Great Destinations

Newport, Rhode Island

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DESTINATIONS
Providence, RI
Boston, MA
Cape Cod, MA
White Mountains, NH
Champlain Valley, VT
Mount Desert Island, ME
Mystic, CT

A Newport summer bristles with possibilities. Music? The famed Newport Folk Festival attracts artists from around the globe. Swimming? The city's beaches offer some of the warmest water in New England. Sailing enthusiasts know Newport as the nation's yachting capital and birthplace of the America's Cup races, while tennis fans know that the International Tennis Hall of Fame is the only place to find Frank Sears's 1889 diamond-studded racket.

Newport has been called America's first resort -- and for good reason. In the late 19th century, the country's wealthy and powerful moved in and the opulent mansions went up, giant summer "cottages" that straddle the shores of Narragansett Bay. Today some of these homes -- including the biggest of them all, Cornelius Vanderbilt II's -- are open to the public.

Located at the southern tip of Aquidneck Island, Newport is accessible by car -- it's connected to the mainland by three bridges. Once inside its borders, however, it's recommended you explore the city on foot. Take in the architecture and breathe the salty air on the Cliff Walk, a 3.5-mile stone-and-concrete path that hugs the eastern shore, cutting between the ocean and the mansions. Or perhaps you'll want to explore the Point, a collection of narrow streets between America's Cup Avenue and the harbor north of town that carries walkers past restored private homes that were once the addresses of some of Newport's wealthy merchants and sea captains. Even better, choose your own path and just wander.