Newport Beach - Rhode Island - For the Smallest State it Sure Packs a Big Punch!

After leaving New York - Our next stop was Newport, Rhode Island. By the turn of the 20th century, many of the nation's wealthiest families were summering in Newport, in their gorgeous "cottages", such asThe Breakers, Belcourt Castle, The Elms, Marble House and Rosecliff. The Astors and the Vanderbilts came for a brief social season and to escapte they heat, and entertained in these grand, gilded mansions with elaborate receiving, dining, music and ballrooms, but strangely enough with few bedrooms, since the guests were expected to have cottages of their own! :-)

The social scene at Newport is described in one of my favorite books, Edith Wharton's the Age of Innocence.

With an amazing coastline Newport harbor is filled with all sorts of boats and is known s the sailing capital of the U.S. Probably most famous for holding and defending the America's Cup (which unfortunately is not in America anymore :-(

We had the best ever crabcakes for lunch at the White Horse Tavern, which was built in 1673 (and considered to be the oldest surviving tavern in the U.S.) - gave me goosebumps!

^]Newport is also home to ,Hammersmith Farm (which is where Jackie Kennedy was married from) Prescott Farm and The Touro Synagogue, the oldest Jewish house of worship in the Western hemisphere. Apparently, George Washington gave a speech at the Touro Synagogue extolling the virtues of freedom of worship and the right for the Jewish people to live and worship freely in the United States.

Newport was also a major center of pirate activity during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In the 1720s, colonial leaders, acting under pressure from the English government, arrested many pirates. Many were hanged in Newport and were buried on Goat Island.

And then there is Fort Adams the largest coastal fortification in the United States. It really is an engineering and architectural masterpiece and the setting for the Newport Jazz Festival - which we unfortunatelymissed by just one day!

Is it feet? Is it a wave? Remarkably, there is a sidewalk statue, a permanent wave on Thames St and Memorial with feet sticking out. But really, whose feet are they really? A lot of rumors about it; some say Greta Garbo, Merle Haggard, Dorothy Lamore, Billy Carter... It's a mystery!

All in all very cool, with the gorgeous historic mansions, the beautiful ocean drive, amazing harbor, and my favorite, the back in time Colonial Feel!

If you or someone you know is thinking buying or selling a home - or if you would like more information on Chilliwack Real Estate please give Chilliwack Realtor Liz Moras of Landmark Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com. Selling property in Cultus Lake, Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C.

Copyright © 2010 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. Please do not use without permission. Information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd.