Newport, RI (week of Sept. 29 to Oct. 5)

October 08, 2024

Roy had a buisness conference in Newport Rhode Island this past week. We were gone from Sunday morning until late Thursday night. Note: Don't go so far if you're only going to be there 3 day😀.

Our first full day there we were able to go on a large sailboat. I even helped hoist a sail (thanks to Roy volunteering me). It was a beautiful day. We enjoyed mid 60 degree temperatures each day and with the sunshine, it was perfect. The first night we had lobster for dinner. It was enjoyable, but expensive. I think I have a bit of my dad in me because I felt like it was too much to spend for one meal. I also decided I like shrimp and crab better than lobster, though it was very good.

There were several regattas during our stay. Our hotel was right on the ocean

This house is on an island in the middle of the bay. It can only be accessed by boat. We were told that it can be rented out--for $15,000 per week. It does have 10 bedrooms...but only one bath.

Tuesday was the day of the conference so Roy worked all day. I went on a sponsored walk with other conference goers along the Cliff Walk. It was a great way to start the day. Roy was too busy to join us. I helped Roy with the conference for a short time, but I mostly found time for reading and relaxation.

At the conference we were fed some very delicious food; so even though Roy was working, it was still a vacation (for me). Lobster rolls are a specialty of the area. They served them at the conference, and we also bought some for a sort of breakfast brunch on Monday morning. I had one in Boston when we traveled to Iceland, but these were much better because these were lightly dressed in olive oil, while the one in Boston was covered thickly with mayonaise.

This restaurant was called Belle's. We enjoyed the twin lobster rolls plate.

Roy was completely done with the conference by Wednesday, so we hired a local guide to give us a tour of the area. We drove by several mansions that have been preserved for tours and saw the different architectural features of the area.

The Salve Regina University in Rhode Island owns several of the mansions (left). Many of the mansions from the early 1900's have been refurbished and repurposed. The one on the right is "The Breakers, previously owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt. We were able to take a tour of this right before we headed to the airport on Thursday.

There are many old, beautiful beech trees around the city.

On the right are piles of lobster traps. This area smelled fishy! The guide said that when he was young, lobster was cheaper than peanut butter. He said it was more plentiful. Now many of the traps are on the docks unused.

At the end of our two hours, the guide dropped us off by a colonial church. There was a faithful parishioner there to answer our questions about the building and about their faith. There were stained glass windows on one side of the building, but at some point the clergy decided that their church wasn't about having that type of ornamentation, so they didn't put in any more.

These pews would be sold to the various parishioners to raise funds for the church. Each family would decorate their own pew as they desired. At some point this practice, too, was abolished, as it seemed quite elitist. Now, you can sit wherever you want. The picture below is of their organ. The guide said that it would cost about a million dollars to refurbish it. She said it needs it, but it's still used every Sunday. I asked how large their congregations were. She said they were small because families can't afford housing in Newport. She didn't say that a lot of people just aren't religious anymore.

We also visited a very old Catholic church (built in 1848-1852). As you walked in there was a picture of Robert F Kennedy and Jackie because they were married there in 1953. There was an older couple who were voluntarily showing people around (I asked 😋). They said they were married there also but no one had put up a plaque for them. They were such a nice couple and expressed their happiness that their family of 3 or so children and several grandchildren lived nearby. I think they were fairly shocked when we told them the size of our family. Shocked, but in a good way.

Roy and I are foodies, so eating at the various restaurants is part of the fun. On our sailing excursion, we met a young couple from Texas who told us about "The Lawn" at "The Castle on the Hill." They said it was a beautiful location and the food was very good. We arrived early for our reservation so we took a designated pathway down to the lighthouse on the point.

We started out the meal with mussels. They were delicious. Roy had the clam chowder.

Below are a few pictures from our tour of The Breakers mansion. Now owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. Although the mansion was ostentatious, the owner was very religious. He and his wife suffered by losing of 4 of their 7 children to death. He and his wife were people of faith and turned to their God in their sorrow.