A Mystery at the Tavern

By Anita Rafael as told to Quahog.org

I do walking tours. In the old days they used to leave the tavern door unlocked for me at the White Horse Tavern on Farewell Street in the morning, and I used to come in here and [show people] around. One day I was with my walking tour and we were coming into the building, ready to walk around, and a lady on my tour—it wasn't a ghost tour, it was a regular tour, with history and architecture—a lady said, "I'm not going in there."

I thought, well, no, we're just going in for a minute. [But] she goes, "I'm not going in there." I explained, "We're just going to go in and walk out." I thought maybe she'd had a heart attack and didn't want to go up stairs or something. She began to turn purple on me.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

She said, "I had dinner there last night. It was my anniversary, and my husband and I were seated at the corner of the fireplace, over in that little room upstairs, but that damn ghost was bothering me so much, that we had to have our very expensive dinner packed up, and we ended up eating it back at our room."

And I said, "Okay, lady, whatever you say."

Every member of the staff, practically, has had some kind of encounter. We've had reports of being tapped on the shoulder, being told to lock up even though it's not lock-up time, people hearing footsteps in the other room. All of these stories, by the way, take place in the room on the other side of this chimney.Two people here late one night for the lock-up were sitting downstairs, counting out the money, locking up the bank, when they heard footsteps across the room. One [person] came up this flight of stairs with a peppermill, one came up this flight of stairs with a wine bottle. They met in the middle. They were about to kibosh each other, until they realized there was absolutely nobody [else] in the building .

A little boy came to luncheon late one afternoon with his family. The dining room was closed, so they were seated downstairs in the bar for a cup of soup and a sandwich. The little boy, about seven or eight years old, eventually said he needed to use the bathroom, so they sent him up these stairs and he went to the men's room right over here in the corner. He didn't come down for a really, really long time. His parents were a little worried, but they weren't too worried, because they could hear him walking around. You could hear every footstep up there. So they knew the kid was up there, and hadn't left the building.After a really, really, really long time the kid finally showed up back downstairs. And his parents said, "What were you doing up there?" You know how little boys go exploring. The kid said, "Well, when I came out of the bathroom, I went in the big room and I thought maybe I was going in the wrong direction so I went around the other way and there was a man there and he followed me around, and so then I went back around the other way, and then he wasn't there, and then I started to go down the stairs and then he was there."

So this kid has this whole story of how he had walked around—because you can walk around the whole chimney in a circle—and how he had gone up and down the various stairs and the man followed him or didn't follow him. So the parents were worried. They were like, well, what's going on upstairs in the men's room with their seven-year-old?They were worried, and they started really questioning the boy. Well, what did he look like, and what was he wearing, and where did he go? And the little kid said, "Well, he was an old guy, and he had on an old coat, an old-fashioned coat, and old-fashioned clothes and things like that."

Well, at this point the waiters were bug-eyed, because they knew what the little kid had seen, and that was the figure that they themselves had seen [in the past]: a guy, an older man, in old-fashioned clothes, old coat, old boots, old hat. Finally, the mother kept bugging the little boy more and more and then the kid said, "Well, you know mom, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a man. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it was a ghost." So when the kid said that the mother went, "Okay honey, eat your soup."

Two travelers arrived late one night in the 1720s, when Robert and Mary Nichols owned the tavern. They arrived by boat, and they were given food and lodging here at the tavern. Now in those days you didn't get a room to yourself. You just got a place to sleep. If you had a bedroll, you rolled it out. If you had some straw in the corner, or whatever, you were lucky. If you got a bed, you had to share with a stranger.

Well, the following morning, neither of the men came downstairs to breakfast. So Mary Nichols and her Indian girl, who had waited on the two men the night before, went upstairs to investigate. One of the men was gone. No one had seen him or heard him leave in the night. He had just vanished. And the other man was dead where he lay, over by the fireplace, in the other room.

Now, he hadn't been shot, he hadn't been strangled, there had been no sign of a struggle. He was perfectly fine the night before, and because his death was so suspicious and sudden, they feared it might be some kind of a terrible epidemic. In those days they feared smallpox more than anything else... so the dead man's body was immediately taken away and buried in a pauper's grave. They had no idea who he was, there were no papers on him, nobody knew him. Anyway, because Mary Nichols and the girl had come in contact with the two guys, and because the other guy had fled, they figured he knew something, that he didn't want to be put into quarantine. So Mary Nichols and the Indian girl were sent off to quarantine. The quarantine island was Coaster's Harbor Island, where the War College is now. Well, Mary Nichols and the Indian girl didn't get some terrible disease from the dead guy—I mean, he could have died of a heart attack or stroke, they never did figure out what he died of—but they feared it was an epidemic. Mary Nichols and the Indian girl did get smallpox when they got out to Coaster's Harbor Island. The Indian girl died, but Mary Nichols recovered. Now the reason we know this whole story is because it was written down: "Happily on this day, we are pleased to report that the wife of the innkeeper, Robert Nichols, at the Nichols Tavern, at the corner of Marlborough and Farewell... Miss Mary has lately returned to her duties as the innkeeper's wife after a bout of smallpox." And the article goes on to tell the whole story of how she got sent to the island, about the two travelers, about the dead guy, about the missing guy, and the article ends with a plea, that if anybody knows the whereabouts of the missing man, or his identity, if anybody knows why he left, or what happened... please notify the authorities. Apparently that mystery was never solved.

There are lots of reports of ghosts here, and that story has been told over and over again. And lots of people, ghost hunters, come to the White Horse Tavern and they always go right to the exact spot where the ghost is. Now I'll tell you where it is, in case you want to go over there. In the other room is a fireplace just like this one, and if you stand at the right-hand side of the fireplace, right around here, that's where our ghost is usually seen. They believe that that's our ghost, after all these years, that guy waiting for the mystery of his death to be solved, or his identity at least, to be revealed

Life To Liberty

by Katherine Imbrie - Journal Staff Writer, July 10, 2003, Providence Journal article

Here in Rhode Island, we tend to take our history for granted, but for people from other parts of the country - or, for that matter, the world - history is a big reason to travel here. And millions of them do so each year. Many head for Newport, where the combination of opulent mansions, seacoast, shopping, restaurants and 350 years of richly varied history exert a powerful pull. Once they get here, these tourists want to get their history in an easy-to-digest form, and many choose to go on one of a handful of historical walking tours of Newport that are offered by individual entrepreneurs as well as by the city's Historical Society, which uses several different guides to lead its tours.

Pausing near the White Horse Tavern, Rafael tells her flock how in the 1960s, the 17th-century building was days away from being torn down to make way for a gas station when benefactors stepped in to buy and save it. But problems remained: By law, an establishment serving alcohol could not be situated close to churches - of which there were two near the White Horse. In the end, explains Rafael, a special law was passed to permit the tavern to open under an exception applying only to establishments built prior to 1700.

Pointing out the plaques attached to several houses in the Point area, Rafael explains how, some 40 years ago, a group of Newport housewives - alarmed at plans to demolish the area's historic buildings - formed Operation Clapboard to buy, restore, and sell them to people who would keep them intact.

Rafael's historical patter in the Visitor Center and decided it was just the kind of thing she wanted to hear for the next 90 minutes. She wasn't disappointed. At the end of the tour, she said of Rafael, "She made lots of pieces of history that I hadn't quite understood come together for me quite clearly." It is clear to anyone who goes on one of her tours that Rafael loves her city with a passion. Having first visited Newport as a child, she was smitten and moved here almost as soon as she was old enough to, in 1977. She volunteered as a guide for the Historical Society before starting her own company. There is almost no question about Newport, past or present, for which Rafael does not have the answer. Aware, as the best guides are, that the street is her "stage," she takes care to place herself with her back to the site she is talking about and in a spot where the background noise will be minimal. If it's hot, she looks for shade. If it's raining, she comes prepared with umbrellas. And like the best stage actors, she loses herself in her character - in this case, the character of Newport, for which she makes herself a conduit. She has just 90 minutes to get her audience to appreciate the city - with all its flaws, eccentricities and glory - as she does.

It might sound easy, but it's difficult to do well. A tour guide has at least a double challenge: Like an actor, he or she needs to hold the attention of an audience that might be two people or 10, that might be jet-lagged or hot, and that might already know a lot about history or nothing at all. Like a teacher, the tour guide needs to be instructive without being boring, and also to focus on delivering the facts while being prepared to answer the un-expected question - if need be, with the truthful answer, "I don't know."

Along the way, Newport being a busy city in summer, the tour guide has to contend with a background cacophony of roaring motorcycles, backfiring trucks, whining lawnmowers and bellowing teenagers. It's a tough job, so tough that the only Newport guide to have survived it for more than a year or two is Anita Rafael, who started her walking-tour company Newport On Foot 13 years ago.Ironically, as Rafael points out, these gravestones - "the only art we have from these people who lived here in the 1600s and early 1700s" - are legally "protected" from hobbyists who would like to use paper and soft crayons to make grave-rubbings, only to be regularly assaulted by modern grass-cutting machinery to the point that some stones have developed waists. "Look, here's a chip that's just come off," says Rafael crisply, bending to pick up a fingernail-sized flake of slate from the grass. "Before the weed-whackers, this stone had lasted here for more than 300 years.

"Then there is the story of Doris Duke, whose Newport Restoration Foundation in the 1960s and '70s bought dozens of houses in what is now the historic district and restored them, keeping ownership and renting them out. "Today, those houses rent for between $1,800 and $2,000 a month, and some people have lived in them for decades," explains Rafael. Her audience is impressed. Val Nogas, a Canadian on her first visit to Newport, says that the only other place she's been to in New England - Cape Cod - had "the odd old house, but nothing like this."The count At stop after stop, Rafael emphasizes Newport's significance as one of the country's oldest cities. "We have 200 buildings here that are more than 200 years old - more than any other city. We get people from time to time who argue that point, but we've counted them, so we know."

Using props such as historical maps and photos to help place the present-day Newport in context, Rafael moves briskly through her routine and employs liberal doses of humor to make her points. A pet peeve is the damage that city workers wielding weed-whackers do to the fragile 17th-century slate gravestones in Governors Burial Ground.“Back to the days” Setting off briskly from the Visitor Center on a recent Tuesday morning, Rafael leads her flock of eight tourist ducks a couple of blocks away, to a spot where she can discuss Newport's history in terms of its architecture: “That carved pineapple over the front door is a symbol of welcome," she says. "It goes back to the days when a sea captain would stick a pineapple outside his door to announce that he was back from the Indies with a load of the latest goods for sale.

Although Rafael hires and trains other guides as back-ups during periods when she is especially busy, she generally leads her own tours four mornings a week during the summer. Newport On Foot tours start at 9:30 a.m. from the Gateway Visitor Center, where tourists who are milling around in search of advice on where to go and what to do often decide on the spur of the moment to go on a guided tour with the tall, smiling brunette wearing a Newport On Foot tour-guide badge.
All tours follow a similar format: 1 ½ to 2 hours of strolling and stopping while the tour guide discusses about a dozen key sites, most of them within a several-block area of Newport's historic district, including Washington Square, the Friends Meeting House, the Artillery Company and Trinity Church. In most cases, the guides talk about the sites from the outside only, leaving tourists to come back and visit the interiors on their own. "Before you leave Newport, you should go in there after 4 o'clock and before the dinner crowd comes in, and ask for a tour," says Rafael. "Do you realize that most Americans have never been inside a building that's more than three centuries old?"

From the White Horse, it's on to the Washington Square Green, with the Colony House, a former Rhode Island capitol building, at its head.Then to Touro Synagogue ("If you have time, you should go inside. It's one of the most beautiful interiors in the city."), the Newport Artillery Company ("You know how soldiers always come back home with a lot of stuff? Well, they have a lot of stuff in there, and you can visit on Saturday mornings."), and a private early-1700s house on Clarke Street ("On one of my tours, I asked a group of children how do you tell when a house is very old. And this kid pipes up, 'It would have a plaque on it' ").By 11 a.m., Rafael's eight tourists have gotten a crash course in Newport, Rhode Island and United States history, with a little Architecture 101 and modern culture (Steven Spielberg's Amistad movie, which was shot in Newport) thrown in. There's no final exam, but the visitors from Canada and Wisconsin - and even some from Rhode Island - know they've learned a lot. Rafael gets a ripple of applause as she concludes the tour at Trinity Church.

Rafael continues: "Well, the way you can really tell is that the really old houses tend to have very large chimneys and very steep roofs. And the door is usually to the side rather than in the middle. You can't tell by looking at the foundations, because in many cases in cities, these houses have been moved around.""Rhode Island was the last colony to sign up to be a state. It wanted to be independent, not part of a union," says Rafael. "Until they did sign, George Washington refused to set foot in Rhode Island. Later, he did come, and he really enjoyed himself."

But the questions aren't over just yet. Heads full of history, now it's time to fill bellies. These folks are on vacation, after all. "Where can we go for good seafood?" one person asks, and others hang back to hear the answer. Rafael considers for a second or two, gauging her audience. "If you want to be right on the water, the Mooring or the Marina Grill. If not, Scales and Shells on Thames Street."

Smiles all around. It's just about time for lunch.

Colonial History & More

By Bonnie Neely, Reel Adventures Magazine

Nearly a million visitors a year tour Newport's incredible eleven mansions of the Gilded Age (around 1900,} a period when the magnates of the Industrial Revolution competed to out-build each other's summer homes. These world-renowned mansions are beautifully restored and maintained by the Newport Preservation Society. And on special display until November are the marvelous jewel and diamond collections of Doris Duke, the last heir to the Duke fortune and one of the foremost philanthropists responsible for the restoration of many of these mansions. The Duke diamond collection, valued at many millions of dollars, is displayed in Doris' home, Rough Point, until the collection will go on tour to other museums later this year.

But the best kept secret in Newport is the amazing National Historic Landmark District, which includes 200 buildings over 200 years old in amazing pristine condition, a true living history in which people actually live and conduct life and business today in the same buildings as they did in Colonial times. Children will enjoy learning about American history, vitally standing before them. It is like walking through their history books. Not only do families live in these original settlers homes, but they also put their money in the same bank, vote at the same courthouse, shop in the same shops, and can even use the 1776 map to get around on the streets, which still bear the same names!

Newport Historic Landmark District has more restored buildings from the Colonial times than any other place in America, including Williamsburg and Philadelphia! To be inside this living history we took Newport On Foot TM led by Anita Rafael, whose degree is in architectural history.

Quite humorous in her presentation, Anita has keen observation skills and an inquisitive mind which helped recreate not only the factual side of Colonial history in front of us, but also she helped us imagine the feelings and reactions of the original residents here. Children studying history will gain such insights into early days in the United States if they can take this three-hour walking tour, which can be booked at the Visitor Center.

Newport's National Historic Landmark District


In the late eighteenth century when these houses were built, there were neither house plans, nor architects for the average homes. The way of building the simple, two-story boxes was taught from father to son. Usually the homes were of wood shingles, and if the family got a little ahead financially, clapboards were added, sometimes over the shingles. Today you'll find this historic district quite colorful, with the homes painted in brilliant blue, green, and earth red hues which paint historians have determined faithfully match the rich colors of originals. White was more expensive then, thus only the door facades were white because they could be removed and taken to a new residence if the family relocated. Each homeowner tried to impress his neighbors by fancy door dressings.

In the 1700's Newport was one of the five most important cities in America, along with Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. As one of the first acts of the Revolution, 10,000 British troops occupied Newport and the wealthy citizens fled, leaving everything so as to return when the “little skirmish” was over. Only the fishermen and their families stayed.

Forty cords of wood were needed to heat one home each winter. The 1200 wood homes on the island quickly used up all the trees, but friendly Indians brought wood from the main land to trade with the settlers. However, this trade stopped with the occupation, and the Brits burned all the wood on the island. To try to stay warm they even burned the boards from the abandoned frame homes. But after two winters here these invaders decided it was too cold and left. In 1780 the French arrived and outnumbered the local residents two to one. George Washington met with the French leaders here to plan the strategy to win the war. You can see the house where it all happened at the corner of Clarke Street.

We learned about Historical Archeology, which is just paying attention to what is above ground and looking for clues. We learned how to identify which buildings are the oldest, how to tell if the streets still bear the original names so that you can use copies of earliest maps. Colonial and Revolutionary history buffs will want to tour the oldest militia building in America, chartered by King George II in 1742. It is still headquarters for a trained militia. In Colonial times Rhode Island had five capital cities! The beautiful old Provincial Capitol building dominates a beautiful green. One of the oldest churches, Trinity, is also here, re-built in 1720 after a fire, and the cemetery dates to the 1600's.

The Preservation Society of Newport is responsible for saving and restoring the history of this wonderful town. They spent a quarter million dollars to preserve the White Horse Tavern, where we stopped for a drink in this 1673 establishment. The bartender has lots of fascinating stories for his visitors.

Rhode Island was the first place in America to have true freedom of religion, which brought many Quakers, Jews, and Baptists here as settlers. The huge 1699 Quaker Meeting House still stands near the Tavern. These non-Puritans never tried to convert the Native Americans. In Touro Synagogue, designed by the renowned architect Peter Harrison and built in 1763, we learned a lot on a separate tour. There we saw framed a very important letter from George Washington, the earliest document to guarantee religious freedom in the United States. The red house on Broadway street is Newport's oldest house from 1630.

In the early 1900's Newport was a Navy base, and the homes and historic buildings were allowed to fall into disrepair. By the mid-twentieth century they were slums. In the 1960's some ladies formed Operation Clapboard and eventually were able to buy 60 of these homes to restore them and form the Historic District. Doris bought and restored 90 Historic District houses. These homes are maintained and rented to very carefully selected occupants today. Owners must be reverent of history, and their furniture must be antique and complementary to the living piece of history they occupy. There is a long waiting list of applicants who appreciate the history they might be fortunate enough to live.


© 2003 Bonita Productions, Inc.

Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island

By Neala Schwartzberg OffBeat Travel

Justifiably famous for its charm and whispers of great wealth, for B&Bs ranging from sumptuous to cozy, protean Newport is a canvas upon which people can create their own ideal vacation. It has a rich colonial past, and a vibrant present. The biggest problem is figuring out how to fit everything into one weekend.

Day One: Explore Newport's Colonial Past


"This is living history," said Anita Rafael, of Newport On Foot TM Guided Tours, as she gestured to the colonial-era houses lining the street. "We live in these houses, attend the same churches, even take books out of the same library as people did almost 300 years ago." It's true. People can eat in the same tavern. There's even the same militia, Newport Artillery Company, established in 1741. Although Newport is famous for the mansions of the incredibly rich and powerful dating back to 1800s, its colonial past is alive and well, even though it dates back much further.


Houses of Worship

Some of the colonial era highlights are the houses of worship. The colony of Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams based on true religious freedom for everyone. The concept was unheard of and amused King Charles who referred to it as a "lively experiment" in the royal charter he granted the colony of Rhode Island in 1663.


It wasn't long before religious groups began settling in. Although no longer in use, the first permanent Quaker settlement, the Great Friends Meeting House, was built in 1699. The Society of Friends believed in a "plain style" of living. This was reflected in the way they dressed, the way they spoke, the homes where they lived, and the meeting houses in which they worshiped. Although no longer in use, tours of the building are offered by The Newport Historical Society.

The Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue building in North America, still holds services in the Orthodox Sephardic tradition of its founders. A testament to the importance of tradition since most of the congregation is neither Orthodox nor Sephardic. The tours of the synagogue offer a fascinating glimpse into the importance of religious freedom in the early days of this country. The building itself was designed by Peter Harrison, often considered America's first architect. You can also see the letter written to the congregation in 1790 by George Washington declaring that the new nation would "give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."


Then, there's Trinity Church at the corner of Spring and Church Streets. It was built in the mid-1720s by carpenter-master builder Richard Munday, and was considered to be a masterpiece of its time. A small colonial era burial ground is adjacent. Trinity church has been active as a place of worship since the 18th century.


Early settlers also revered education and learning, soon creating one of the first public libraries, and one of about a dozen that remain. Redwood Library and Athenaeum on Bellevue Avenue dates back to 1748, and started with the collection of Abraham Redwood. With its classic design by Peter Harrison and its collection of sculpture and paintings, it's clearly like no modern library. On your visit you can pick up a sheet describing the art works, as well as browse the library. But public then meant open to the public, rather than free of charge. The people of Newport, then and now, support the Library financially with yearly dues of $100 for a household. Open seven days a week, most of the programs, exhibits, and events are open to the public. There's also a lovely garden with Abraham Redwood's summer house, dating back to 1766.


The Library's special collections include the original books purchased in England in 1749 in its own special room, but just walking through the rooms of this truly historic building is to walk back into history.


Militia

Of course the fledgling colony needed a militia. The Artillery Company of Newport was chartered in 1741 by King George II. Although its duties today are more ceremonial -- providing cannon salutes, color guards, and honor guards for official state and local ceremonies - the Artillery Company has served with distinction in the French Indian Wars, the War of the Revolution, at the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812, at the First Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War.


The Artillery Company operates a military museum with a collection of military uniforms and memorabilia, including uniforms worn by famous generals, four bronze cannon cast by Paul Revere in 1798 for the State of Rhode Island, three Civil War artillery pieces, a letter written to the men of the Artillery Company in 1794 by George Washington, and other pieces of military-related objects significance to the Artillery Company accrued during its more than 260 years of continuous service to the State of Rhode Island.


Tavern

Billed as one of America's oldest taverns, the White Horse Tavern was originally constructed in 1673 as a residence but became an official tavern in 1687. Although it was used for a time as a boarding house, in 1954 the Preservation Society restored the building and opened it as a restaurant. The White Horse Tavern is now privately owned. The style is pure 17th century with clapboard walls, gambrel roof, and plain doors bordering the sidewalk. Inside, there are giant fireplaces, huge beams, and tiny stairways.


Housing

There are, of course, several houses that have been restored to reflect the daily lives of Newport colonial inhabitants. The Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, built for Stephen Mumford in the 1670s, is the oldest restored house in Newport. Projects to restore the grounds and gardens as well as archaeological excavation are underway. For example, paint analysis was conducted on the interior and exterior of the house, and the findings were used to reinterpret the house's paint scheme. Tours are offered through Newport Historical Society.



Day Two: The Lives They Led


Cliffside Mansions

During the industrial boom times of the late 1800s, and before income taxes took their bite, the wealthy families of the east coast summered in Newport, and made Bellevue Avenue one of the richest streets in the United States. Sitting high above the water they built one mega-mansion after the other, each more gilt and gorgeous than the next, in a profusion of different architectural styles from Gothic to Italian palaces. Vanderbilt's The Breakers and Marble House, and Rosecliff built for a Nevada silver heiress. The Victorian villa commissioned by China trade merchant William Wetmore, and Chateau-sur-Mer, the first of Newport's palatial summer mansions, where the Gilded Age began.


The best way to see these fanciful confections is with a tour from the Newport Preservation Society. For something special, take the Behind-the-Scenes Tour at The Elms. This is Upstairs-Downstairs, from the kitchens and coal cellar, to the tiny staff quarters, learn about life behind the scenes, the social scene.


After the tour of the houses, stroll along their backyards on the lovely Cliff Walk. It runs 3.5 miles along the ocean. Mansions on one side, water on the other.


Yachting

The International Yacht Restoration School is devoted to the preservation of maritime skills and historic watercraft. Visitors can watch students work in the shop, see gallery exhibits and view classic yachts afloat and ashore. You can also learn about the 1885 schooner yacht Coronet, the school's flagship and America's most historic yacht, which is being restored to sail again as a floating museum.


International Tennis Hall of Fame

Think you've seen tennis courts? Step back in time with this National Historic Landmark Victorian shingle-style built in 1880, designed by Stanford White. Walk through the tunnel and step into another world starting with the grass-carpet tennis court. The buildings surrounding Tennis Hall of Fame include a museum with interactive exhibits, videos and memorabilia. Want to play tennis in this historical setting? You can. Grass courts are available during the summer. The International Tennis Hall of Fame also host professional tennis matches.



Day Three: Wineries

If you're looking for a day trip try the Newport wine trail trio. Newport Vineyards tasting room and mini tour actually take place in a small shopping center. The Greenvale Vineyards are a bit further down the road, but this part vineyard, part farm, is actually on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a lovely setting with delicious wine. The Sakonnet Vineyards and Winery is even further, but offers lovely grounds and a film and tour, as well as tastings. The wines cultivated in the Newport area include all the old favorites - Chardonnay, Cabernet, but there's also grape called the Vidal, a French American hybrid that makes a lovely fruity wine.

For evenings entertainment, there are restaurants, shops, clubs a plenty. But you can also take advantage of Newport's many varied Festivals. The folk and jazz festivals as well as the Newport Music Festival are legendary. The film festival also comes to town. There are also special events and evenings in the mansions of Newport.


Lodging

Newport has accommodations for all tastes. The Hotel Viking is a beautifully restored well-located historic hotel in the heart of Newport. A member of the Historic Hotels of America, it offers all the amenities. The Hyatt Regency, just across a tiny bridge is also a good choice. The hotel also offers in- and out-door pools and tennis. Mini-van service into town is available. The Mill Street Inn is a National Historic Landmark, and well-located in the historic district. The Legendary Inns of Newport offer three different inns, each luxurious and historic.

Neala Schwartzberg is a freelance writer specializing in travel-related stories, and publisher of OffbeatTravel.

A Walk To Hear Ghost Stories and Visit Graveyards

DID YOU KNOW that the native tribes in New England had a strong belief in ghosts and witches?

DID YOU KNOW that Rhode Island was once called the Transylvania of America?

DID YOU KNOW you can have lunch in a haunted tavern in Newport?

I walk with groups through old Newport and talk about the stories of Newport's haunted houses. Beginning with the ghost and witch legends of the Narragansett and Wampanoag tribes, to the Halloween superstitions of our Pilgrim forefathers, the commentary finishes with tale or two about what is spooking today’s residents. This walk is for the Spring, Summer and Fall, weather permitting,

Over the years, many residents in the historic district have shared their haunted house stories with our guides. So, instead of talking about history and architecture, I talk about spirits and spooks, and things that keep some Newport residents wide awake all night.

I talk a lot about why this area has so many vampire legends. I can tell you how to protect yourself from vampire attacks.

I also tell the story of a Newport man – Thomas Cornell – who was hanged over three hundred years ago for the murder of his mother, Rebecca, all based totally on the testimony of a ghost! There is a great story about a colonial-era ghost ship called the Sea Bird – its crew vanished without a trace, but their ghosts sailed the vessel to safety. I do not take anyone into houses on the walk, but people can go on their own to places such as the White Horse Tavern to see if they can spot the ghost who has creaked the floorboards at the venerable inn since the 1720s.

I take groups to at least two graveyards – the burial ground at Trinity Church and the Arnold Burial Ground. After a thorough demonstration of how to do a gravestone rubbing, I explain a few of the controversial issues concerning cemetery preservation and restoration.

I also talk about the work and policies of the Association for Gravestone Studies.

A Walk Along The Cliff Walk

DID YOU KNOW that Newport's famous Cliff Walk is designated a National Recreational Trail as part of the National Park System for its natural beauty and exceptional historic character?

My walks along the Cliff Walk usually begin at Memorial Boulevard, at Narragansett Avenue, at the Breakers Mansion or at Marine Avenue. Each loop is about 2 miles, and the terrain varies. Anyone walking with me agrees to a waiver because the trail is posted “pass at your own risk.” No facilities of any kind are available on the trail itself.

The trail (three and one-half miles in its entirety) lies within the National Registered Historic Landmark Districts of Bellevue Avenue and Ochre Point. On one side of the path jagged cliffs make a sheer drop to swirling waves about 30 to 50 feet below. And immediately on the other side, like dream palaces from a fairy tale land, stands the finest collection of 20th century American resort architecture found anywhere in the world.

My comments focus on three distinct aspects of the Cliff Walk – houses, history and habitats. First, the mansions and Newport Society in the late 1900s and early 20th century; second, the history of the politics of the trail as a public right-of-way from colonial times to the present day; and third, the geology, flora and fauna of Narragansett Bay. The Cliff Walk is on the eastern or sunrise side of the island and is particularly pretty and cool on early mornings. The trail is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, but I only take groups out on the trail in Spring, Summer or Fall, weather permitting. I usually carry along an album of vintage post cards so that, step by step, we can compare, then and now.


HOUSES The "cottages" that are lined up one right after another along the Cliff Walk belonged to a few of the millionaire industrialists who made their fortunes in manufacturing, on Wall Street and in land development prior to 1900. Like a "Who's Who" of society's elite - Astor, Vanderbilt, Goelet, Lorillard, Belmont - by 1895, this was the neighborhood of America's pseudo-royalty. The phenomenon of building that occurred in Newport between about 1870 and 1915 and the lavish lifestyle that went along with it, is referred to as the"Gilded Age."


HISTORY Today, some of the mansions along the Cliff Walk are the classrooms, dormitories and offices of Salve Regina University. A few houses are open to the public for tours. The majority of the houses, after more than a century, remain splendidly exclusive and private. The tour commentary explains the legalities of the public's right of permanent access to the narrow footpath beginning with the founding of Rhode Island, and details several subsequent challenges over the centuries as various parties attempted to determine exactly who "owns" the historic Cliff Walk. Thanks to the efforts of RI Senator and Newport resident Claiborne Pell, the Cliff Walk received national recognition in 1987 as an official National Recreational Trail.


HABITATS The trail is just a short segment of Rhode Island's abundant and colorful seashore. Along the walk, the tour commentary highlights wildflowers, waterfowl and wildlife that are typical of the state's entire coastline. Off in every direction, towards the horizon, or straight down to the water's edge, the breathtaking views and vistas are made more dramatic by the height of the storm-ravaged cliffs and ledges and the continuous roar of the breaking waves below.

Know Your Vernacular From Your Georgian

THIS WORD LIST is one I use to help people learn the features to look for in these two styles of building in early America. Newport has many examples of both styles, often found side-by-side on the streets in the colonial Historic District.

VERNACULAR 1600s / GEORGIAN mid-1700s on to end of 18th cent.  

Folkways / Academic influences
Oral / Written, drawn
By craftsmen, housewrights / By “architects”
Organic, rural / Formal, urban
Asymmetrical / Symmetrical, balanced
Corporate / Individual
Slow to change / Trendy, fashionable
Collective living / Private rooms
Local materials / Imported materials
Uncalculated / Mathematical
Random / Purposeful, proportional
Acceptance of nature / Control of nature
Growing from the earth / Placed on a site with intent
Common, low style / Genteel, high style
Traditional, long-lasting / Innovative, short-lived
Rooted to a place, local / Linked to a point in time, of a certain era and appear everywhere
Post- medieval elements / Neo classical details

... For Fear We Should Be Caught Asleep, The Diary of Mary Gould Almy, 1778

By Anita Rafael

Note MARY GOULD ALMY'S DIARY was published in Newport Historical Magazine in 1881 and in Weathering the Storm: Women of the American Revolution by Elizabeth Evans in 1975. The original diary is owned by the Newport Historical Society.

 PARKING LOTS are seldom known for having ghosts. People seldom report voices coming from between the rows of parked cars. No moonlit night ever finds anyone standing in the parking lot of Mary Street in the middle of downtown Newport, listening to tales about the horrors of war... But it was in the middle of this parking lot that one of the most beautifully constructed of Newport's colonial mansions once stood. The Jahleel Brenton House, confiscated from its Loyalist owner by the American rebels around 1775, was immediately occupied by the Almy family, and it is Mary Gould Almy's voice we should hear...

Mary Gould was born in 1735. At the age of 27, she married Benjamin Almy in Trinity Church—his church. While she was a Quaker, he was Anglican—not the only difference between this husband and wife. When sides were chosen over the issue of American Independence, she remained loyal to the crown, and he, like hundreds of other Newport volunteers, left his wife and family behind to join the patriots' army. In times of war, brother often fought against brother, but here are pages from the letters of a wife, loyal to her king, stubborn in her politics, and yet praying for the deliverance of her dear husband and a rapid end to the death and destruction of war.

When we think of the battle scenes of the American Revolution, we usually think of the brave and eager soldiers marching off to fight far from home and loved ones; we think of camps out along the forest's edge, of skirmishes and battles fought half-hidden in the woods, of soldiers dodging bullets and escaping into the underbrush. We think of the volley of musket fire ringing over the cornfields, and the troops ducking down for cover behind stone walls and fences. We never think about what it must have been like for the many women and families left behind in Newport during the long years of British occupation, which began in December 1776. Mary Almy's letters to her husband tell exactly how it was.

The diary begins with the appearance of the French fleet in Newport Harbor July 29, 1778, and the early entries include prayers that the French "would never come so near." After days of watching and waiting, expecting the worst, as the occupying British forces prepared either to attack or be attacked, Mary wrote

(Monday, August 3): "The whole town in some great confusion, not knowing what they should be at, some moving their goods out to the lines, the officers all bringing their luggage into the town. Constant fatigue for the men, horses and oxen; no rest by day or night... When I look over the list of my friends on both sides of the question, my heart shudders at the thought, what numbers must be slain, both so obstinate, so determined. Well may we say, what havoc does ambition make! Cursed Frenchmen! they [the Americans] would not have come, had it not been for you."

Fearing the worst, over the next few days Mary made plans to take her mother and children to a safer part of the island.

(Thursday, August 6): "Exceedingly foggy morning; all terrified with apprehension that when the weather cleared, our destiny would be known; all the shops still kept shut, no business of any kind done, only carting and fortifying; the sound of a cannon, most distressing to women and children; an order given out to drive all the stock within the lines. The wretched inhabitants, how are they hurt by every party! My heart aches for the worthy ones."

The next day, as the shelling increased, she wrote:

(Friday, August 7): "Heavens! what a scene of wretchedness before this once happy and flourishing island! Cursed ought, and will be, the man who brought all this woe and desolation on a good people. Neither sleep to my eyes, nor slumber to my eyelids, this night; but judge you, what preparation could I make, had I been endowed with as much presence of mind as ever woman was; six children hanging around me, the little girls crying out, 'Mamma will they kill us!' The boys endeavor to put on an air of manliness, and strive to assist, but step up to the girls, in a whisper, 'Who do you think will hurt you! Arn't your pappa coming with them?' Indeed this cut me to the soul. ...But I was roused from my stupidity by a violent firing. I call out for my children to run; we sally forth in the street; there was a scene, men, women and children all in as great a consternation as myself, which sight brought me to myself." Mary managed to get her mother and children to safety at the home of a friend named Church, despite heavy shelling from the French, which "...I really thought would have sent us all to another world."

At 1 o'clock on Saturday, August 8, the French fleet took advantage of a swift breeze to sail past the town firing broadsides. Although they failed to silence a single British battery, they managed to sink or burn several British ships. Mary wrote:

"To attempt to describe the horrors of that night would pronounce me a fool, for no language could put it in its proper colours. Fire and sword had come amongst us, and famine was not far off, for the want of bread was great."

British reinforcements showed up on the 9th and engaged the French the next day. With her mother and children safely out of direct combat, Mary wrote that during the worst of the firing that day, she hid down in the cellar of the mansion, behind a barrel, and she commented that it "was very remarkable, by all the hundreds of shot that came into the town, not a soul was killed or wounded."

For the next few days, the weather was very bad, and during the terrible storm, Mary wrote that "the wind blew a perfect hurricane" and so they feared no attack at that time. At last, after nearly two weeks of fear, she reported that she was able to sleep. By Friday, August 14, the waiting was weighing heavily upon our narrator: "No tidings of the fleet, no business going forward... Tedious days, melancholy nights. I wonder what keeps me alive." The storm afforded both fleets the opportunity to put in for repairs, the French to Providence and the British to New York.

Three days later, apparently her nerves had become somewhat steeled to the sound of gunfire, as she wrote :

(Monday, August 17): "About 12 they opened a new battery upon us, and the day was spent in exchanging shots; in the evening they entertained us with throwing shells. It would have been an agreeable sight, had we not been sure it was meant to carry death along with it." No longer hiding in the cellar during the shelling, she tells us, "I sat upon the top of the house till 12, beholding and admiring the wonderful contrivances of man to destroy one another."

Again, days of apprehension passed as rumors abounded and strategies changed and shifted. The French fleet returned on Thursday, August 20, but it was obvious "they were in shattered condition, had lost their topmasts, and had one ship less than when they went out." Now nearly three weeks had elapsed, and Mary confessed,

"We were worn out with the fatigues of this dreadful day, but dared not take any rest, for fear we should be caught asleep; never did I so dread the night, and yet so grieve the morning light."

Finally on Saturday, August 29, after the terrible battle at the East and West Main Roads which has come to be called the Battle of Rhode Island, during which nearly 500 men were either killed or wounded, Mary broke down at the sight of "wives screaming at the foot of the cart" as the dead and injured are removed. She wrote,:

"...it's too far beyond the power of my description. The horrors of that day will never be quite out of my remembrance. I quitted company and hid myself to mourn in silence, for the wickedness of my country. Never was a heart more differently agitated than mine. Some of my good friends [were] in the front of the battle here; and Heaven only knows how many on the other side [her husband's side]. Instead of enquiring the news, or asking after a soul, a stupidity took hold of me. At last I shut myself from the family, to implore Heaven to protect you, and keep you from imprisonment and death. Every dejected look, and every melancholy countenance I saw, I trembled for fear they would say, your husband lies among the slain, or that he is wounded and a prisoner. Think you what life I live, knowing your proneness to get into danger."

On the morning of Monday, August 31, the French fleet gone in tatters, and the rebels in careful decampment, Mary Almy finally received word that her husband Benjamin would be home for breakfast, with some friends.
She wrote to him:

"Oh! Mr. Almy, what a shocking disappointment to you. Heaven, I hope, will support you, so positive, so assured of success. Remember, in all your difficulties and trials of life, that when the All-wise disposer of human events thinks we have been sufficiently tried, then our patience in waiting will be amply rewarded by a joyful meeting."

The first and only effort to free Newport from the oppressive British occupation had failed, and the town remained under British control until they withdrew permanently in October 1779. Mary lived to the age of 73, and died in 1808. As all of the Almy children had moved away, her widower Benjamin finally moved out of the Brenton mansion. The house served as a seminary for women during the second half of the nineteenth century. Considered too far gone to be worth saving, it was demolished in the 1920s.

In a city full of historic house signs and landmark plaques, there is no elegant doorway for us to linger in front of today to think about Mary Gould Almy. There is no trace of the sweeping circular driveway, or the enormous trees in the yard. We can barely picture the high-gabled roof overlooking the harbor. We can hardly imagine, as we park and lock our cars and walk away, that under this thin layer of asphalt is the filled-in cellar where Mary hid behind a barrel to escape the violence of war in Newport's streets.

Parking lots seldom speak to us. But Mary Gould Almy has.

MARY GOULD ALMY'S DIARY was published in Newport Historical Magazine in 1881 and in Weathering the Storm: Women of the American Revolution by Elizabeth Evans in 1975. The original diary is owned by the Newport Historical Society.

What Does That House Plaque Mean?

DOZENS OF OLD HOUSES throughout Newport have historical plaques on their façades, and some even have two. The name on the sign might be one of three things: the first family that lived in that house, the person or family who lived there the longest, or the name of a famous occupant. But there are no rules as to which one it should be.
Among the first houses to be restored in Newport are the ones with the white signs that say OC with an acorn motif. These are houses saved by Operation Clapboard, a local grassroots organization active during the 1960s. Newport residents saved about 60 historic homes with no outside sources of funding simply by finding ambitious homeowners willing to restore them. These homes remain privately owned.

Other houses have a white sign with the calligraphy initials NRF. This stands for Newport Restoration Foundation, a non-profit organization created by tobacco heiress Doris Duke in 1968. Duke bought and restored some 90 historic properties, which the foundation owns to this date. These homes are rented to qualified tenants, either residential or commercial. Only one is open to the public, the Samuel Whitehorne House on Thames Street. (Duke's mansion, Rough Point, is also open for tours.)

Many properties simply have one bronze plaque indicating National Register status. The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's official list of properties that are significant in American history and worthy of preservation. Properties listed in the National Register include individual buildings, historic districts, and archaeological sites. If you want to know all about getting a site on the National Register in Rhode Island, visit the state's Historic Preservation Commission's website.

A Drive Around Scenic Newport

ON THIS DRIVING TOUR which begins with a quick spin through Historic Newport, The Ocean Drive and Bellevue Avenue I tie together more than 350 years of the area's history. Newport's story begins with its settlement in the mid-1600s by religious refugees from England.

Although not much evidence remains from the 17th century, I can point out a few important landmarks on sites the where Newport began – the old town spring, the White Horse Tavern, 1673, the Quaker Meeting House, 1699, and the Wanton House, 1675. Most of the downtown areas of the colonial city are protected within a National Registered Historic Landmark District. In fact, there are over 200 buildings that date back to before 1800 – no other city in America has this many authentic pre-Revolutionary War buildings.

The drive takes people by the Old Colony House, 1739 (Steven Speilburg filmed Amistad here), the Brick Market, 1763, now a museum, Trinity Church, 1726, Touro Synagogue, 1753 (the oldest in America), and the Redwood Library, 1748 (also the nation's oldest). (Many of the most historic streets ban large vehicles such as tour buses – so that’s why the walking tours are fun.)

Along the Waterfront, visitors see Newport's colorful blend of old and new – a mix of historic properties, modern condominiums, shops and restaurants.

Beginning the Ocean Drive, I take people on a ten-mile loop around the southernmost point of Aquidneck Island, that commentary about the New York Yacht Club, Fort Adams, and Hammersmith Farm (the Kennedy Summer White House and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis' childhood summer home). At Brenton Point State Park (restrooms), at the tip of the island, I usually stop so that people can take photos or go shell collecting for a few minutes. The rocky shoreline at the park, together with Newport's Cliff Walk forms some of the most rugged and spectacular views in the entire state.

Leaving the park, the Ocean Drive continues past the Newport Country Club, past many elegant private homes, and through wildlife habitats until it reaches Bellevue Avenue. This three and one-half mile boulevard is the only place in the world with so many mansions and "summer cottages" built so close together – a phenomenon of 19th century American resort architecture. This enthusiastic building boom among the world's wealthiest industrialists made Newport famous as the "Queen of Resorts" by 1900. Built between the Civil War and World War I, after the 1940s many of these magnificent homes fell into disrepair. Along Bellevue Avenue the tour commentary highlights The Astors' Beechwood, Belcourt Castle, Doris Duke's Rough Point, plus the Beaux Arts and Victorian style mansions owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County which are open to the public for tours. Because of an abundant variety of trees, Newport has been named a "USA Tree City." Throughout Newport, the landscaping, flowers and thousands of hundred-year old trees are remarkable.

This drive takes about an hour and a half, with time to stop here and there for photos. Also, I can do this at any time of year.

Speaking To Groups

Keynote Speaker

Spouse Programs

Luncheon or Dinner Talks

Entertaining and Informatiove Slide Presentations in an Informal, Formal, or Educational Format

There are several talks of different lengths that I give for groups – both in Newport and in other locations. Below, on this page I have written a brief description of the most popular talk WELCOME TO NEWPORT! This presentation can be done in any location; * denotes with or without slides (i.e. PowerPoint presentation)

• Welcome to Newport! * - A Lively and Entertaining Historical Overview of Four Centuries of Life in Newport   description below
• The Gilded Age * - The Era of The Millionaires and Their Mansions
• The National Register of HIstoric Places * - What Is it?
• Colonial Taverns and Drinking Customs in Early Newport
• The Long and Colorful History of America's Oldest Operating Tavern - at the White Horse Tavern on Marlborough Street in old Newport
• Is That Your Pew? * - Seating the Old Meeting House in Colonial TImes - at an old meeting house or with visual presentation at any location
• Historical Archaeology * - "Above Ground" Digging for the Past
• Ghost Stories and Graveyards - with a demonstration of the Art of Gravestone Rubbing

WELCOME TO NEWPORT! A BRIEF DESCRIPTION

WELCOME TO NEWPORT! is an entertaining and informative presentation (with or without slides) during which I tell the story of Newport from its beginnings as a haven for religious refugees in 1639 to its fantastic success as a major seaside resort today.

 

The story begins (1) with Newport's settlement - less than 20 years after the Mayflower landing. From there the talk covers Newport's rise in the (2) maritime trades, then its (3) Golden Age in the mid-1700s, and on to tell about the devastation of the (4) war years in army-occupied Newport between 1776 and 1782. After the Revolutionary War, Newport had a nearly century-long (5) recovery followed by the grandeur and opulence of the (6) Gilded Age in the late 1800s -- the era of the Vanderbilts, Astors, and others in high society. By the time of the two World Wars, Newport was on its way to becoming a (7) military town -- nearly all Navy. Finally after the end of the Cold War, and a brief era of (8) restoration and rehabilitation, Newport finds itself in the era of (9) Tourism -- its second largest but fastest growing local industry.

 

One of the moments people seem to like best during this talk is when I share my pictures of me and George Washington. How the photo was taken is good story. The final part of the talk is a bit about what's happening today -- where to go, what to see and do -- all the insider information about what the locals know. There's time for Q & A at the end of the presentation.

A Drive Through The Sakonnet Lands and Mount Hope Bay

THE SAKONNET LANDS are among my favorite parts of the state. On this full-day driving tour, I take guests to a beautiful mansion with an amazing arboretum and, then later in the day, out along scenic country roads to the southeastern-most part of Rhode Island.

In the morning, I start at Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum in Bristol, just 20 miles from Newport. Blithewold is a beautifully landscaped historic public garden situated on Bristol Harbor with sweeping views overlooking Narragansett Bay. A forty-five room mansion, trees, lawns, flowers, gardens, and the sea combine to produce an aesthetic experience that is exciting and refreshing. Trained interpreters welcome group tours and tell the story of the Van Wickle/Mckee family, the creators of this beautiful seaside garden estate. Visitors experience breathtaking views of Narragansett Bay and see the house decorated with original furnishings just as it was when the family lived here. The narrated tour continues into the garden and through the grounds where magnificent trees and a variety of exquisite plantings demonstrate Blithewold’s prominence in horticulture.The guided house and garden tour averages about 1 hour and 30 minutes. I always allow additional time to enjoy the gardens and grounds after the guided tour.

For lunch, I often suggest a catered box lunch at Blithewold or heading over to The Lobster Pot, also in Bristol. Lobster Pot, a classic New England shore restaurant (it opened in the 1920s) features stuffed lobster, deep-fried shellfish, and the like.

In an entertaining and informative narrative, after lunch I take people on a scenic drive and hear the story of the settlement of some of Rhode Island’s oldest towns. The drive crosses Mount Hope Bay to Aquidneck Island at the town of Portsmouth. From there I take the Sakonnet River Bridge, back onto the mainland, and loop down to the Four Corners in Tiverton (founded 1694).

The drive continues southward down to the picturesque Sakonnet Point in Little Compton (founded 1682). After a brief stop for fresh air and photos, the tour returns along the Sakonnet River and then my guests are welcomed to a winery tour and tasting at Sakonnet Vineyards.

Tiverton, Little Compton and Bristol were all originally part of the neighboring Massachusetts Bay Colony, and did not become part of Rhode Island until long-standing boundary disputes were settled in1746. In its early days, Tiverton was chiefly a farming community with some fishing and boat construction. Until 1900 the manufacture of menhaden oil was one of the primary industrial pursuits. Cotton and woolen mills were established as early as 1827. Recent years have seen Tiverton grow as a summer resort and residential area with many fine shops in the Mill Pond area at the Four Corners. The Chase Cory House (1730) is notable. The Tiverton Historical Society now owns the gambrel-roofed building. This house is open for tours for a fee.

Along the way, I pause at the Pardon Gray Preserve to tell the story of coastal farming in Rhode Island. Owned by the Tiverton Land Trust, it is open to the public. Sometimes we take a short walk to the old family burial ground.


Little Compton is also a rural agricultural community. There is still small fishing fleet that operates from Sakonnet Harbor. The town has a classic New England Town Common, little changed from the time it was first laid out, some 300 years ago. Agriculture and fishing remain important in Little Compton, but today the town is residential with seasonal resort activity. Sakonnet Lighthouse, c. 1884, is at the very tip of the long peninsula. The story of how the lighthouse was restored, relighted, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places is included in the guide’s narrative. (Lighthouse itself not open.) The village of Adamsville has a working gristmill, Gray’s, and a monument to the Rhode Island Red Hen, the State Bird.

Little Compton Historical Society maintains The Wilbor House and barn. Samuel Wilbor built the farm about 1690. It was typical of 17th century New England. Nearly all the early details of the house survived, including beamed ceilings, featheredge boards and original plaster. Ioutt is where I like to stop to talk about vernacular architecture. This house is open for tours for a fee.


On the drive, we loop the old town common in Little Compton and stop to look at the old burial ground and the iconographic congregational church. There's a country store on the common for postcards, and a small restaurant for a quick cup of coffee or chowder. Not far away, the village of Adamsville has a working gristmill, Gray’s, and a monument to the Rhode Island Red Hen, the State Bird. Another stop for photos.


Sakonnet Vineyards, in Little Compton, was founded in 1975. Growing conditions found along the Southeastern New England coast closely resemble some of the great wine regions of the world, particularly, northern France. At present, fifty acres are planted. Wine production has climbed to over 30,000 cases annually. Its 2001 Vidal Blanc is featured in the November 2003 issue of "Food & Wine" magazine. Wine critic Richard Nalley ranks Sakonnet's Vidal Blanc as one of the nation's top ten wines Along with Sakonnet's Vidal Blanc, the winery's other estate wines include, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Rose, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. They charge a fee for tastings.

Day Trips

These are the itineraries of some of my favorite day trips. There are many more custom itineraries that I plan for visitors with more (or less!) time for touring Rhode Island and nearby Connecticut and Massashusetts.

 A SHORE DAY
Watch Hill, Rhode Island
Shops and restaurants.
AND
Stonington, Connecticut
The Old Lighthouse Museum was once the beacon for the many vessels approaching Stonington's harbor from Long Island Sound, now open for tours by the Stonington Historical Society. (Right)
Shops and restaurants.
AND
Mystic, ConnecticutShops, antiquing and restaurants

A MUSEUM DAY
Ledyard, Connecticut
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum is the largest and most comprehensive Native American museum and research center with life-size walk-through dioramas that transport visitors into the past, to changing exhibits and live performances of contemporary arts and cultures.
Shops and restaurants at nearby Foxwoods Casino.
AND
Mystic, ConnecticutThe Mystic Seaport Museum is a living history museum consisting of a village, ships and 17 acres of exhibits depicting coastal life in New England in the 19th century.
Shops, restaurants, and galleries.

A DAY ON THE PLANTATION
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plimouth Plantation is a recreation of Plymouth as it was in the 17th century: it is living history experience of the year 1622 or so. There, townspeople speak the poetic language of Shakespeare's England.
Shops, restaurants and antiquing in downtown Plymouth.

A DAY IN THE 1830'S
Sturbridge, MassachusettsOld Sturbridge Village is a living history museum and learning resource that invites all visitors to explore New England's past. It is a re-created rural New England town of the 1830s set on more than 200 acres of historical landscape, encompassing a Center Village, Mills Area, and Countryside, shops and galleries with special exhibitions.


MANY MORE ITINERARIES

RHODE ISLAND TOURS  - click on a link below
Providence City Tour - The State Capitol's Landmarks and Neighborhoods
A Scenic Drive Through The Sakonnet Lands - Landmarks of Tiverton and Little Compton
A Scenic Drive Through Naragansett Country - Landmarks of Narragansett and Point Judith
A Day in Historic Bristol - Landmarks, Antiques and Boutique Shopping
A Day in Old Watch Hill - Landmarks of A Seaside Resort, Antiques, and Boutique Shopping
A Day On The Block - A Tiny Island with a Big Story
Rags to Riches - The Story of the Industrial Revolution in the Blackstone Rivey Valley


MASSACHUSETTS TOURS - click on a link below
Sturbridge Village Museum
Plimouth Plantation Museum and The Town of Plymouth
New Bedford, Fairhaven and Sandwich - A Day of Small VIllage Museums and Coastal Scenery


CONNECTICUT TOURS - click on a link below
Mystic Seaport Village and Downtown - A Day of Whaling History and Coastal Scenery
Old Stonington - A Day of Small Village Museums, Antiques and Wine-tasting
The Pequot Museum and the Casinos - The Museum and A Scenic Drive Through Pequot Lands in Old Ledyard
Mark Twain: "A Connecticut Yankee" At Home - A Day in Hartford and A Visit to His House