International Tennis Hall of Fame

On Bellevue Avenue is the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum.  In here, you can learn about the history of tennis from it's creation to modern day.  The most interesting part to me was seeing the kinds of clothes they were back in the 1800's and early 1900's.  I don't think anyone would even consider wearing clothes like that these days to play tennis.

You'll also see all of the inductees to the hall of fame with an interactive exhibit to allow you to learn about their career.  There are also courts here that are still actively used and can even be played on by you for the right fee, including lessons.  Another very interesting portion is where you can see an indoor tennis court where the rules allow you to play the ball off the wall.  This can also be played on for a fee.

For any tennis fan, this is a great experience.  However, if you aren't a big fan of the sport, there isn't too much to interest you in a visit.

Ocean Drive and Cliff Walk

There's plenty of specific places to visit when visiting Newport, RI.  However, two of the most enjoyable things to do are free and non-specific.  The first is the Cliff Walk, which allows you to walk along a cliff to the east shore of the island and get gorgeous views of the ocean, cliffs and mansions of Newport.  The total walk is about 3.5 miles, but that might be a bit much for some.  If it sounds like too much (and remember, after the walk, you'll need to get back to your car), you can also only do a portion of it.  The best place to park your car then is on Narrangasett Avenue, around the intersection with Ochre Point Avenue.  Here, you can go down the Forty Steps and do as much of the walk as you want towards the mansion area.  After the walk, feel free to visit some of the mansions, especially the Breakers.

To get a great view by car, follow the signs from downtown Newport for Ocean Drive.  This isn't a specific road, but it allow you to get a great ocean view from all angles of Newport.  From Downtown, it takes you to Fort Adams and from there allows you to follow the south coast of the island all the way to Rough Point.  This is a spectacular drive with plenty of pull offs for you to stop with your camera and is highly recommended by us.

Mansion Tours

If there's one thing that Newport, Rhode Island is famous for, it's for the mansions with gorgeous ocean views and lavish interiors.  Touring these buildings has become quite an attraction, and you can visit a good majority of these through the Newport Preservation Society. We got a pass to allow us to visit 5 mansions (although we were only able to do 4 in the day).

The top one to visit is the Breakers, which was built by the Vanderbilts.  It's difficult to put into words what the interior or exterior of this mansion looks like, but let's just say that everyone in your group will be impressed.  When entering, you're also given a set of headphones for a self-guided audio tour, which was quite enjoyable and gave you a great understanding of the history of the building and its former residents.

We also got to tour the Elms, Marble House and Rosecliff on this day, which were all impressive as well.  They all came with self-guided audio tours and you got a great appreciation for what life in Newport in the Gilded Age was really like.  From the backyards of all of the mansions, you'll get great views of the ocean (except the Elms, as that is on the opposite side of the street) and a great place to just relax for a while.  The Marble House also has the Chinese Tea House in the backyard, which is a convenient place to stop for lunch during the day.

Exploring these mansions is almost a must-do when visiting Newport and is quite enjoyable.  Also, to make this more convenient for tourists, each mansion does have its own parking that is free.

Rough Point

At the end of Bellevue Avenue at the junction between the ends of Ocean Drive and Cliff Walk is Rough Point, a house formerly owned by Doris Duke.  While there are a lot of mansions available to tour in Newport, this one must be booked separately to visit.  The advantage of this is that you get a small private tour through the house with a maximum of 12 people, unlike the other mansions which can get quite crowded.

There are also more limited hours for this and it is suggested to book a reservation in advance to ensure you have a spot.  The tour gives a thorough history of the house, the artwork displayed in the house, as well as the history of the life of Doris Duke.  This is a great tour that really helps you understand what life in Newport was like during Doris Duke's lifetime.

Sightsailing

The main thing Newport, RI is known for is sailing.  So, when visiting, going out for a sail is a must-do.  There are numerous options for this.  If you're someone who can't afford a private sailing, a group sailing is the next best thing and the crew on Sightsailing were excellent.

We decided to do a sunset cruise, which had a gorgeous view as we pulled out of the harbor.  We got a great overall look of the harbor, the Jamestown bridge, Fort Adams and Clingstone (a house on rocks in the water). Unfortunately, about half way through the sail, "the fog rolled in" which severely limited our visibility.  However, that's something that can't be helped.  Even with that, it was a very comfortable sail and the crew was giving out plenty of beer and champagne to anyone who wanted.  They even let the guests help with the sails (which made for great photo opportunities).

For the sailings, definitely wear long pants and bring a sweat shirt, it gets chilly out on the water. For daytime sailings, bring a hat or something to protect you from the sun.

This is definitely a tour that should be on your itinerary during a visit to Newport.

Black Duck Inn

The Black Duck Inn is a quaint Bed & Breakfast located right off the main wharf of downtown Newport, RI on Pelham Street.  This central location makes it perfect for being able to walk to most things downtown.  With the expensive cost of parking in this area (ranging between $10-$20 a day), the free parking the hotel provides is a great benefit.

When we checked in, we got upgraded to the Meritage Suite, which was located on the 2nd floor.  It should be noted that you do need to check in a block down the street at the Blue Jewel Inn, but this did not prove to be problematic at all.

The room itself was very clean and the bed was the most comfortable bed we've ever slept in at a hotel.  In addition, this room has a private Jacuzzi to help you relax after a long day of walking around Newport.  The flat panel TV is a little small, but there is a good amount of channels to choose from for viewing when you're in for the night and relaxing.

Each morning, the breakfast, served between 8 and 10 AM, was phenomenal.  The first morning we had French Toast with sausage that was made as soon as we came down the stairs.  The 2nd day we had a vegetable quiche with bacon that was also delicious.  In addition to these freshly made dishes, there was fresh fruit, english muffins, cereal and other standard breakfast choices available.  Throughout the day, there was always tea and coffee available, as well as fresh baked cookies.

We'd definitely recommend this bed & breakfast to anyone staying in Newport and will definitely stay there again in any future visits.

Grim Philly Twilight Tours

Philadelphia is full of tour group opportunities for visitors to the city.  If you'd like to try something a little more fun and interesting than the standard historical tour or ghost tour, definitely give Grim Philly Tours a try.  We did the "Vampires, Sex, Ghosts!...& so much more" tour and were glad we did.

The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.  For all of the stories he told, he made sure to also cite the sources of where they came from.  I don't want to give away any specific stories, but the tour started at Independence Visitor's Center, worked its way to Washington Square and wound its way to Welcome Park to give people a good bit of depth of Independence National Historical Park.

Whether you're a local or someone visiting from out of town, this is a tour well worth visiting.  However, if you're taking children with you, definitely be aware that there are some things told on the tour that aren't meant for youngsters.