes)
Plum Beach Light Look down the north side when driving over the Jamestown-Verazzano bridge www.plumbeachlighthouse.org
Mansions
Breakers Mansion 44 Ochre Point Ave www.newportmansions.org (15,000 light bulbs, 5,000 ornanments, 2,000 poinsettia plants, 18 Christmas trees are used to decorate Breakers, Elms, and Marble House during the holidays!)
Preservation Society Chateau-sur-Mer Chepstow The Elms Green Animals Topiary Garden Hunter House Isaac Bell House Kingscote Marble House Rosecliff www.NewportMansions.org
Massage & Spa
Massage Therapists we use & love Amanda Michalik, 401-862-1409 amandacmichalik@gmail.com Kate Oster, 401-595-2675
There is SO much shopping in Newport… boutique shops, antiques, art, jewelry, T-shirts! – Brick Market Place – Bannister’s & Bowen’s Wharves – Aardvark Antiques – Spring Street shops
The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” Chinese proverb Everyone knows Newport is full of history, but even the trees have an amazing story. Originally, Aquidneck Island was covered with native species of trees. Then two events over time cleared the island’s forests. Beginning in 1638, the new colony was being settled and trees were needed to build houses, burn for heat, and cleared for farmland. Then the British occupation from 1776-1779 used literally all wood (houses, fences, everything) for firewood during harsh winters. Naturally, Newport’s unique location and weather brought visitors and eventually America’s new, spectacularly rich summer residents. Their summer homes and “cottages” needed landscaping so Newport trees began to grow in importance so that even Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr in 1913 reported that Newport’s tree canopy would quickly become an inseparable part of its storied charm. The gilded age need for landscape architecture coincided with the age of enlightenment when exploratory voyages allowed naturalists to travel the globe for exotic flora. So the gardens of the estate owners flourished which created a big demand for local gardeners. In the process of caring for the estate owners’ gardens, the local gardeners brought seedlings and cuttings back to their own houses so that even modest homes displayed fantastic European Beeches and other specimen trees. Newport locals and visitors alike have been appreciating the urban forest provided by our predecessors, but have not purposefully maintained and consistently replanted. The town is beginning to see rapid decline in the numbers of Beeches and other specimen trees and has responded through treatment, restoration, and replanting programs.
Establishing Religious Freedom Per the 1663 Charter, “Rhode Island and Providence Plantation” was first to grant religious freedom & allow citizens to elect its own officers. Tour more churches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island_Royal_Charter Great Friends Meeting House (1699) Marlborough St Seventh Day Baptist Meeting House (1730) 82 Touro St Second Congregational Church (1735) 15 Clarke St
