State #30/50: Rhode Island!
When planning out my routes for the states, Rhode Island had a lot of possibilities. I could fly to Boston and drive down, I could take the train to Providence, or I could rent a car and drive from NYC. All had their pros and cons, but when I took the time to lay out what I really wanted to see in Rhode Island, they all pointed to one place: Newport.
Newport is on the southern tip of Rhode Island and pretty inaccessible by public transportation. The Amtrak from either NYC or Boston goes to Providence, and you could take a ferry down to Newport, but because I only had one day, I wanted to be in control of my schedule, maximize my time, and not have to rely on public transportation.
Finding a rental car in NYC is easy, but is not always cheap. It’s rare for me to find anything under $200 a day on a weekend in the summer. It was then that I knew I needed to be more flexible with my plans and visit in the “shoulder” season. I was able to find a rental car for $50 a day the weekend after Labor Day and I felt like such a bandit. Since many companies see Labor Day as the “unofficial end of summer”, rates were significantly cheaper and I jumped on the deal immediately.
On the morning of my day trip, I was waiting outside the Avis 15 minutes before they opened- I had to be first in line to get on the road ASAP. Luckily, my plan worked and I started on my journey up through Westchester County, across Connecticut, and into Rhode Island.
My first stop was to the Cliff Walk, which is a gorgeous walking path that goes around the peninsula surrounding Newport. It was a great first stop to get out and stretch my legs after a long drive. You’re walking along – you guessed it – a cliff with the Atlantic ocean on one side, and multi million dollar estates on the other.
From there, I drove over to Second Beach (which is technically in Middletown, RI). Parking is easy at Second Beach, and the beach itself is so wide that you can have a ton of space to yourself. There are big, rocky cliffs that surround the beach known as The Bluff that make it ultra-picture perfect. It was here that I decided to set up my tripod, draw a big 3-0 in the sand, and snap a few selfies to commemorate my 30th state!
Then, it was time to explore what REALLY makes Newport famous: the mansions! I’ll admit, I was hesitant. I’m really not into museums and anything that you just walk around in usually bores me to tears. These are so different. These MASSIVE estates line Bellevue Avenue one after another, and each one is more impressive than the last. The Mansion Society sells passes to take self-guided tours through them, and I opted to tour two: The Breakers and The Elms. The two were very similar, but so different at the same time!
I know very little about art and design, and I won’t pretend that I do- but The Breakers is ultimate design goals. The very center of the house is made to feel like a courtyard, and completely opens up to the second and third floors above, that have balconies that overlook below. It truly felt like you were outside, while being in the dead center of the house!
One of the first stops in The Elms is the conservatory that makes you feel like you just landed in the game of Clue. Floor to ceiling windows line the corner walls, while mirrors line the other, making the room feel 5x larger than it actually is. Huge, gorgeous ferns line the walls and comfortable lounge chairs are dotted throughout. Cash me there on a warm summer day, how bout dat?
After all the walking through these massive estates, I then got into the car and did the scenic drive around Ocean Avenue (also known as Ocean Drive). This drive goes around the Western part of Newport and goes past more beaches, parks, and of course- mansions. There was a kite festival happening in Brenton Point State Park, so obviously I had to stop and snag a couple pictures.
From there, my day was already starting to get away from me and I knew I had to get back on the road soon to make it back to NYC to return my rental car. I had just enough time to drive back Downtown and do some quick shopping. Parking the car was NOT easy. I was feeling cheap and didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg just to park for an hour max, so I kept driving in circles trying to find cheap parking and it just aggravated me more. My advice: just pay it. The streets are very narrow, confusing, and crowded. It’s not worth it to drive in circles to save $10. You’ll end up saving way more time than it’s worth! I was able to eventually find some metered parking on Thames St. and was able to grab a cup of Del’s Lemonade and bop into a few shops before watching the sun start to set over the harbor.
Was 8 hours in Newport enough? Heck no! Was it enough for me to explore a new city, a new state, and (somewhat) different culture? Absolutely!
It’s amazing how much you can do in a weekend- or even a day! Maximize your weekends and sleep when you’re dead. 🙂
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