Newport is one of my favorite New England destinations for a summer getaway.  With its coastal beauty, opulent mansions, yachting heritage, and summer music festivals, there’s plenty to see and do.

Newport is where the ultra rich spent their summers at the turn of the 19th century.  No longer just a playground for the super wealthy, even those of us on a budget can enjoy a day or a weekend here.  Home of the America’s Cup yacht race for many decades, Newport is probably best known for its “summer cottages”.  These Gilded Age mansions were built for the Vanderbilts and Astors during an age when wealth was flaunted with lavish parties and hundreds of guests on sprawling lawns that stretched to the coastline.  

Many of these mansions have been acquired and preserved by the Preservation Society of Newport and are open for tours.  The Breakers is the most famous and is a 70 room Italian-Renaissance style palazzo built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II.  With all its original furnishings you get a good idea of the Vanderbilt lifestyle.  The Marble House lives up to its name with 500,000 cubic feet of marble.  Rosecliff has a beautiful design and was the filming location for High Society, The Great Gatsby and True Lies.  Wear comfortable shoes, since you’ll be doing a lot of walking. You can park at one of the many mansions and use the walking tour map to see the rest.

To get a real feel for what life was like, tour the Beechwood mansion.  While touring the mansion you’ll see the Beechwood Theatre Company portray the Astor family, guests and servants during the Victorian Era.

The Cliff Walk is one of the most scenic walks in New England.  If you aren’t already worn out from touring the mansions, this 3 ½ mile long path overlooks the ocean on one side and the “cottages” on the other.  The start of the Cliff Walk is at Memorial Blvd.  For a shorter walk, start at Forty Steps on Narragansett Ave, off Bellevue and follow it until you exit at Ledge Road. 

Newport has a tradition of summer music festivals.  The Newport Jazz Festival is probably the best known and has been held for over 50 years. The first festival featured jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday.  This year’s Jazz Festival is August 11-13 and features many performers including George Benson, Al Jarreau and Dave Brubeck.

The Newport Folk Festival has been a tradition for nearly 50 years as well. This year’s festival will be August 4 – 6 with folk and celtic performers including   Ronan Tynan and the Indigo Girls.

For classical music buffs, the 2006 Newport Music Festival will be held July 7 – 23. During the festival there will be 3 to 5 classical performances per day in the Newport mansions by artists from around the world.