My Photo Diary: Day Trip to Newport

Over Thanksgiving break, my sisters, boyfriend, and I decided to take a spontaneous road trip to Newport, Rhode Island and explore its beautiful historic mansions.

The town of Newport itself is so quaint and beautiful. We had great luck with the weather and decided to walk around upon arrival, exploring the downtown area with its cobbled streets and cute stores and restaurants. I wish we had more time to venture to the Newport Cliff Walk, but the mansion tours ended at 4 and by the time we were finished it was too dark :( 

Regardless, the mansions were absolutely breathtaking. We were able to explore 3 of the houses: The Elms, Marble House, and The Breakers. Added bonus: all of the mansions were decorated for the holiday season! 

The Elms was commissioned and owned by the Berwind family, coal giants of the late 19th/early 20th century. It was the first house we toured, and its exterior is pictured first in my photo diary above. All of the Newport Mansions tours were extremely well-organized and informative. Upon entering the house, you are given a headset with an audio tour leading you through the entire house, providing historical background, fun facts, and an inside look into the family's life at the mansion.

Marble House and The Breakers were famously owned by the Vanderbilts. The Breakers is the grandest and most opulent of all of the Newport Mansions, and it was built to be ENTIRELY fireproof, as its predecessor had burned to the ground. In general, all of the mansions are symbolic of the Gilded Age and its unnecessary opulence. It was clear that these families were trying to establish themselves as American royalty. What blew my mind the most was that these gargantuan buildings, which cost millions and millions to be constructed at the time, were only occupied for 5 OR 6 WEEKS out of the entire year!!! The Newport Mansions were the 5th or 6th homes of the families who commissioned them. Unbelievable.

We completed our visit to Newport with a delicious dinner at a local Irish pub. I was so intrigued by the history of the town that I began researching books on Newport, and I came across a murder mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell. The books, while fiction, take place in the Newport Mansions and bring to life some of the Vanderbilt family members. I highly recommend checking them out!

                    

For more information on the Newport Mansions, visit newportmansions.org 

xoxo Lizzie