Monday, April 29, 2024

Explore Newport Month of May

 

Exploring Newport, RI in May: A Perfect Spring Getaway

 

As May ushers in warmer temperatures and longer days, Newport, Rhode Island, emerges as an idyllic destination for travelers seeking a blend of history, culture, and coastal charm. Nestled along the scenic shores of Narragansett Bay, this quaint seaside town offers an array of activities and events to delight visitors of all ages. Here are some must-do experiences to add to your itinerary when visiting Newport in May.

 

1. Tour the Mansions: May provides an ideal opportunity to explore Newport's famous Gilded Age mansions, such as The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms. Marvel at the opulent architecture, lavish interiors, and meticulously manicured gardens that offer a glimpse into the extravagant lifestyles of America's elite during the late 19th century.

 

2. Sail the Seas: Embrace Newport's maritime heritage with a sailing excursion around the bay. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a novice enthusiast, there are plenty of options for charters, sailing lessons, or relaxing cruises that allow you to soak in the stunning coastal scenery and feel the salty breeze against your skin.

 

3. Stroll the Cliff Walk: Take a leisurely walk along the iconic Cliff Walk, a 3.5-mile trail that winds along the rugged coastline, offering breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and passing by some of Newport's most picturesque estates. Don't forget to bring your camera to capture the panoramic vistas and perhaps catch a glimpse of playful seals basking on the rocks below.

 

4. Explore Historic Downtown: Wander through Newport's historic downtown area, where cobblestone streets are lined with charming shops, art galleries, and eateries. Browse unique boutiques for locally crafted souvenirs, indulge in fresh seafood at waterfront restaurants, or simply soak up the ambiance of this vibrant coastal community.

 

5. Attend the Newport Oyster Festival: If you're visiting towards the end of May, don't miss the annual Newport Oyster Festival held at Bowen's Wharf. Sample an assortment of succulent oysters from local growers, sip on craft beers and wines, and enjoy live music and cooking demonstrations in a lively waterfront setting.

 

With its rich history, stunning landscapes, and vibrant cultural scene, Newport, RI, offers a wealth of experiences to savor during the month of May. Whether you're drawn to its grand mansions, scenic vistas, or culinary delights, this charming coastal town is sure to leave you enchanted and eager to return for more.

 

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· In       In essence, Newport, RI, through the eyes of a discerning tourist, is a haven of refined elegance, cultural sophistication, and exclusive indulgence, offering a truly unforgettable experience for those with discerning tastes.

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Newport Daffodil Days are here!!

 

  Whole Month of April


Saturday April 8th 

9:30 am – Tour des Jonquilles Bike Tour Gather at TOURO PARK for a bike tour of thousands of daffodils plus a private garden.  They are giving awards from Bike Newport for best decorated bike!

Saturday April 15th 

7:30 am – Newport Rhode Races Newport Rhode Races presents “Dash through the Daffodils” from EASTON’S BEACH – half marathon and 5k. The Marathon starts at 7:30 am; Half Marathon 8 am; 5k 8:15 am. Sign-ups at RhodeRaces.com         run along the gorgeous flowers

Friday April 21st 

6-7:30 pm Spring Fling Join in on an enchanted evening at Audrain Automotive Museum for an evening among the collection of historic automobiles. Includes silent & live auctions, live entertainment and a champagne toast to our Daffodil Day Queen and family. Wear yellow and decorated hat. Proceeds benefit Newport in Bloom’s FREE Daffodil Bulb Give-away this October. Tickets: $50 (we all love our give away bulbs)

Sunday April 23rd

7 am – Driving Miss Daffodil Daffy Decorate your rides and join Miss Daffodil and the Audrain Automotive Museum’s car rally cruising from EASTON’S BEACH, along Ocean Drive and to a Cars & Coffee meet-up at 2nd/ Sachuest Beach. Limited to the first 50 sign-ups. Cost: $50.00 per vehicle. Register your car at Audrain Events.

Tuesday & Thursday April 25th  & 27th 

2-3 pm – Daffodil Tour & Talk Join the chief horticulturist at GREEN ANIMALS TOPIARY GARDENS for a special tour of the over 22,000 daffodils in bloom, featuring 58 different varieties representing all of the 13 official Daffodil divisions. RSVP required. Email Daffodillion@cox.net

This is a great event!!!

 

Saturday, April 1, 2023

  10 great Things to do in Newport This rainy weekend 

Rhode Island has an astounding 400 miles of Atlantic coastline and boasts the sailing capital of the world, Newport. You'll find Gilded Age Mansions like The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House where Alva Vanderbilt once held women's rights rallies, and several other grand estates. 

 

1.Cliff Walk

The Cliff Walk was designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, the first in New England. This unique 3.5-mile walk combines the stunning natural beauty of the Newport shoreline with its premier architectural history in the National Historic District.

Guests will be delighted by the geology, wildflowers, and birds while walking from smooth paved pathways to rugged and rough terrain along the shore. One-minute visitors will be passing through manicured lawns on private property, and the next they'll be scrambling across sandy boulders or staring into a 70-foot drop. The stunning views coupled with the mixture of history and nature make this a top attraction in Newport.

2)Beavertail Lighthouse Museum

The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum is the third oldest lighthouse in North America, sitting on the southernmost point of Jamestown, Rhode Island. This historic lighthouse boasts a museum that offers a collection of artifacts and informational material on the lighthouse itself, Narragansett Bay's maritime science, technology, and art pieces depicting the culture of the community.

In addition to the museum, guests can climb the tower via 49 steps up a spiral staircase and a 7-foot ladder that opens onto the observation catwalk. The reward is an epic view of the bay and skyline. There is a museum gift shop and also open space at adjacent Beavertail State Park.


 


3. Visit the Mansions.......      

 Elms 

The Elms became a National Historic Landmark in 1996 after having been occupied from the late 1800s to the mid-1960s by the Berwind family. Used as a summer home, Mr. Berwind commissioned architect Horace Trumbauer to construct it, drawing inspiration from the mid-18th century French Chateau d'Asnieres.

The stately home was completed in 1901 and featured interior designs and furnishings by Paris designers Allard and Sons. It became the backdrop to Berwind's accumulation of 18th century oriental jades and French and Venetian paintings. Guests can see this lovely home, artifact collections, and intricate Classic Revival gardens by joining one of the hourly Servant Life tours or audio tours.


4. Marble House 

The Marble House was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 after changing hands from Alva Vanderbilt to Fredrick H. Prince in 1932, and then to the Preservation Society in 1963. Designed by architect Richard Hunt and modeled after the Petit Trianon at Versailles, it was a gift to Alva Vanderbilt from her husband.

The home served as an architectural and social landmark, becoming the first home to begin transforming the Newport neighborhood of summer homes into an opulent vacation resort area for the elite. Years later, Alva Vanderbilt had a seaside tea house built on the property where she held women's rights rallies. Audio tours are available.

5.The Breakers

The Breakers is a National Historic Landmark comprised of a 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palazzo, stable, and carriage house. Originally a premier summer cottage purchased by the esteemed Vanderbilt family in the late 19th century, a fire burned its wood-framed structure to the ground. This allowed for the construction of the grand estate, inspired by the Genoa palaces of the 16th century, to be created.

Open to the public since 1948, guests can tour the impressive grounds where one-of-a-kind sculptures by Karl Bitter and pristine architecture by Ogden Codman are eloquently featured. Beneath the Breakers tours are offered every half hour, where guests learn of the rich history the Vanderbilts brought to steamships and railroads.


6) Rough Point

Rough Point is the shoreline estate of Doris Duke - heiress, art collector, and philanthropist. The estate remains exactly as she left it, with stunning French furniture, opulent European art on the walls, Flemish tapestries, and her collection of Chinese porcelains.

When its season opens in April each year, guests are welcomed on guided tours of the house and on self-guided exploration of the exquisite grounds and gardens. Exhibitions change annually, including the 2016 Waterscapes exhibition prominently displaying Doris Duke's collection of Shangri La art pieces, and the 2017 Nature Tamed exhibition, visualized in garden, landscape, and estate collections.

7)  Rosecliff Mansion: The Rosecliiff Mansion was commissioned by Theresa Fair Oelrichs, a Nevada silver heiress in 1899. Modeled after the Grand Trianon - the garden oasis of French kings at Versailles - and designed by architect Stanford White, it was completed in 1902.

Throughout the years, Mrs. Oelrichs hosted lavish parties, including her famed fairytale dinner with special guest magician, Harry Houdini. The mansion was eventually gifted to the Preservation Society by subsequent owners Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe, complete with furnishings and an endowment, in 1971. It's currently open to the public for tours and private events and features annual exhibits.

8) Must go to Bowens Warf

Bowen's Wharf is one of the premier natural harbors in New England - a year-round destination that has a little something for everyone. Visitors will feel as though they've been transported to a different era with the brick walkways, granite docks, and 18th-century commercial buildings from the thriving seaport's beginnings.

Known as the anchor of Newport, businesses on the wharf trade with countries from all over the world providing excellent shopping and dining opportunities. Guests to the wharf can engage in various activities from harbor cruises, sunset sails, and parasailing to boutique shopping, wine tasting, and gallery hopping.

9) International Tennis Hall of Fame

The International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) is committed to the preservation of the game of tennis and the celebration of the sport's greats, as reflected in the museum and historic grounds. ITHF resides within the Newport Casino, a National Historic Landmark and social club that opened in 1880 for Newport's summer elite.

Its museum displays roughly 2,000 artifacts of the ITHF's impressive collection of over 25,000 objects, publications, videos, and photographs. Museum guests will be captivated by interactive experiences with exhibits and learn about the history and evolution of tennis over time with comprehensive narratives.

10) Fort Adams State Park

Fort Adams State Park is the biggest and most intricate complex coastal fortification in the nation, built between 1824 and 1874 in Newport, Rhode Island. This fortress, surrounded by Narragansett Bay, was active during World War II; it was able to mount over 400 cannons and house just under 2,500 troops.

Now inactive, guests are welcome to tour the grand facility on hour-long guided walks from the top of its massive walls to the depths of its underground tunnels. Visitors can also experience a sunset walk around the perimeter of the state park. The 2.5-mile jaunt offers exemplary views.


Monday, March 15, 2021

Here’s the status of major Newport County and Rhode Island events in 2021

 THINGS TO DO

Here’s the status of major Newport County and Rhode Island events in 2021

  • An event on this schedule is simply that – scheduled, that does not mean that it is 100% moving forward or confirmed, so use caution with planning.
  • Confirmed means that event organizers have announced that they are moving forward with plans, actively promoting that the events will go on as scheduled.
  • To Be Announced (TBA) means that we’re waiting on dates, updates from organizers.

March

14: Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade (postponed to tentatively September 25)

April

3: Easter Egg Hunt & Brunch at Rosecliff (Canceled)

9 – 18: Newport Restaurant Week – Remix (Confirmed)

9 – 18: Newport Daffodil Days

9 – 5/16: Daffodil Days at Blithewold Mansion

15 – July 4: Asian Lantern Spectacular at RWPZoo (Confirmed)

17 – 30: 2nd Annual Hotel Week (Confirmed)

17: Rhode Races Newport (Postponed. On March 10, Newport City Council rescinded the event license for this date. Race organizers are going to work with City staff on moving the race to possibly June)

22 – 30: Newport Arboretum Week

23 – 24: Newport Craft Beer Festival

25: Clamdigger 5-mile and 5K Road Race

29 – May 3: Be Green Kids Consignments Spring/Summer Sale at Longplex (Confirmed)

May

2: Aquidneck Island National Police Parade

22: Newport Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Postponed to October 16 & 17)

22 – 23: Newport Oyster & Chowder Festival

28 – 30: Rogue Island Comedy Festival (Confirmed)

28 – 31: Boots On The Ground For Heroes Memorial at Fort Adams

  • Dates TBA: newportFILM Outdoor Series
  • Dates TBA: Waterfire

June

5: Opening match of 2021 Newport Polo Season – USA vs Switzerland

6: BankNewport 10 Miler

11 – 13: New York Yacht Club: 167th Annual Regatta

12: Gaspee Days Parade (Confirmed)

18 – 20: Newport Flower Show

26: Rhode Races Independence

July

3: Jamestown Fireworks Display

4: Newport Fireworks Display (TBA)

4 – 20: Newport Music Festival (Confirmed)

5: Bristol Fourth of July Parade (Confirmed)

10 -11: Wickford Arts Festival

10 – 11: Newport Regatta

11 – 18: International Tennis Hall of Fame Open

17 – 18: Sail Newport 12mR Regatta

18 – 24: Providence Fringe Festival

23 – 25: Newport Folk Festival

30 – 8/1: Newport Jazz Festival

August

6-8: Charlestown Seafood Festival

9 – 13: Rhode Island International Film Festival

11 -15: 55th Washington County Fair

20 – 21: British Car Festival

22: Coaching Weekend (Postponed to 2022)

24 – 29: 18th C.Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta (Confirmed)

28 – 29: J/Fest Regatta

September

3 – 5: Rhythm & Roots Festival

11 – 12: Rhode Island Seafood Festival

16 – 19: Newport International Boat Show

17 – 19: Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival

18: Rhode Races Jamestown

25: Newport Saint Patrick’s Day Parade (Tentative)

30 – 9/3: Audrain’s Newport Concours & Motor Week

October

2 – 3: Norman Bird Sanctuary’s Harvest Fair

2: Newport Festa Italiana Festival In The Park

3: Ocean Road 10K

9 – 11: 55th Scituate Art Festival

9 – 11: Woonsocket Autumnfest (Confirmed)

10: Amica Newport Marathon & Half Marathon

10: Broadway Street Fair

8 – 10: Rogue Island Comedy Festival (Confirmed)

11: Newport Festa Italiana Columbus Day Parade

16 – 17: Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival

16 – 17: Newport Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Rescheduled from May)

17: Pell Bridge Run

24: Rhode Races Narragansett

24: Potter League’s Heart & Sole Walk For Animals

31: Colt State Park Half Marathon

November

5 – 14: Newport Restaurant Week

20 – 1/2: Holidays at the Newport Mansions

26: Newport Illuminated Boat Parade

30 – 12/12: Hamilton at PPAC

December

1 – 31: Christmas In Newport

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Delicious Humus recipe! We love this healthy snack at the Simeon Potter House!

 Humus Recipe


Hummus is an Arabic word that simply means “chickpeas.” And chickpeas have been grown in the Middle East and India for thousands of years.

Humus is made with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon. It’s a common dish in Turkish, Lebanese, Syrian, and Egyptian cuisine, among others. And it’s now gained popularity throughout the world. We love having fresh Humus on hand at the Simeon Potter House for a healthy snack. We love to go to the farmers market to get fresh organic veggies to serve with this delicious dish.




Servings: 6

Prep10 minutes

Ready in: 10 minutes

Ingredients

·       1 (15 oz can) chickpeas / garbanzo beans, drained liquid reserved or dried chickpeas (see below for instructions)

·       2 - 4 tbsp. liquid from can of chickpeas

·       3 tbsp. tahini

·       2 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

·       2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving if desired

·       1 medium garlic clove

·       Salt, to taste

·       Sumac, for serving

Instructions

1. Add chickpeas, 2 tbsp. liquid from chickpea can, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and cumin to food processor.

 

2. Season with salt to taste (I usually use 1/2 tsp), then process for 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy, while adding additional reserved liquid to thin as needed (note that it will thicken once chilled).

 

3. If desired, plate then swirl in center and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Sumac (red bush berry with a flavor profile typically likened to the tartness of lemon)

 

4. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container up to 1 week.

DRY Chickpeas

1. Add 1lb (uncooked) chickpeas to a large pot and cover with 2 inches water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat so that it is a low boil for 1 hour.  Alternately place the dry chickpeas in a large bowl or pot and fill with water so that the water is at least an inch or two above the peas. Let them soak overnight in the fridge.