This year has been one crazy thing (usually bad) after another, so when my grandparents offered to let us use their timeshare points for a little getaway we didn’t have to think twice. We took them up on their offer and began checking out our options. We knew we wanted to go somewhere we’ve never been before. We love going to the beach, but since our trip was going to be in November, it seemed going to the north east coast might be a fun option — think of all the fall leaves! That’s what led us to choose Newport, Rhode Island. Today, I’m sharing all about our trip!
Let me start by saying that November is this area’s “off season,” which meant a lot of places or activities were closed or just had strange hours. We stopped at a restaurant and scoured their menu outside before realizing they were closed for the season. We stopped at a few shops that were closed and the sign on the door said their hours were “maybe Monday.” It actually got to be pretty comical! Even though some things were closed, we still had a great getaway. I recommend going in the summer if you want to do “all the things” but if you want to see the gorgeous leaves and relax a bit more, November is a good time too.
Things We Did
Shopping/Browsing
Newport has tons of shopping spots, especially lots of cute little boutiques with unique items. We went to the shops on Bellevue and Thames streets. It’s fun just to stroll around checking out each shop. We got a gift for our daughter at one of the kid’s boutiques. There’s a Christmas store on Bellevue that had every Christmas ornament you could ever think up. I loved looking at them all, and we bought one to bring home for our tree.
Cliff Walk
This was one of my favorite things we did in Newport, Rhode Island. The cliff walk is a trail just over three miles long along the ocean. It is so beautiful! There are mansions on one side of you and the sea on the other. There are rocks you walk over or some areas are paved. There are tunnels to walk through too. It’s just a very neat area to explore. They also have little posts throughout the trail where you can use the QR code to learn about what you are seeing. We assumed, being in November, that the cliff walk would be very cold. But the day we walked it, the sun was shining and it ended up being pretty hot. I wished I had worn layers! So be sure to wear good walking shoes, layers in case the weather isn’t as you expect, and sunglasses if it’s a bright day. We walked toward the sun, so by the end of it I had a massive headache.
The Breakers & Elms
Newport, Rhode Island is full of mansions. The Breakers is the most famous one. The wealthy Vanderbilts lived in it, but now it is owned by the Historic Preservation Society. There’s a discount if you purchase tickets for both The Breakers and The Elms mansions. I recommend seeing both. The Breakers shows you “old money” and The Elms shows you “new money,” as it was owned by a different family who gained their wealth through the coal business. There are self-guided tours of both mansions through an app on your phone. Both of these mansions were so interesting to see. We enjoyed imagining what life would have been life for the rich back then in Newport. These aren’t the only mansions, but these are the two most popular and the ones we chose to visit.
Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive is a road that winds all around taking you past mansions and gorgeous homes, as well as, of course, the ocean! It’s a really pretty drive, and we had fun seeing all the houses the most. We drove it right before sunset, and then we stopped and watched the sunset over the water. It was beautiful!
Other Options in Newport, Rhode Island
I had really wanted to take a dinner cruise or sailboat ride on the water while we were in Newport, Rhode Island. Unfortunately, that’s not an option in November. But if you go during the summer time, you definitely should do it!
Because Rhode Island is so small, it’s pretty easy to drive around and see most of it. You can visit Providence and Jamestown, as well as other towns. I’ve heard Goat Island is a gorgeous spot. It’s also not a long drive to Connecticut or Massachusetts if you want to visit either of those states. You can take a small plane or ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket.
Fort Adams State Park is supposed to be very nice too, but we, surprisingly, never visited that spot. We did drive by it though!
On one of our rainy days, I decided to go get my nails done since I don’t get to do that too often. I highly recommend T Nails Salon and Spa on Thames Street if you are looking for a spot to do some pampering. They did a great job on my nails.
Restaurants We Loved
Our favorite part of any vacation is trying new restaurants and indulging in delicious food. This vacation was no exception. We just happened to be in Newport, Rhode Island, during restaurant week too, which meant there were lots of deals available.
Every morning we stopped here first to get some coffee and a pastry. My husband and his sister opened a coffee roastery and cafe last year, so not only do we want to support small, local coffee shops, my husband is also a bit of a coffee snob. When we first arrived at our condo, we asked for recommendations for good coffee shops. The clerk told us where Starbucks was. That was just not going to do for my husband! But we found this spot and loved it.
This was my favorite restaurant that we went to during our time in Newport. We sat at the bar because we hadn’t made a reservation, but it actually ended up feeling more cozy that way. The bartender was so nice. We got the three course meal deal for restaurant week. We both loved the food.
There was one morning where we went out for breakfast. A friend who used to live in Newport recommended this spot, and she was right — it was delicious! We both ended up getting pancakes, and there were divine. The cafe has a really cute and cozy feel to it too. However, the coffee was only subpar.
Another breakfast spot I wanted to try was The Hungry Monkey, which is just down the street from Corner Cafe. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to eat there. We just ran out of days!
If we hadn’t wanted to try out new restaurants, we probably would have ate at this place over and over. The Red Parrot had tons of options and they all looked so good. We got a fig & goat cheese flatbread that was to die for! We wished we could have that as an appetizer every night. I got the rasta pasta as my main dish, and it was so flavorful. I couldn’t even tell you what Travis got because I was too busy devouring my meal! They had a great drink menu too!
Have you ever wanted to visit the oldest restaurant in America? The White Horse Tavern is just that! It opened in 1673 and still has all the same charm. It is the 10th oldest restaurant in the world! That just blows my mind. So when we found out these facts and read about the restaurant’s history, we knew we wanted to give it shot. The food did not disappoint!
This restaurant is right on the water so you can watch boats come in and out of the marina. Very pretty views and such a nice atmosphere. The clam chowder was really good! Travis got a deal on the raw seafood sampler — he was in heaven.
We tried food at lots of different restaurants, but those were are favorites in Newport. However, our absolutely favorite meal during our vacation came from another place. We ended up driving to Cape Cod on our last day simply because we could to have lunch. We stopped at The Lobster Trap in Cape Cod. Ya’ll, this food … Travis got the lobster roll that was jam-packed with fresh lobster meat. I got a swordfish sandwich that was the best I’ve ever had. Have you ever tried swordfish? It’s my favorite seafood. Anyway, if you have an open day while visiting Newport, this hour drive is worth it!
So there ya have it, folks. We had a fabulous time on our kid-free getaway toward the end of the craziest year ever. If you ever get the chance to visit Newport, Rhode Island — take it.