Day Trip!

The Breakers, Newport

Newport, Rhode Island is an easy day trip from here in eastern Connecticut.  Before you even arrive in town, the trip over the Jamestown and Newport bridges provides an overwhelming view of Narragansett Bay.   Rhode Island really should have been called the Bay State for this reason alone.   Last weekend's trip was no different than previous ones in that you can find yourself in a sea of people as you enter by the Welcome Center or past the shoppes along Thames Street.   Once you get past that, the city itself is quite walkable and drivable.   There are other novel ways of taking in the sights, too.   Trace the shoreline out along Ocean Drive, then take in the Bellevue Avenue mansions as you head back toward the center of town.  My favorite mansion is The Breakers, but the history of most of these properties is perhaps most impressive.   Museums are everywhere.   The Cliff Walk is also nearby.   There are countless places to shop, eat or drink.   O'Brien's Pub is a special place to me - there's something in a name.   Back in the eighties, I managed to catch the Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams Park featuring Bonnie Raitt among others.   Coming from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun territory, the Newport Grand Casino fails to impress, but there's plenty in Newport that does.