Mickey: “She's from one of the islands.”
Francis: “Yea, maybe Rhode Island.”
I've never been to Rhode Island. On the train ride from NYC to Newport I kept thinking of this scene from the movie She's The One. Mickey and Francis Fitzpatrick are two Irish Catholic brothers from New York. They're bickering about the hot exotic girl Mickey picked up in his New York City cab. If you've never seen the movie, its great! Sure it's older, from 1996, but the cast is incredible. Jennifer Anniston, Cameron Diaz, and Edward Burns to name a few. It's one of my favorite films set on the east coast.
I grew up in a very small farm town. Most of the places I've learned about through movies and books. It's no surprise the best way for me to describe most places is in relation to movies.
As for Newport Rhode Island, It's exactly what you might expect it to be. It's Dead Poets Society, Mystic Pizza, Good Will Hunting, Charlie St. Cloud, all of them. It's all American boys, you know, the ones we crushed on growing up. It's boat shoes and sweaters tied around your shoulders, seersucker suits, and straw bags. It's fried clams, oysters, and lobster rolls. It's salty air and dreamy yachts on black glass waters. It's navy blue, crisp white, and polished wood. It's Great Gatsby mansions, passed down through generations of legendary families with tragic pasts. It's overgrown estates like Great Expectations with jaded lovers brooding behind sheer curtains.
I loved it.
1.
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is a treasure chest of tennis history. Filled with memorabilia from the most legendary tennis players in history, it's somewhere any tennis fan should add to their bucket lists. The game continues to evolve and the museum does a great job of walking you through how far tennis has come from its humble beginnings. I especially loved seeing old posters and outfits from the players I grew up idolizing like Steffi Graf, Jeniffer Capriati and Monica Seles.
2.
Mansions Aglow
One of the most popular things to do in Newport is visit the many mansions from the Gilded Age. The Newport Preservation Society does an amazing job preserving these historic buildings. Some of the most popular are The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House, and Rosecliff (The Great Gatsby was filmed here).
3.
The Freshest Seafood
From clam chowder to lobster rolls, there's everything a seafood lover would want. It's no surprise that the seafood in Newport is incredibly fresh! I had fried clams for the first time at Flo's Clam Shack on Easton's Beach. It's definitely something you have to try at least once. Then I had the best crab cakes at The Black Pearl.
I hope this inspires you to add Newport, Rhode Island to your travel list, and that you enjoy the last few days of summer!
XO,
Valerie
If you're loving what you're seeing and craving more, please click the link below to follow me on Instagram! You can find all the places I loved in Newport under the guides tab in my profile!
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