September 14, 2025: The Rhode Island trip (Day 3)
We left Boston for some fun in Rhode Island.
We picked up a rental from the airport: a 2025 Jeep Wrangler with only 600 miles on it. Felt kinda cool being part of the “Jeep Wave” tradition, a friendly gesture between Jeep drivers.
Before leaving the city, we stopped by Tatte Bakery & Café for breakfast on the go. It’s known for mixing Mediterranean and Israeli flavors with classic European and American treats. Yum Yum.
Made the 1.5 hour trip to Newport. Rhode Island, following the same route wealthy families in horse-drawn coaches once traveled to their summer mansions.
Fun Fact: the actual location is called Aquidneck Island and is about 22 miles long and 5 miles wide. It contains three towns: Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth.
Newport is filled with stunning mansions from the late 19th / early 20th centuries. We toured the Breakers mansion, built in the 1890s by the Vanderbilts. It’s unreal — 70 rooms, five floors, and about 140,000 square feet of opulence, sitting on ocean-cliff property. The rooms showcase elaborate plasterwork, marble, and mosaics, and the HBO show “The Gilded Age” filmed scenes there.
After the tour, we caught an Uber ride and cheered as the Cowboys beat the Giants in overtime.
We then headed to the Castle Hill Inn, which offers sweeping views over Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic coastline. The lawn area is filled with Adirondack chairs, and we sat and watched as a Princess Cruises cruise ship passed by, playing the “Love Boat” theme song on its air horns. Only old people like me recognized the tune.
Dinner at The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar, which sits on Sayer’s Wharf on Newport’s historic waterfront. The vibe was a nautical/harbor aesthetic, and our table had views of the water, docked boats, and a spectacular sunset.
After dinner, we popped in and out of little souvenir shops and listened to a live band for a bit.
Before heading to our hotel, a lady was singing on the sidewalk. She asked passersby for any leftover food, saying she was hungry. We offered her a bag of honey bread from the Mooring restaurant, but she declined, saying she preferred chocolate. I guess she wasn’t that hungry.
Another full, beautiful day.