Boston

Model Itinerary

Day 1:
The coastal town of Newport is located about 30 miles southeast of Providence, 74 miles south of Boston, and 180 miles northeast of New York City. You can plan to visit for a weekend trip or extend your vacation to Boston or Cape Cod easily. We stayed at the Wyndham Long Wharf Resort near the Newport Shipyard. This was a great location within walking distance of the wharf, shopping, restaurants, the trolley stop, and the ferries. The 2 bedroom suites were perfect for our party of five.

View of Rough Point Mansion from The Cliff Walk

Day 2:
There is a lot to see in the seaside town of Newport but the highlight for me was touring the Newport Mansions. Today we toured Marble House, Rosecliff, and The Breakers. The most famous mansion is the 70 room Breakers built by the Vanderbilt's to resemble a Renaissance Palace. I recommend saving this home for last because it is the most impressive in my opinion. We stopped for lunch at the Tea Room at Marble House. I download the Newport mansions app to listen to the self-guided tour of each home. The basic tour lasts about 40 minutes for each house.

The Great Hall at The Breakers

Spend this evening walking the popular Cliff Walk trail. This trail is designated a National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District. The mostly paved walking trail winds along the shoreline between the coast and the historic mansions. The entire trail is 3.5 miles long and begins at Easton's Beach and ends at Bailey's Beach. From Bailey's Beach you can take the trolley back to your car. If you don't have time to walk the entire trail I recommend parking at Narrangansett Ave. and walk the paved trail to Ruggles Ave. near the Breakers or continue on to the scenic but unpaved part of the trail to the end at Bailey's Beach. For more information go to www.cliffwalk.com.

The Cliff Walk in front of Rosecliff Mansion

Unpaved portion of the Cliff Walk near Bailey's Beach

Day 3:
Go to Breakfast at Belle's Cafe and eat dockside at the Newport Shipyard across from the Wyndham Long Wharf Resort. Today you can continue to tour additional mansions. take a guided trolley tour of the city, or take the ferry boat out to Rose Island Lighthouse.

The dining room at Marble House

For decades the mansions of Newport have been used as a location for television shows and films. Most recently, HBO's The Gilded Age was filmed here. Fans of the show might recognize this picture of the Breaker's music room that was used to film the Russell's Ballroom scenes. Other notable films have included The Great Gatsby, 27 Dresses, True Lies, and Amistad. here

The Music Room at The Breakers

For dinner head to Bannister's Wharf for shopping and dinner on the waterfront at the Black Pearl. After dinner walk over to nearby Sayers Wharf for the sunset cruise on the Amazing Grace. This one hour narrated harbor cruise takes you past the Newport Bridge, Rose Island Lighthouse, Fort Adams, and The Mansions. The mansion in the picture below is Hammersmith Farm, the Bouvier home where Jackie Bouvier and John F. Kennedy held their wedding reception. Advanced reservations are recommended. After the cruise walk over to one of my favorite places Kilwin's Chocolates and Ice Cream.

Sunset Cruise on the Amazing Grace

View of Hammersmith Farm from the Bay

Day 4:
We stopped here for a few days on our way to Cape Cod. You could also extend your trip with a few days in Boston. Or you can return home and start planning your next family adventure!