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Newport The Mansions. Nowhere else can you see such a concentration of palatial mansions, and nine are open to the public under individual or the collective auspices of the Preservation Society of Newport County. If you can see only one, make it Cornelius Vanderbilt's opulent 72-room The Breakers, although romantic Rosecliff of “The Great Gatsby” fame and the museum-like Elms would be other choices. After you've seen them all, as we have, you may find refreshing the Victorian Kingscote, which looks lived-in and eminently livable. Schedules and prices vary, but all are open daily at least from May through October; in winter, Rosecliff is open daily and The Breakers and The Elms are open weekends.. Historic Sites. Newport has more than 400 structures dating from the Colonial era. Touro Synagogue (1768), the oldest place of Jewish worship in the country, offers fascinating though limited guided tours. Trinity Church (1726) at the head of Queen Anne Square has the only remaining central pulpit and the second oldest organ in the country. The Quaker Meeting House (1699) is the oldest public building in Newport. St. Mary's Church (1848), where Jacqueline Bouvier was married to John F. Kennedy, is the oldest Catholic parish in Rhode Island. The Redwood Library (1748) is the nation's oldest library building in continuous service. The Old Colony House (1739) is the nation's third oldest capitol building and is still used for public ceremonies. The Hunter House (1748) is considered one of the ten finest Colonial homes in America, while the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House (1690) is the oldest house still on its original site. The Samuel Whitehorne House (1811) is a Federal showplace. The Old Stone Mill may have been built as early as 1100 by the Vikings. The military is represented in the Revolutionary fortification at Fort Adams State Park and the Artillery Company of Newport museum, as well as the Naval War College museum. Water Sites. Ocean Drive winds along Newport's spectacular rocky shoreline, between Bailey's Beach where the 400 swam (and still do) and Brenton Point State Park, past weathered clapboard estates and contemporary homes. The Cliff Walk is a must for a more intimate look at the crashing surf and the backs of the mansions. Narragansett Bay is visible along the nine-mile trip run by the Old Colony & Newport Railway to Portsmouth. King Park along Wellington Avenue has a sheltered beach with a view of the Newport waterfront; the ocean surf rolls in at Easton's Beach. Sports Sites. Yachting reigns across the Newport waterfront. The Museum of Yachting and the wharves off Thames Street and America's Cup Avenue appeal to sailing interests. In the landmark Newport Casino is the International Tennis Hall of Fame, housing the world's largest collection of tennis memorabilia and the Davis Cup Theater, where old tennis films are shown. Outside are thirteen grass courts for tournaments and public use. Shopping. Innumerable and oft-changing shops line Thames Street, the Brick Market Place, Bannister's and Bowen's Wharves, Spring Street and, uptown, fashionable Bellevue Avenue. If the past is an indication, there will be more when you're there. The fun begins outside the Gateway Information Center, where a store called Kelly & Gillis, a.k.a. Signs of Intelligent Life.com, advertises ridiculous gifts, accessories and home furnishings. Occupying a corner location at the entrance to Bowen's Wharf is the Museum Store of the Preservation Society of Newport County; here you'll find everything from cards to throws, from china dogs to nautical memorabilia. Of special interest along Lower Thames Street are places like Tea & Herb Essence, which offers a little of everything from passion fruit teas to herbal remedies and handmade soaps. At Thames Glass, you can watch owner Matthew Buechner and his fellow glass blowers at work in their fascinating studio. For sale in his adjacent shop are some of his creations, including fabulous fish, flowers, vases and ornaments. Potter-in-residence Bridget Butlin shapes wonderful stoneware at Thames Street Pottery. We were particularly taken by all the fish-shaped clocks and dinner plates. On Spring Street, check out Edna Mae's Millinery Store, which carries unique hats made exclusively for the owner. Sweet pillows, quilts and prints are among the offerings at Sarah Elizabeth's. Other downtown favorites are Knits & Pieces
for handknit sweaters, Collage for jewelry and gifts, Primavera
for unusual gifts and garden accents, and Rue de France for
French country decor and accessories. Mark, Fore and Strike
features yachting attire. Irish Imports carries gorgeous wool
things, and Michael Hayes carries designer men’s and women’s
fashions. Up on Bellevue Avenue, check out more Michael Hayes
stores (including one for children) and Cabbages & Kings for
gifts and accessories that appeal to those who still live in Newport's
“cottages.” Runcible Spoon, an outstanding kitchen shop,
displays gaily colored pottery amid the lobster platters and garlic
salsas. Cadeaux du Monde bills itself as a museum where all the
exhibits (art and handicrafts) are for sale. Green Animals, 380 Cory’s Lane off Route 114, Portsmouth. It's worth the drive north of town to see the incredible topiary gardens that live up to their name, Green Animals. Run by the Preservation Society of Newport County, the property displays 80 trees and shrubs sculpted into shapes of a camel, giraffe, lion and elephant at the corners of the original garden, plus a donkey, ostrich, bear, horse and rider, dogs, birds and more. The animals are formed of California privet, while the geometric figures and ornamental designs are of golden and American boxwoods. Willed to the society in 1972 by Alice Brayton, one of its stalwart members, the delightful small country estate sloping toward Narragansett Bay also has espaliered fruit trees, a grape arbor, dahlia and vegetable gardens, and a gift and garden shop where you can buy forms to make your own topiary. Ten rooms in the Brayton House contain original furnishings and Victorian toy collections. (401) 847-1000. Open daily 10 to 6, late May to
early October. Adults, $10. Material excerpted from Inn Spots & Special Places in New England, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2004. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
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