Visiting New Port, Rhode Island During Off Season be like

It’s nothing like traveling during off season and being completely surprised because you had absolutely no idea what that would actually look like. It honestly didn’t feel like off season, but I can understand now why it would be considered it– the cold, duh.

At this point, it’s cold everywhere but Miami. Being from summer all year round doesn’t help either, but definitely makes me miss it.

SO any who—

There’s lots to do in Rhode Island and I’m SO excited to show you what we explored. Funny enough, my sister and I had planned to travel for a weekend, bought our tickets, and just left it at that. We didn’t even book the hotel until the night before the flight. I feel like we’ve truly been living life on the edge with our trips and planning as we get there. More like living on the edge. Am I right?!

I’ve basically mapped out what we did in New Port in terms of exploring! All in this fancy little few posts below and a few others, but I’m sure you’ll want to explore:

New Port Bridge

Built in 1966, the New Port Bridge takes over the East Passage in the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. Its actual name is actually the Claiborne Pell Bridge.

It took a whole thirty years to plan, three years and $54.7 million to build. As New England’s longest suspension bridge, it has now become a little too popular. So post-covid-19, they increased the one-way toll from $2 to $6. Insane!

In June 28, 2019, it turned 50 years old.

Firehouse Theatre

I went to my first improve show… like ever, and it was amazing! This group really set the bar for my next shows because it was so fun. The skits were all original too. We had The Bit Players present, each different personalities, and lots of funny improv.

Bowen’s Wharf Marina

The day was so gloomy and yucky, but it was very worth passing by. It’s a cute little plaza/wharf area with shops, restaurants, and everything in between. There were some pretty cool scenic views and structures to enjoy. It offers so much of Rhode Island’s beauties in one and I love how much of a community they all are with one another. To the extent that the President of Bowen’s Wharf Company, Bartlett Dunbar, gave his tenants a little break when the pandemic hit in 2020.

St Mary’s Catholic Church

• Built in 1828 as a schoolhouse, but later converted to a church.
• First property in Rhode Island to be named a Catholic Church with a gothic revival style.
• Served as a chapel for the Naval Academy in the Civil War.
• Always sitting in pew #10 on their regular Sunday mass, Jacky and John F. Kennedy wed in 1953.
• Now considered a National Register of Historic Places in New England.

Cliff Walk

The Cliff Walk offers a panoramic view of New Port. A whole 3.5 miles in the National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District that we didn’t actually walk through. We arrived to visited the Cliff Walk the day after some parts of it came tumbling down.

Mayor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano said the collapse of the popular destination may have been caused by erosion due to rain and snow run off.

TurnTo10 News

The collapse occurred near Webster Street and Narragansett Ave. The area around the collapse will be closed for the foreseeable future according to city officials, who said public safety crews are assessing the damage.

US News

Nicholson says he wants to rebuild, and is asking Rhode Island’s governor and congressional delegation for help. Like many locals, he has walked the path countless times. “It’s something that’s in Newport’s DNA,” Nicholson said.

Boston News

Vanderbilt Mansions

I don’t want to ruin the story of the mansions for you, so here are some of our favorite images. We could only visit a few because for one- it took us about two hours to really soak in the story with the mansion and two- only a few are open in particular seasons because of the pandemic and business through the year. Enjoy!

Breakers Mansion

Marble Mansion

Castle Hill Lighthouse

We left our car at the Castle Hill Cove Marina by the Inn. Followed the sidewalk left across the street. To arrive to the lighthouse, we actually walked through some weird areas of mud. But it was worth it!

Castle Hill Lighthouse is located on Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island at the end of the historic Ocean Drive. It is an active navigation aid for vessels entering the East Passage, between Conanicut Island and Aquidneck Island.

We got rained on a little, or maybe it would’ve been the sprinkle of the waves crashing? While you ponder on that, there was also a mini walkable port that you could get closer to the lighthouse, but we stuck it out. I’m a scaredy cat when it comes to coming near anything related to water and rocks.

I honestly love light houses and this is probably the closest I’ve ever been to one by the water.

On the way to Jamestown, we had a mini pit stop too. So if you take a look at the map, Jamestown is actually an island in between New Port and the main land of Rhode Island.

Taylor Point Lookout

Arriving to this lookout was no easy task. All the reviews were simply confusing, so we followed the literal outdoor toilet. We parked on the area left of the toilet spot and walked the trail to the right of the lot we parked in. Basically, you have to follow the trail to arrive at the rocks. We made our merry little way and– WOW! WHAT A VIEW! Even in the foggy days, we got a good one. Also, looks could be deceiving because I actually had lots of goosebumps in this mini photoshoot.

If you want the actual directions, here’s how we did it:

• Coordinates to where we parked: 41°30’35.1″N 71°21’42.1″W on Freedom Drive
• Where the toilet is: 199-133 Bay View Dr, Jamestown, RI 02835
• Where we took our photos: 200 Bay View Dr, Jamestown, RI 02835

Beavertail State Park

I don’t think I wore the proper shoes for this park, but I made it out alive. It was also sprinkle raining, but what’s an adventure without a little water splashing? We also didn’t take into consideration how cold it would be, so enjoy our twin outfits for the day.

No one tells you about the mini hike you have to walk towards to get to the view, so we decided to follow a mini wet trail and go see for ourselves. We ended up on some rocks, took some photos, and soaked in the nice fresh air of Beavertail State Park.

While we still used our masks in indoor places, everything was very clean and beautiful. Lots of outdoorsy sights and exploring. We also probably ate too much, but that didn’t stop us from trying Rhode Island’s foodie stops.