12. Rhode Island

Month: September 2015

Location: Newport

The streets of Newport

I was going to Hopkinton, Massachusetts for my 2^nd year of the ‘Jimmy Fund Boston Marathon Walk’.  So I thought about coming a day earlier in Providence, Rhode Island and driving to Newport, a wonderful New England Oceanside town if there ever was one.  I rented a car at the airport and made the 30 minute drive to Newport, arriving over the famous bridge, which deposits the visitor into the city.  I found my destination, which was a hotel called ‘Jailhouse Inn’, a quaint building with an interesting history…but more on that later.  After I had checked in, the person at the reception told me that I should go to the breakfast room and get the freshly baked cookies, which are usually put out at this time in the afternoon.  And my word they were fresh and gooey and had everything that’s right with a chocolate chip cookie.  I dropped off my stuff in my room, which was across a door that reminded me of a ‘Detective Agency’ from a ‘noir’ movie, and then I was ready to hit the town.

Entry into the 'Tennis Hall of Fame'

Years ago I had come here with some of my buddies and we had tried to get into the ‘International Tennis Hall Of Fame Museum’, until we realized that it wasn’t quite free. Being in school, we had beaten a hasty retreat, but this time I would make sure that I paid it a visit.  Armed with a map, I walked through some of the more charming streets that I have encountered during my travels.  Narrow streets that are not arranged in a typical cities “grid pattern”, and some historic looking buildings, give Newport a very “European” feel.  I arrived at the museum, the entry to which is through a lush-green tennis court that would be right at home at ‘Wimbledon’.  This time I brought my admission and for the next hour, walked through what is really a good museum, paying tribute to the rich history of tennis and all of its champions.  It was a bit nostalgic for me since I grew up watching many of these stars.  Newport is a strange location for such a museum, but I doubt if anyone would have done a better job.  Later as I walked through the grounds I saw many folks clad in their whites playing, and I am sure they were paying a rich premium for this privilege.  Later, as we shall see, wealth and Newport are quite synonymous with each other.

Yep, its waffle on a stick!

I was trying to locate a famous lemonade place, but couldn’t succeed in doing so.  What I did find was an outrageously delightful place called ‘Waffle On A Stick’ which serves…well, a waffle on a stick.  The lady who owned the place was a friendly soul and after proclaiming my love for this concept, we discussed my order and settled on a freshly made waffle drizzled with ‘Nutella’, chocolate and caramel.  I mean, why not! As I savored this treat, she gave me some pointers and directions towards my next destination, the magnificent ‘Cliff Walk’.

The long and winding road

Back when my buddies and I had given up on the museum, we had ended up at the ‘Cliff Walk’, which is essentially a 3 mile hike along the cliffs, with the majestic ‘Atlantic’ on one side and the equally magnificent mansions on the other.  I joined the path at one end and started walking along the winding track which took me through gardens, narrow bridges and even places where waves were splashing everyone who passed.  Brilliant!  The late afternoon was now turning into twilight, giving this experience a very surreal feel.  At one point I approached Newport’s version of the “Parisian love-lock bridge”, where couples usually sign their name on a lock, put ii on a fence and then throw away the key.  I had seen a similar thing back in December at Napa, as one exited the “Wine Train”. One in particular grabbed my attention. It had 2 sets of initials, a date, a hand drawn heart and the words, "May we dance through life together". I have always loved this concept and seeing it under that backdrop was special.  It was getting dark as I made my way back to the main road and then walked back to my hotel; going through the bustling downtown area where evening revelers had already started assembling.  Newport was coming alive.

The enchanting 'Castle Inn'

After changing I got in the car and followed GPS directions towards my dinner destination, which was a restaurant called ‘Castle Inn’.  This place is Oceanside and a bit removed from downtown, meaning that my drive took me through some very dark roads and isolated areas.  When I arrived at the location, I saw some people assembled inside a building and so stopped and handed my car to the valet…only to realize that I was about to gatecrash a wedding.  After a quick course-correction I found the restaurant and for the next couple of hours enjoyed the ambiance that only places like these can provide.  I returned back just before midnight and commented to the girl at the reception that this was a very unique hotel.  This led to a fascinating conversation, where she told me about the history of the place and boy, now everything made sense.  Jailhouse Inn’ is named so because that’s what it was in the past…a jail.  She pointed out how there were cell bars between us and why there was that door outside my room.  It seems that there are actual cells in the basement, though thankfully none of them have been converted into rooms!  She was interested in my ‘51/51’ quest and gave me pointers on what I should do tomorrow.  One of perks of my travels is finding places like these and meeting local folks like her.  It had been a great day.

The opulent Mansions

I woke up early and went down to the most charming room in which one can have breakfast.  This morning I would be visiting the most iconic landmarks of Newport…the mansions.  I had bought a package that would grant me entry into 5 of the 10 mansions and I had narrowed down my selection to 3 that I definitely wanted to visit and then I would decide based on time that I had available to me.  My first stop was at a place called ‘The Breakers’, which is by far the most famous of the lot and as I walked through the estate and into the grand hall, it was easy to see why.  For the next hour I took a self-guided audio tour of the mansion that was bursting with opulence in every room…every tile.  As I learned about the lifestyles of the people who lived here during the late 19^th century and what’s known as the “gilded age”, I was taken aback by how much wealth these people had.  This one belonged to the ‘Vanderbilt’s’,who were railroad tycoons, and they used this as their summer residence for 8 weeks.  During that time the lady of the house threw grand parties which usually started with dinner and ended with revelry throughout the night, after which the guests had breakfast before departing.  In today’s dollars, the expense of running this place for those 8 weeks ran into millions.  Aah, the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

I wouldn't mind this view from my house!

Next, I drove to a nearby mansion called the ‘Rosecliff’, where a guide revealed that it has been home to several ‘Hollywood’ films, including ‘The Great Gatsby’, which was not a surprise, to ‘True Lies’, which was surprising.  It took some time to see these places and I did not want to rush just to get through the 5.  My last stop was at ‘The Elms’, where another self-guided tour took me through this place and which included visits to the “servant’s quarters”.  What was interesting was that all these places had a separate hidden staircases and corridors, through which the servants moved and unless you were the head of staff, you were not allowed to be seen by the masters.  Even the cleanup had to be done pre-dawn before anyone woke up…so much so that the legend grew that all of these places were “self-cleaning” or even better, “serviced by the elves”.

My last stop before departing Newport was for lunch at a place called ‘White Horse Tavern’.  This was like your typical pub, but with some elevated food, and I had reserved a table.  As the waiter took my order, a middle-aged couple with a British accent came in and without asking me, sat down at my table for a “pint”.  The waiter came back with my food and was clearly confused, not knowing if I had invited them to join me.  I did not say anything because I found it utterly amusing, and chalked it down to one of those unique things that only happens on visits like these.  I left Newport before completing even 24 hours stay, but it seemed like I had achieved everything that I could have hoped for.  I had met amazing people, seen incredible sights, eaten delicious food and more importantly, had found hidden treasures.  This trip marked the completion of 12 states in 12 months.  Bring on year 2.