Newport Rhode Island off the Beaten Path Destination Spots

I’ve already written about the more well known Newport Rhode Island destination spots but today I’ll share some less-visited gems with you.

These “off the beaten path” destinations include family summer destinations, museums, churches, and schools. Newport has a special place in New England and the nation’s history, and a walk around this small city uncovers the significant influence it has had on our love of sailing and yachts and our fierce fight for independence.

Beaches of Newport Area:

The Newport area names its main beaches with numbers such as first, second, and third. However, the only one in Newport is First Beach. The other two are in nearby Middletown. First Beach is also known as Easton’s Beach, and it is a short walk from the town center.

Easton’s Beach is popular with the local families because it has a lot to entertain the kids in addition to the safe waters. Amenities at the beach include a children’s playground, carousel, aquarium, Skateboard Park, and a snack and souvenir shop. During the summer it is not unusual to see a beach wedding as with the Rotunda it makes an ideal place to take vows and celebrate afterwords.

Brenton State Park:

About half-way around the 10-mile Ocean Drive you’ll come across an unassuming large open green space called Brenton State Park. It is a popular spot with residents for flying kites, having an afternoon picnic, and just generally hanging-out near the ocean with its omnipresent breeze.

The park has a number of cooking pits and picnic tables but get there early in the summer as they are captured quickly, and families often settle in for the day bringing games and balls for fun sports. But it is the kites that dazzle and amaze at this place. Bring your own kite or buy one there as there is usually at least one “kite stand” selling beginner or elaborate kites.

Another popular pastime is checking out the tidal pools the rocks create to see what has been “captured” and you can usually find crabs and other sea creatures in the pools. There are usually plenty of people fishing from the rocks as well as this is considered a prime area for shore fishing.

Museum of Newport History:

For a taste of Newport’s place in New England’s past and present head straight to the Museum of Newport History located in Brick Market. The museum traces the roots of the city from its early settlers escaping the harsh intolerance by the puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, to the occupation by the English during the revolutionary period, and then the influx of wealth brought with the Gilded Age period.

The museum has many artifacts and photographs on display and you can watch a video tour of historic Bellevue Avenue. The museum is an information center and a departure point for guided walking tours.

Green Animals Topiary Garden:
Most people who visit the Newport Mansions know about The Breakers and Marble House and the others along Bellevue Avenue, but few realize the Preservation Society Mansions also include the Green Animals Topiary Garden and even fewer visit it.

Located away from the town center a short drive away in the neighboring town of Portsmouth it tends to be overlooked because it takes a little effort to get there. But it can make a welcome change from the opulence of the main Mansion attractions.

The primary attraction at Green Animals is the gardens and in particular the topiary animal designs. There are about 21 animals and birds depicted in the 80 topiary on display as diverse as an elephant, teddy bear, and a unicorn. The 7-acre estate overlooks Narragansett Bay and in addition to the topiary includes vegetable and herb gardens, orchards and a Victorian House you can visit.

The estate was left to The Preservation Society of Newport County when the owner Alice Brayton died in 1972.

International Yacht Restoration School:

The International Yacht Restoration School or IYRS as it is known locally is primarily a school for students interested in learning the craft of boat building and restoration. The long heritage of Newport as a center of yachts and sailing have provided pleasure to millions who visit Newport for its attractions related to the America’s Cup and chance to see a famous yacht that competed for the prize.

The tradition of Yacht building is kept alive at the IYRS but this is also a place that visitors to Newport can check out. The IYRS has summer tours, exhibits and attractions both on and off the water. When school is in session you can watch students working on the restoration of a Gilded Age yacht. Otherwise tours are conducted in the summer which includes a trip down to the dock to see the finished work of the shipwrights the school graduates each year.

This year the IYRS has linked up with the Museum of Yachting over in Fort Adams State Park for a display on the “Coronet” a schooner from the Gilded Age which is more a floating mansion than a schooner. The exhibit at the museum includes historic photos of the Coronet and details of her luxurious interior you can’t see when viewing the actual restoration project at the school.

In addition to the Coronet display the museum also has two other displays on exhibit for summer 2009 - a water taxi runs across the harbor from the schools docks to the museum.

Washington Square:

The Washington Square area in downtown Newport was the hub of politics and commerce during colonial times. During the War of Independence the British Troops occupied Newport until leaving in 1780. Most of the town by then had been destroyed but a few colonial buildings survived and these can be seen while walking around Washington Square. The square is opposite the Museum of Newport History.

Noteworthy buildings and architecture to see include the White Horse Tavern which claims to be the oldest operating tavern in America, Statue of Oliver Hazard Perry – a significant figure in the War of 1812 – and Colony House, which was Rhode Island’s seat of government until 1900.

A leisurely stroll around Washington Square provides a walk back in time, and even though today the square is surrounded by shops and modern residential dwellings it still has the ambiance of Newport as it was three hundred years ago.

Trinity Church:

A building has been on the Trinity Church location since the early eighteenth century. The present building was completed in 1726 and though not the oldest church in Newport – Saint Mary’s holds that distinction - it is the most striking.

The church architecture is reminiscent of the Old North Church in Boston and the builder is said to have based his designs on those built by Sir Christopher Wren in London, England during the late 17th century. The interior of the present day church has striking features and a tour is scheduled year round after the 10:00am service on Sunday.

Trinity church is often confused as the place Jacqueline Lee Bouvier married John F Kennedy in 1953; however, that event happened at Saint Mary’s Church just a few blocks down on Memorial Boulevard.

If you have more time to visit then check out further destinations in Newport Rhode Island here.

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Editor
Destinations in New England

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire – The Quiet Side of Lake Winnipesaukee

The village of Wolfeboro sits on the quiet side of Lake Winnipesaukee in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

The eastern shore of New Hampshire’s largest and deepest lake makes a perfect getaway destination.

It doesn’t receive the commercial attention the western shore towns get from tourism and visitors, and the residents probably appreciate it.

However, if daytime is not so busy, at night it is a magnet for people with boats. And if you own a boat and decide to visit the town of an evening for dinner or an ice cream then arrive early otherwise finding a place to dock on a warm summer’s night can be frustrating.

Lodging and Dining in Wolfeboro:

Hotels, Motels, Inn’s and bed and breakfast accommodation are available in the town. The Wolfeboro Inn has been a landmark place for staying and dinning for years, but I’ve also been reading good reviews about the Lake Motel recently. If B&B is your preference then top rated places to stay include: 123 North Main, 1810 House, Topsides, and Tuck Me Inn.

The town is full of shops and restaurants and includes Garwoods Restaurant, 51 Mill Street, and Mise En Place.

Places of Interest:

The town’s attraction is as a resort in a quiet community away from the hustle of Weirs Beach, Alton and the western shore towns, but if you’re prepared to wander around then check out the Clark House and the New Hampshire Boat Museum

The Clark House was built in 1778 and you can take a tour of this authentically furnished house maintained by the Wolfeboro Historical Society along with some other buildings in town. The New Hampshire Boat Museum is a celebration of the boating history of the New Hampshire Lakes and includes a selection of vintage mahogany antique boats and featured craft such as Garwood, Layman and Hacker, along with canoes and sail boats. The Museum is about 2-miles form the center of town.

M/S Mount Washington:

And talking of boating, if you get the chance take a cruise around Lake Winnipesaukee on the M/S Mount Washington. The boat makes stops at Meredith, Weirs Beach and Alton, and on Friday’s and Saturdays it includes stops at Wolfeboro. Weirs Beach is its home port and you should check schedules to make sure you can get back to Wolfeboro if that is your final destination.

Riding on the M/S Mount Washington offers a delightful way of seeing the Lake Winnipesaukee and the surrounding mountains and high peaks to the north. The cruise ship often has lunch and dinner themes and a Sunday Brunch. Check out their web site at www.cruisenh.com/

The Castle in the Clouds:

The eastern shores of Lake Winnipesaukee are overshadowed by the Ossipee Mountains - a range included in the foothills of the White Mountains. Hiking is a popular activity in the range but it is most famous for a house that clings to its slopes and known as the Castle in the Clouds.

Located near the town of Moultonborough and a short drive from Wolfeboro the property includes the castle itself, 45-miles of hiking, and beautiful gardens and waterfalls. The views from the castle as you look out over the mountains and lakes of the region perched high above are staggering in the summer and breathtaking in the fall foliage months.

The house was built in 1913-1914 by Tom Plant who made his money in the shoe industry during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries. Originally called “Lucknow” the property is privately owned but you can take tours of the castle and grounds and it includes a café and gift shop.

But make the trip for the views and the walks on the property – you’ll not be disappointed.

For more ideas and suggestions for things to see and do in the region check out my Lake Winnipesaukee vacation section here.


Cliff Calderwood
Executive Editor
New England Vacation Guide