Newport, Rhode Island: Dime Sized State, Million Dollar Experiences
- Cassidy Wade
- May 16, 2025
- 3 min read
Every summer my family makes it a goal to take a trip, whether it’s Disney World for a week or Pennsylvania for a few days. Summer is the only time where we’re all home at the same time, and we love to spend this time together. In July of 2023 my parents told my brothers and I that we were going to Newport, Rhode Island. When I told one of my work friends where I was going she joked “What are you going to do in Rhode Island? It’s smaller than this restaurant!”, and I laughed because I agreed, I had no idea what we could possibly be doing. My mom accidentally told one of my brothers our itinerary two times thinking that she told me, so I had no idea what to expect until we got there. Upon entering the dime-sized state I went to have the most fun weekend I can remember, and we created some of the best memories together as a family. Rhode Island may be small, but she is full of surprises and hidden gems. Here are some of the things I got to do in Newport that made the best trip ever!
Every day we would leave our hotel in a small shuttle and get dropped off at the center of the walkable town center. We immediately explored the wharfs, and I loved sitting on the benches by the water looking out at the boats. It was calm and beautiful, and my brothers and I had some hilarious conversations on these benches.
I still dream of the food that I had in Newport, especially this pizza. While I can’t remember the name of this restaurant, I will never forget the shrimp and red pepper pizza that my mom and I demolished, and the eclectic decorations that filled each room. Not a corner of the walls were bare and these decorations made interesting conversation starters. The combination of the pizza, an iced cold Cherry Coke, and the kitschy ambiance made for one of the most memorable dinners of my summer.
Each night after dinner my family and I would have to walk off our amazing meals before the next adventure, and on one of those walks we came across this street. It reminded me of one of our vacations in Puerto Rico where we saw similar umbrellas floating above our heads. This street was filled with gift shops and local dessert stops, the area was crowded with local street musicians, and we spent a good amount of time with our eyes to the sky admiring the beautiful decorations.
The main reason why my mom wanted to travel to Rhode Island was to see the variety of mansions in the small town. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was completely blown away by The Breakers mansion, built for the Vanderbilt family in 1895. The ornate architecture and decorations were stunning, and during our tour of this specific mansion I decided that Rhode Island might be the most interesting place on earth.
Next on our agenda was the Newport cliff walk. This walk took us a few hours, most of which I spent thinking about how my converse high tops were not made for this trail. The path took us through rocky terrain behind mansions and against the ocean, and the views were spectacular. While I did spend most of the time realizing that I was terribly out of shape, I would absolutely do it again just to see the beautiful ocean views from the edge of the cliffs.
My brothers and I constantly reminisce on this trip, despite our initial hesitation towards traveling to this tiny state. We could have never imagined the variety of activities we experienced during this four day trip. Where else would we be able to go from touring mansions to traversing across a cliff in just one day? We were only six hours from our home, but it felt as if we had explored a new planet, and this new planet of Newport that we discovered came along with memories and experiences that will certainly last my family a lifetime.
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