6 Things to do in Newport, Rhode Island

On my recent trip to Newport Rhode Island, there were so many things to see and do it was impossible to get to them all even in the four full days we were in the city. Today, I want to share six things you must do if you get a chance to experience the beauty of the island city.
#1 and #2 Vineyards  There are two vineyards I highly recommend. If you're looking for a fancier venue or you are planning a special date, I recommend Newport Vineyards. I was in Newport earlier this year and the building was under construction and to see the renovations later this year was incredible because it is a beautiful winery, both inside and out. We got to try five wines of our choosing and there wasn't a single one I didn't like. This winery is more focused on the reds, which Monica and I both loved as we are red wine lovers. We don't discriminate, but our palates prefer the red. Since the weather was so nice, we sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful scenery while sipping on a full glass of our favorite wine from the tasting *ahhhh, dreamy* 


The second vineyard I recommend is Greenvale Vineyards.  This is a more authentic setting with a tasting room inside a house that's got cobwebs and a cozy barn feel. Authentic is the best way to describe it, but I envision wine tasters getting nice and cozy in the colder months as the chilly winds rustle the outside. The manager was so incredibly friendly and extremely knowledgeable about all the details of each wine - how they're made, how they hit your palate and so forth. This winery is more focused on white wine, which is the opposite of Newport Vineyards so take your pick based on selection. The drive to this vineyard is absolutely breath-taking this time of year.


#3 Mansions Since there are a plethora of options when it comes to mansions, you shouldn't have a difficult time picking one to explore further. In the mansion travel guides, you'll find bits of information about each mansion and you can pick which one you want to see. We choose the Rosecliff Mansion, because let's be real who doesn't love roses. We did the guided tour, and there was hundreds of years of history tied to this property which is just so fascinating. No one mentioned this to us, but throughout all of our pictures we noticed the house to be slightly crooked. I don't know if it was due to the hill we were standing on, or if all of our pictures were taken crooked between the two of us but it's my goal to find out the truth ;)


#4 Ocean Drive This is a must-do. Jump into your rental car, and drive all the way down the mansions until you find yourself on Ocean Drive. You'll get a beautiful ocean view for almost ten miles, with several look-out points where you can hop out and snap some photos!


#5 Tallulah's on Thames If you pick one fancy restaurant as a dinner spot, I would say this is the one. The presentation of each dish is fantastic, typically served on the right side of the plate. We weren't served a single bad dish and the ambience was lovely. There were business meetings, families chattering, couples swooning over each other, friends gabbing about their lives, and just about every type of occasion you can think - all just having a lovely evening out in a nice local restaurant.

#6 Empire Coffee and Tea You must stop into Empire to grab a cappuccino, or any drink for that matter. It's strong, brewed and served perfectly and may very well be the best cup of coffee you've ever had. If you have someone back home who loves coffee, I recommend grabbing a bag of beans as a gift. 


Seeing all of these pictures makes me so excited as I would love to visit Newport more often, or better yet, move there for the summer!