Enjoy the beauty of Newport, the heart of Rhode Island’s “Classic Coast”, and its Gilded Age architecture

October is an incredible month to travel. And New England is classic. It immediately captivates a traveler with its unique beauty. The entire region turns in October into a blazing patchwork of gold, crimson, and orange, the air is crisp and perfect for long hikes, apple picking, and cozy nights in historic inns, and every winding road looks like it’s from a postcard.

Definitely, one of the amazing places to visit in New England is Newport, Rhode Island. The heart of Rhode Island’s “Classic Coast”, Newport inspires travelers with its stunning Gilded Age architecture, spectacular coastal scenery and inviting hospitality.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes, Newport’s Gilded Age mansions are National Historic Landmarks, seven of them are open for tours. The city and its surrounding area offer an enviable range of activities and destinations for their visitors.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame

In 1881, the Tennis Hall of Fame—then a social club called the Newport Casino designed by the noted architectural firm McKim, Mead & White—hosted the first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships.

The name, Newport Casino, was never meant to refer to gaming and gambling as we think of the term in the modern sense. The word casino in this context traces its origins to the Italian word casina, and refers to a structure found on an idyllic Italian countryside villa used for social gatherings. Conceived as a new model for a social club, the Newport Casino includes a restaurant on the ground floor, club rooms, reading rooms, and billiards on the second and third floors. The grounds were designed to include a theatre, court tennis facility, and lawn tennis courts.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, the Newport Casino represents one of the finest examples of American Shingle Style architecture. It’s open to the public for free unless an event is happenings.

The Cliff Walk

This 3.5-mile walkway runs along the ocean and offers the best vantage point to see some of the city’s most spectacular Gilded Age mansions. The Cliff Walk is free, and open daily to the public from sunrise to sunset.

The Breakers

The largest and grandest of the Newport Mansions, the Breakers was built between 1893 and 1895 as Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s summer “cottage”.

In 1893, Cornelius Vanderbilt II commissioned famed architect Richard Morris Hunt to rebuild a burned-down property into something glorious. No expense was spared on the mansion’s construction. Designers created an interior using marble imported from Italy and Africa and used rare woods and mosaics from countries around the world.

The interior of the 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palazzo impresses the imagination with its splendor.

The mansion with its stately grounds overlooking the Cliff Walk and Easton’s Bay is a National Historic Landmark. The 125,000-square-foot house and 13 acres of grounds are open daily for self-guided tours.

Marble House

In 1892, William Vanderbilt built Marble House as a 39th birthday present for his wife, Alva. The House was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt, inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles.

It was a social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport’s subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary mansion among other opulent Gilded Age mansions.

Marble House is a National Historic Landmark.

The Blue Garden

Among the many notable gardens created by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., the Blue Garden, designed for Arthur Curtiss and Harriet Parsons James, remains a unique expression of landscape art.

The Blue Garden opened in 1913 and was restored in 2014 thanks to the generosity of Campbell Soup heiress Dorrance Hill Hamilton.

The Blue Garden today has been reinterpreted into a palette of lower maintenance blue, purple, and white flowering perennials, annuals, shrubs, and vines – all of which ensure that the garden’s unique design intent will be sustained.

The Garden is open only on Thursdays from June through October.

The Redwood Library

The Redwood Library and Athenaeum is America’s first purpose-built library (dating to 1747), and the oldest continuously operating one in its original location. This year, it celebrates 278 years as Newport’s intellectual center.

Sailing in Newport Harbor

Newport is known for sailing and offers boundless opportunities to get out on the water. America’s Cup Charters operates the largest fleet of America’s Cup Winners in the world, for instance, with both scheduled cruises and private charters available.

A scenic joyride on Ocean Drive

Ocean Drive offers 10 miles of commanding coastline with breathtaking views—an ideal route for a leisurely drive.

Kite-flying entertainment

The kite-flying conditions are perfect at Brenton Park State Park in Newport, which overlooks Ocean Drive. So perfect, in fact, that a Kite Festival takes place there every July. But kite-flying enthusiasts, take every opportunity to enjoy this fascinating entertainment.

Car Museums

The Newport Car Museum and Audrain Auto Museum aim to please even the most discerning car enthusiasts. The Audrain hosts an annual Concours & Motor Week where esteemed judges honor cars that pay homage to history, luxury, and sport.

Birding at Norman Bird Sanctuary

Middletown’s Norman Bird Sanctuary is a 325-acre oasis of diverse habitats featuring seven miles of hiking trails appropriate for all ages and abilities.

Choosing a pumpkin at the Trinity Square Pumpkin Patch

It’s officially fall when the Trinity Square Pumpkin Patch pops up on Queen Anne Square in October.

The patch features more than 1,000 pumpkins, live music, baked goods, lunches, and a pumpkin smashing center where visitors can get untold pleasure.

By Alex Arlander | ENC News