It's Tuesday evening in New Bedford/MA, we are staying in a Fairfield Inn by Marriott, directly at the busy fishing harbor. Time flies, and we've had it all in the last two days: rich people and mansions (in Newport/RI) as well as Melville and Moby Dick, hard-working whalers, fishermen and mill-workers (in New Bedford). We've had rain out of buckets yesterday and sun today. Were on our own yesterday and in good company today. Wish I would have packed more sweaters, the weather is very changeable and it rained quite a bit to date.
Newport - where we arrived on Monday morning - is considered "Americas First Resort" and has evolved from an asylum for religious dissenters to a Gilded Age playground from the 1890ies to the 1920ies. Starting in the 1850ies, Newport became a summer colony, where the rich people liked to spend their vacation, later big mansions were commissioned by industrialists, oil or railroad magnats and philanthropists, today, five of them are regularly open to the public. Famous families of the time, like the Vanderbilts (see portrait of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt above, who got rich with steamboats and railroad construction, the Firestones (rubber tires), the Dukes (tobacco), or the Berwinds (coal) owned big mansions in different fancy architectural styles with dozens of rooms, lots of servants and every luxury imaginable. If you think about it: it was usually just for six weeks in summer that they stayed here!
There are private clubs, private beaches and - though the big mansions aren't really fenced in or supervised by cameras today - everything is highly exclusive, also the galleries and boutiques. After our trolley tour in the pooring rain in the morning along Bellevue Ave with the big mansions, Ocean Drive along the coastline and through downtown, we explored the History Museum (rather small), the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the former casino, with adjacent tennis courts (see pics above), and the Audrain Auto Museum (about 20 luxury cars).
We walked part of the Cliff Walk - a beautiful trail (even in the rain!) along the coastline (pics above) - and continued for The Breakers (pics), the largest mansion in town, which was swamped with people, especially Chinese groups. The other big mansions, like The Elms, Marble House or Rosecliff, are a little "smaller" and each of them shows a different "fashion" and architectural style.
Walked back to the hotel, feet getting sore, to pick up our car and to head out again to see "Newport Storm", a brewery and distillery in the outskirts of Newport. Their tasting room was packed, but beer and rum both were really worth the drive.
Unfortuntately, our pre-arranged sailing trip in the evening was cancelled because of the weather. Would have loved to see Newport from the water! At least, we took a look at the boat, the "Madeleine" at Bowen's Wharf in the evening (pic), hoping to get a rain cheque for a future sail. Enjoyed the evening in our beautiful B&B, the Hilltop Inn, built beginning of the 20th century, a masterwork of craftmanship. Each of the ++ five rooms is tastefully furnished and very comfortable with a jacuzzi and a fireplace. Especially loved the huge bathroom and the comfy bed with a vie towards the garden. Also, snacks and sweets were being served and the garden would have been beautiful in good weather! Just the perfect place to stay after a long rainy day!
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