Ocean & Mansions
During a visit to Rhode Island, I had the pleasure of stopping for the afternoon at the Cliff Walk in Newport. This was a lovely, peaceful stroll down a path with the ocean on one side and rich architecture on the other side. The path is 3.5 miles long, but we did not get to the whole thing.
There are a couple different spots from which you can start the Cliff Walk. We parked and started at Narragansett Ave. It is metered parking, but was only a few bucks for three hours. This is also the spot called Forty Steps. A guy got his credit card stuck in the parking meter... He was trying to put it in the slot where the receipt comes out, if I remember correctly...
Anyway, we checked out the Forty Steps area. It was very nice, but a little bit crowded. There were a couple bathrooms there that had long lines. The Forty Steps themselves are stairs leading down to an area good for ocean viewing. There are rocky edges visible, making for a nice scene.
Moving on, we went to the right on the Cliff Walk. This trail is beautiful. During most of the walk, you have giant, beautiful works of architecture on one side and rocks and crashing waves on the other side.
The trail itself is made of rocks that are easy to walk on, until you get to some certain spots. There are areas of the trail that is made up of rock that isn't level. With that said, there are spots where the drop is pretty high. Be sure to watch your step!
You can walk through some stone arch tunnels as well. Another great thing about this trail is that there are places where you can easily stop and take a rest on the rocks below. I felt fancy just walking on this designated National Recreation Trail!
Though the rocks and waves were the highlight of the walk for me, we got to see some very cool and very large mansions. The mansions were built by various rich people in the late 1800s and early 1900s, during the Gilded Age in Newport. A couple of mansions that I got pictures of were the Ochre Court mansion and the Rough Point mansion.
You mostly get a view of the back of the mansions from the Cliff Walk, but you can walk to Bellevue Ave. to see the front. If you're willing to pay, you can also tour the mansions, which sounds pretty neat. I'm not too big on history, especially history of rich families that I know nothing about. Because of that, the mansions weren't very exciting to me other than providing for an elegant air while walking on the Cliff Walk.
We turned back the way we came after walking for about an hour and a half. It probably would have been possible to exit the Cliff Walk at a street and take a different route back, but we just didn't. An alternate route would be something to think about if visiting though, in order to see everything possible.
Apart from the Cliff Walk, there are beaches nearby, a state park, and other attractions within Newport. Although we didn't really check out any other parts of Newport, or Rhode Island for that matter, it's safe to stay that Newport would be a worth-while stop for anyone passing through. Take a little break from the city bustle of the Northeast and walk the Cliff Walk!
There are a couple different spots from which you can start the Cliff Walk. We parked and started at Narragansett Ave. It is metered parking, but was only a few bucks for three hours. This is also the spot called Forty Steps. A guy got his credit card stuck in the parking meter... He was trying to put it in the slot where the receipt comes out, if I remember correctly...
Anyway, we checked out the Forty Steps area. It was very nice, but a little bit crowded. There were a couple bathrooms there that had long lines. The Forty Steps themselves are stairs leading down to an area good for ocean viewing. There are rocky edges visible, making for a nice scene.
Onto the Cliff Walk!
Moving on, we went to the right on the Cliff Walk. This trail is beautiful. During most of the walk, you have giant, beautiful works of architecture on one side and rocks and crashing waves on the other side.The trail itself is made of rocks that are easy to walk on, until you get to some certain spots. There are areas of the trail that is made up of rock that isn't level. With that said, there are spots where the drop is pretty high. Be sure to watch your step!
You can walk through some stone arch tunnels as well. Another great thing about this trail is that there are places where you can easily stop and take a rest on the rocks below. I felt fancy just walking on this designated National Recreation Trail!
The Mansions
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| Ochre Court |
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| Rough Point |
You mostly get a view of the back of the mansions from the Cliff Walk, but you can walk to Bellevue Ave. to see the front. If you're willing to pay, you can also tour the mansions, which sounds pretty neat. I'm not too big on history, especially history of rich families that I know nothing about. Because of that, the mansions weren't very exciting to me other than providing for an elegant air while walking on the Cliff Walk.
We turned back the way we came after walking for about an hour and a half. It probably would have been possible to exit the Cliff Walk at a street and take a different route back, but we just didn't. An alternate route would be something to think about if visiting though, in order to see everything possible.
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