About 180 miles from Long Island and 3 1/2 hours later, I arrived on Bellevue Ave, in Newport. Hotel Viking is an historical and very comfortable boutique hotel to spend 2 nights. The bar and restaurant are excellent for light fare and wonderful cocktails. I drove up and down Bellevue, visited St. Mary's Church (where JFK and Jackie were married), followed the signs to the Mansions, viewed the spectacular homes and landmark mansions, Salve Regina College and then to Ocean Drive. A spectacular 10 mile scenic drive along the Atlantic Ocean with more beautiful mansions overlooking the water. Fort Adams is along the way as is the beginning of the Cliff Walk, which is a 3 1/2 mile path along the ocean which offers a spectacular view of the famous stone and brick mansions.
The Breakers, is a preserved jewel of the Gilded Age, formerly the 70 room summer estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, who made his fortune in the railroad industry. Upon entering the mansion, you stand in the two and a half story high Great Hall with its grand staircase. The interior of this mansion is adorned with platinum lear wall panels, marble, alabaster, gold leafing and gilded woods throughout. With the help of the audio guide, you will hear about the lifestyle of the Vanderbilt family and the grand parties enjoyed by the society people of that era. It was an exceptional tour, particularly of the kitchen and the butler pantry and just imaging the multitude of servants working 24/7 for on family and their guests.
Visiting the International Tennis Hall of Fame is another experience that takes the visitor through the birth of the sport of tennis to current times. The stunning structure is set on the National Historic Landmark property which was the Newport Casino, a facility established in 1880 strict as a gathering place for creation and socializing for the elite. The shingle style architecture and the Tiffany clock tower are impeccably preserved. There are 20 tennis courts, including 13 beautifully manicured grass courts, which are open to the public during the season and can be rented by the hour. Tournamentsare still played on the grass center court hosting some of the top ATP ranked players. Spend some time in the museum and don't miss the Roger Federer Hologram, where Roger talks about the "10 Reasons He Loves Tennis." Actual trophies held by U.S. Open Champions are glass enclosed and on display. There are just 252 individuals in tennis history who have received the honor o induction into this Hall of Fame.
Enjoy breakfast at Annie's on Bellevue, an old town favorite diner style eatery. Have a lobster roll at
Bannister's Wharf. The Black Pearl was voted #1 lobster roll in Newport.
What I really enjoyed about Newport was the ease of trav
eling from one area to another by car or even by foot. Everything was 5-10 minutes away; from the main shopping and dining areas to the wharf area, then to the ocean and through the Mansion neighborhood. What a lovely place to visit and live. Enjoying a lobster roll or salad, chowder or a good Italian meal are port of the fiber in Newport. Visiting off season, in April/May or September/October is high recommended as it gets very crowded with tourists during the summer months.
A quick 35 mile drive to Providence, R.I., a pleasant city with a stately capitol building, the home of Brown
University and the Federal Hill area (Little Italy). The Marriott is lovely, in the heart of the shopping and historical area of Providence. I took a Buddhism guided meditation class early in the day. At a Kadampa Buddhist Center, the leader spoke about the 3 causes of suffering: Ignorance, anger and attachment. The main goal of this Buddhist meditation teachings is to learn how to are oneself of all suffering. The quote o the wall with the Buddha shrine: "Since you cannot te the ind of others until you have tamed your own, begin by taming your own mind." Loved this experience. Visited Brown University, one of the 7 Ivy League Universities across America. taint and very awesome to walk such historical grounds of some of the most profound scholars. Nearby in Pawtucket, I participated in a Shambhala silent meditation class, 1/2 hour of sitting, 1/2 of walking in the meditation hall with a Buddha shrine. The Shambhala vision is rooted in the principle that every human being has a fundamental nature of basic goodness.
Federal Hill is the heart and soul of Providence with a multitude of authentic Italian restaurants along Atwells Ave., where most restaurants have complimentary valet parking. I had a delicious meal at the bar of Pane e Vino, quite crowded on a Thursday evening. Contentinos is another good choice on Atwell's Ave. A great end to a busy and introspective day.
Driving back to NYC o Friday was fairly simple, stopping in New Haven to is it yet another Ivy League institution, Yale University. Larger in size an scope than Brown, Yale has a more interesting college town surrounding the campus. The third oldest educational institutions in the country is also famous for its
A wonderful four days to just take a break, do something different for myself, by myself.
La Dolce vita!
Newport is a special place.