Blogs from Rhode Island, United States, North America - page 5

Poet, novelist and travel writer William Graham is a resident of Stowe, Vermont. He is the author of “Seven Continents: A Travel Memoir." His most recent novella is "Greenfields." Visit his author page on Amazon.com and Audible.com The late 19th century in the United States was an era of rapid industrialization and urban expansion. Fortunes were made by such titans as Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Astor, Gould, Carnegie and others. This was a period when the term "conspicuous consumption" was also coined. The period was also called the "gilded age," from the novel of the same name by Mark Twain. The term was not meant as a compliment; rather the words were meant as an indictment of the rich families whose vast wealth masked serious social issues with a thin gold gilding. Newport, Rhode Island was the epicenter ... read more

We took a couple trips up to neighboring Rhode Island. It was a cold dreary December month so we decided to enjoy beautiful Block Island. A very, very popular destination with the East coasters - it's popular with the "non-Martha's Vineyard" type or the "Martha's-Vineyard-is-getting-too crowded-so-we-need-to-get-out" type. Unfortunately this was not summer, but we figured we'd give it a shot and get out of dodge (in this case Stamford) for a night. We left really early in the morning, figured out parking, caught the ferry, and sat back as the ferry chugged its way through the waters. We hit land and well... this is Block Island. We could have brought the car but why bother. I made a reservation the previous day at the 1661 INN. Luckily it was just a short walk to get there ... read more

In my previous blog I said that we went to Providence Rhode Island. We went to Newport Rhode Island. I was in a hurry because in the RV park where we are, you have to pay for the internet for 24 hrs. at a time. I was afraid that I wouldn't get the blog done before I ran out of time. Also, wanted to add that Jim thinks that the downfall of some of these large mansions came in 1913. This was when the United States permanently imposed income taxes.... read more

Friday:Last full day of the cruise, we dropped anchor off shore from Newport, Rhode Island. A tender trip later and we were on a hop-on/off trolley driving towards the cliff-top walk and the opulent mansions that characterise Newport. A brief stroll along the cliff-top walk saw us outside The Breakers, the most magnificent of the mansions - former summer cottage of the VandeBilts. The tour, including audio narration, was fascinating and a genuine insight into the decadence of the era. We took in one more mansion, the aptly named Marble House, again courtesy of another Mrs VanDeBilt. Later on, we speculated that the US does audio-tours really well - National Trust, please note!! Back on board we ate, by ourselves!!, and then set about packing - what joy!! A brandy over a few numbers from the ... read more

Friday night is distinctly chilly and so is Saturday morning until the sun begins to warm us up. We are heading back to East Greenwich via Potter Cove and Bristol. Saturday is a nice sunny day with a brisk breeze so the waters outside Newport are full of sailboats of all sizes. We head up to Potter Cove and anchor in our favorite spot just outside Buoy #6. It is very busy here. The mooring nearest us has four boats rafted together. After the very wet Labor Day weekend, we guess that everyone is determined to take full advantage of at least one more beautiful weekend before the season ends. As usual, small boats come and go from nearby ports throughout the afternoon and early evening. There are “no wake” signs and most boats here do ... read more