Rhode Island: Gilded Shores

So when planning our trip, to coincide with Jaws 50th and Naomi and Danielle's mission trip, we remembered the words of my aunt and uncle: Anytime you are in the area, you are welcome to stay at our house. They have a vacation home in Rhode Island which is near-ish the area where we were going to be! They indeed graciously let us stay at their place -- an amazing, beautiful home on the edge of the Providence River in Barrington, RI. 😍

We enjoyed the serene setting, cool temps, and incredible view from their awesome balcony. I personally enjoyed doing yoga in a new surrounding - outside in the morning and no mosquitoes! 

After a chill morning, we did venture out to do touristy things in nearby Providence (because, ya know, just about everything is "nearby" in the tiny state of Rhode Island 😏)

Lunch in Little Italy

Sculpture at Brown University (not a giant stone in a real tree)

Stroll in Prospect Terrace Park

Providence Industrial Mural

Narragansett is the beer that Quint drinks in Jaws. (Please don't ask me to pronounce it -- I got it wrong the entire trip...). We played board games and got a flight of random beers at the Narragansett Brewery, because they don't/can't sell the beer here. NOTE: RI also doesn't allow any alcohol to be sold in grocery stores - that is restricted to "package stores" - some weird historical journey back from the time of Prohibition.

Jeff of course found Free Play Arcade, so we experienced New England pinball with a Jaws twist.

Talk about opulence and the gilded age...Newport is the epitome. There are dozens of historic mansions for touring, but we focused our time at The Breakers. Holy moly. This place is huge and over the top elegant. And did I mention huge?

The Breakers, named after the waves crashing on the oceanfront property, was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the riches families in America in the late 1800s. The moment you walk in, you can feel the extravagance of this home. It is beautiful. The pictures are worth a thousand words...

Floor to ceiling and every corner in between, this place is decorated with Italian Renaissance architecture. That dining table can be expanded to seat 30 people!

The Dining Room

The Music Room

The Library

Not a museum - this was someone's house!

We couldn't get a definitive answer on the usage of this "duchess"

My favorite "room" in the house!

While the inside of the house was absolutely fabulous, and shielded us while the rain fell for a bit, I must say I loved the area just outside: the Cliff Walk, a 3+ mile public walkway along the edge of the shore. Much of the path was paved and flat and safe.

A few sections were quite rugged and less safe.

Thankfully neither of us tripped nor plunged onto the rocks or into the ocean. Phew. But rather enjoyed the views, the trek and the peaceful sounds of the water. I think I'm ready to move to Newport, RI and live in a little shack by shore!