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Published: June 22nd 2012
The Bridge From Hell
As Seen From Fort Adams State Park - Newport RISince my drive from Old Mystic CT to Newport RI was only about 60 miles (or 90 minutes), I spent a leisurely morning Tuesday, May 22, 2012 preparing for departure. Avoiding rush hour traffic and school bus pick-ups are good reasons to plan a late departure when the destination is nearby – say nothing of getting to a campground before the reserved spot is vacated. Tuesday began with a drizzle hard enough to make the streets wet and kick up spray sufficient to have the wipers on intermittent. The journey was quite pleasant in spite of the weather until I arrived at the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, where I paid the $8.00 toll and proceeded across the most deteriorated surface I have encountered on any form of FREE divided highway in a long time. Generally, toll roads and bridges are quite well maintained when compared to free portions of comparable roadways in the same state. So much for generally! At least it wasn’t a forty mile stretch of highway.
The folks at the Meadowlark RV Park in Middletown RI (about 4 miles from the Newport waterfront) had prepared a comprehensive packet of tourist information. After
Fog Mystifies the View
Brenton Point State Park - Newport RI setting up the Pilgrim, I digested the information and developed a set of questions. True to form, Wednesday found me at the Newport Visitor Information and Transportation Center in downtown Newport where I got my questions answered and purchased a ticket for an orientation/highlights tour. I took a brief stroll along the waterfront while waiting for my assigned tour departure time. When I returned to retrieve my truck after the ninety minute tour, I learned the parking fee was $12.50.
PARKING HINT: The regular rate at the visitor center lot is $2.00 for the first half hour and $1.50 for each additional half hour. A validation stamp from the visitor center provides thirty minutes of free parking; however, on busy days there might be a thirty minute wait for a desk attendant. Using mass transit costs $2.00 per ride or $6.00 for a 24-hour pass AND if you ask the bus driver for a RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority) Rider Receipt, the all-day parking rate at the Visitor Center lot is only $2.00. The yellow line route passes the historic mansions, accesses the cliff walk and provides easy access to many other attractions, or you can take the
And Creates A Maritime Hazard
Brenton Point State Park – Newport RI bus to the far side of the “tourist trap”/historic district and shop/sightsee your way back to the visitor center. Bus schedules are available at the transportation center.
On Thursday there was a dense fog so I decided to drive about town and take an amateur tour of some of the streets that were bypassed during the professional tour and to spend a little more time absorbing those that had been merely a blur. I “discovered” Brenton Point State Park. As the professional tour passed along Ocean Drive, the driver’s narrative had me focused on the scenic coastline and grandiose homes and I literally overlooked the 90-acre park that is located where Narragansett Bay meets the Atlantic. Most of the park lies across the road from the rocky shoreline. There is ample parking and benches are available to sit and enjoy the relaxing sound of the waves crashing into the rocks below. A trek along Ocean Drive is requisite to complete a visit to Newport, and a stop at Brenton Point for at least a few minutes and a couple of photos is highly recommended.
Since the fog had lifted for the most part and the sun was peeking
through scattered clouds, the Fort Adams State Park sign at the end of Ocean Drive prompted me to make a detour. The professional tour had taken me past the fortress, the driver’s narrative had piqued my interest and the views of the harbor looked inviting. Fort Adams is the largest coastal fortification in the United States and has a 6-acre parade ground. A gun fortress was first constructed in 1799 and plans for Fort Adams began in 1824. Even though the fort was not completed until 1857, it was garrisoned in 1842 and remained active until 1950. The fort was never "battle hardened," but played an important role in training troops for the Civil War, Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II. Ownership was transferred to the State of Rhode Island in 1964 for use as a state park.
I paid the admission fee which includes a guided tour. After the tour, I returned to read the informational kiosks and to take some additional pictures and learned that construction (the current phase is to be completed in June 2012) has closed the landmark to free-lance exploration. The neglect and resultant deterioration is obvious and disheartening; however, the sheer
immensity of Fort Adams is striking, the architecture is interesting, the tunnel system is unique and the bastions offer a panoramic view of both Newport Harbor and the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. Fort Adams State Park is subtly interesting and overtly unique but lacks the wow factor necessary to make my “A list.” Other forts of the era which I have visited recently offer more, but the proximity of Fort Adams State Park to the Newport waterfront (water taxi service is available) and Ocean Drive make it a good addition to fill an hour or two.
Adjacent to Fort Adams State Park is the Eisenhower House. The historic, late nineteenth-century home served as the residence for the Commandant of Fort Adams. After the fort closed in 1950, President Dwight D. Eisenhower (who was elected in 1952 and who was an avid golfer) chose the abandoned home as his Summer White House due to the proximity to the Newport Country Club golf course. Today Eisenhower House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the scene of many public and private events, but tours are NOT available. The landmark has good views of the waterfront and
Note Jackie O’s Playhouse In The Left Front
Hammersmith Farm From The Rum Runner II - Newport RI is picturesque so it is worth a brief stop, especially if you drove to Fort Adams.
I had learned from the tour guide on Wednesday that the Eisenhower House is right next door to Hammersmith Farm - built in 1887 for the great-grandfather of Jacqueline "Jackie" Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. As a youngster, Jackie had spent a great deal of time at Hammersmith Farm. When she and John Kennedy married on September 12, 1953, the wedding was held at St. Mary's Church in Newport and the reception was held at Hammersmith Farm. President Kennedy made the location his Summer White House. This coincidence makes Newport the only city to host two presidential “Summer White Houses” that happen to be adjacent and happened to be successive. (This bit of trivia was echoed by the captain of the Rum Runner II which I’ll get to in a bit – be patient!) Hammersmith Farm is not really visible from land but can be seen from the harbor cruises.
I’m not an architectural guru by any stretch of the wildest imagination, but I believe I would have felt cheated had I not visited at least a sample of the “summer
cottages” that were built by the well-healed as a respite from the heat of (primarily) New York City. This era of extravagance became known as the gilded age – essentially the second half of the nineteenth century - thanks to Mark Twain. One definition of gild in the Encarta Dictionary is “to cover something with a thin layer of gold leaf or a substance that looks like gold.” Many of these cottages, indeed, were gilded with gold, made of marble, inlayed with ivory or plated with platinum. These cottages, keep in mind, were only occupied for six to eight weeks a year.
I remember learning of a story about a daughter who was the caregiver for her elderly, bed-ridden, terminally-ill mother and who, at some point, decided to withhold her mother’s pain medication. When asked why she replied, “Because I could.” Sick as that is, many of these mega-billionaires (in today’s money) engaged in such excesses simply, “Because they could.” Many might say, “So what.” I would respond that those who complain about child labor laws, the minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, OSHA, the EPA and governmental regulations in general have the industrial tycoons of the gilded age
to thank for planting some of the seeds of what has become today’s bureaucratic nightmare. With the passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, Congress gained the authority to tax the income of both individuals and corporations. Hmmmm, did the extravagance of the gilded age play a role in the passage of the 16th Amendment? Speculation aside, the gilded age quickly vanished from the American landscape. By the mid-1940s, many of Newport’s grand mansions were aligned in the cross-hairs of the wrecking ball. The Preservation Society of Newport County was formed in 1945 to save this important piece of American history. Thank you and congratulations.
The Preservation Society owns eleven properties plus a store located on the waterfront. Some of the properties have been purchased whereas others have been bequeathed. Some were passed from generation to generation until obtained by the Preservation Society and, thus, have the original furnishings. Similarly, some have the original structure intact whereas others have been modified to greater or lesser extents. Some display subtle suggestions of affluence whereas some flaunt vulgar opulence. All eleven properties share one common characteristic – interior photography is not allowed.
Four mansions have extremely well-done self-guided audio tours
that have a basic tour that can be enhanced with supplementary narratives to satisfy the desires of each visitor. The self-guided audio tours allow you to begin upon arrival and to proceed as rapidly or as slowly as you desire. Four properties offer staff-conducted tours that also are very well-done. In this instance, the visitor is held captive to scheduled starting times and to progressing through the attraction only as quickly as the guide’s narrative allows.
Like I said before, I’m not an architectural guru by any definition. I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Greek revival and a Southern Baptist revival or between Gothic arches and fallen arches! Eight of the properties are “summer cottages,” and each is impressive in its own right; however, a couple offer a characteristic that sets it apart. For example, the Isaac Bell House is sparsely furnished and has yet to be restored. The guided tour focuses on the investigation of restoration specialists and about how they determined the original décor hidden beneath the layers of paint. I found the tour guide extremely knowledgeable and the visit very worthwhile.
My first mansion was The Elms - only because I wanted to
experience the Servant Life Tour. It happened that the Servant Life Tour was being offered to new members at no additional cost (normally $12.50) which made purchasing a membership a very good deal. Timing caused me to take the staff-guided Servant Life Tour first. After that, I took the self-guided audio tour of the mansion (and listened to all the supplemental narratives). With nothing for comparison, I couldn’t imagine how any of the other facilities could be fancier than The Elms. Then it was outside for some exterior photos.
At Chateau-sur-Mer, Chepstow, Isaac Bell House and Kingscote; I worked the exterior photos around the starting time of the staff-guided tour. At Marble House, Rosecliff, and The Breakers; the nature of the recorded, self-guided tour gave me more flexibility. Watching the visitors at the four self-guided properties was interesting. Even the basic option on the self-guided tour pointed out architectural features and explained artifacts, but some visitors hustled through the mansion as if late for a connecting flight and without pausing to study any of the architectural features or the artifacts. Others (like me) took a slower, more deliberate approach and listened to all the supplemental narratives. Most people landed
somewhere between the two extremes.
Three of the properties are not summer cottages. First, the Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth RI is the only property not in Newport. The gardener, Joseph Carreiro, began creating the topiaries for Thomas E. Brayton in 1905, and the tradition was continued by his son-in-law George Mendonca. When Brayton died in 1939, his daughter Alice assumed residence on the property. She left the small country estate to the Preservation Society when she died in 1972. Green Animals is the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States and has over 80 pieces of topiary on the seven acres of land. Personally, I found the house at least as interesting as the gardens. The furnishings demonstrated moderate means but not outlandish wealth, and the second story had a very interesting collection of antique toys. Highly recommended.
The second non-cottage is the Breakers Stable and Carriage House. The original building burned in a mysterious fire and was rebuilt. Today the facility is home to numerous unbelievably dusty, horse-drawn vehicles that are sitting side by side and backed up to a wall. About all that can be clearly visualized are the coachman’s seats
and the fronts of the carriages. The placards are brief and leave a lot to be desired. Most of the information on the placards either is technical and geared to the “horse-drawn enthusiast” or is on the verge of insulting – the color of the coach, the color of the pin-striping, the color of the spokes in the wheels and, in case you can’t read, the letters of the monogram painted on the door. Numerous trophies and ribbons won by the livestock are on display, and a mediocre model train layout has been built to link the Breakers to the source of the fortune amassed by Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt via the New York Central Railroad. The stable is a few blocks away from Bellevue Avenue (where most of the mansions are located). This facility might make the aforementioned “horse-drawn enthusiast” cry over the inferior presentation of the artifacts and really has nothing to offer the average tourist. I suggest the carriage house be a fill-in activity.
While I’m passing out left jabs and right hooks to the Preservation Society of Newport County, most of the mansions had exterior maintenance shortcomings that really were incompatible with the interior elegance. I
suppose most people who have a schedule to satisfy scurry into the facility, take the tour and then get a couple of long-range photos of the exterior. Folks like myself who have (and take) the time to absorb the details of the attraction, and thus to notice the defects, are in the minority I’m sure. I guess for those in charge of resource allocation don’t subscribe to the “ounce of prevention” doctrine.
The last non-mansion property is the Hunter House which presented as a mystery from my first perusal of the Newport Mansions brochure. This attraction commands a premium admission fee – almost as much as “The Newport Mansions Experience” package which allows access to any five of the other ten properties. Using the Bellevue Avenue “summer cottage” standard, it is small and sits on a small city lot in the old waterfront district. Since Hunter House was open only on weekends during my visit, it was on my list for the Sunday before my departure and was the last of my visits to the Preservation Society properties. Indeed, Hunter House stands apart from the other attractions in many respects; however, in my opinion, NONE of those dissimilarities justify
the premium fee. Essentially, Hunter House is a history lesson about the furniture-making industry in colonial Newport. Again, in my opinion, one’s time and tourism dollars could be better spent elsewhere.
All eight “summer cottages” are worthy of your visit. How much time do you have? When are you planning to visit Newport? During my two-week stay, four of the eleven properties were open only on weekends and seven were open daily. Given the length of my visit and given that all the properties would be open during my stay; I opted to purchase a membership which was economically advantageous. Since I decided to buy a membership and planned to visit all the attractions, I never stopped at the Newport Mansions Store; however, I would suggest visitors with time restrictions combine a visit there with a stop at the Visitor Center on Day One. I’m sure the staff could help you decide which properties to visit and whether to purchase a package or a membership. NOTE: The “summer cottages” owned by The Preservation Society of Newport County are not the only mansions in Newport that are open for public viewing.
Tuesday morning had just a hint of fog
and promised to be a nice day for some agricultural tourism at Coggeshall Farm and Museum in Bristol RI – a mere 15 miles from the RV park. I am still getting used to the notion of an atlas scale of 1 inch = 5-1/2 miles! Coggeshall Farm is located in Colt State Park and is touted as a living history museum. It is, but barely. The only original structure native to the property is the cabin. The other buildings are interesting and in good condition, but have been moved there from other locations and have been secured to prevent entry. There are no “in costume” re-enactors and no action except some turkeys and chickens roaming the property and some other farm animals resting inside of sun shelters. Coggeshall Farm ranks near the bottom of the museums of its type that I have visited.
Next I headed downtown for the self-guided walking tour of historic Bristol. I downloaded the guide from the Internet and saw that the building descriptors were more geared to local interests, but figured the buildings would be aesthetically pleasing. They were. Although there was major road construction in progress, the walk was pleasant. After several
blocks, I drifted toward the waterfront for my walk back to the truck. Since there was ample time and since I was in the mood for colonial style dwellings, I drove back to Newport to take a walking tour of several blocks of the historic district there. Overall, it turned out to be a very pleasant day.
Tuesday, May 31 was forecast to be a nice day to check out the 3-1/2 mile long Cliff Walk. I was unsure of the parking situation so I took the bus to Memorial Drive and walked downhill about 10 or 12 blocks to the northern terminus. I had been warned of some rocky and moderately difficult passages near the southern end of the walk. The walkway began as an easy park-like stroll that probably could accommodate a wheelchair for some distance although the rocks and some steps prevent the majority of the path from being “wheelchair accessible.” The ever-present crashing of the waves into the rocky shoreline below generated a tranquil lullaby as I paused to watch the birds or to examine some flowers. Most of the mansions are not directly visible from the path, but distant views emerge sporadically across a
The Treacherous Stretch
Cliff Walk National Recreation Trail - Newport RI cove created by the serpentine coastline.
I learned that parking is available on several of the streets that dead-end adjacent to the Cliff Walk. They have signage noting the distance to the closet landmarks or dead-end street. Near one of the streets, I met a man whose grandparents settled in Newport after emigrating from Italy about 130 years ago. As he related stories of the 1950s Newport of his youth, his 90+ year-old mother was enjoying nature’s symphony from the comfort of his car. Eventually, I reached the treacherous zone! As I navigated the boulders, I made way for several men much younger, much more familiar and much braver than I who jogged across the hazard. During the peak season, the yellow line bus terminates at the southern end of the walk near Bailey’s Beach. I had an additional walk of about a mile to the “non-peak season” bus stop at the Marble House parking lot. This National Recreation Trail crosses 64 private properties, has several sets of stairs and a few areas that traverse boulders requiring moderately good balance and sure footedness. At least some portion of the Cliff Walk is a must see for all.
With
Ready To Rum, Err Run
Harbor Cruise on Rum Runner II - Newport RI my short, one item agenda completed, I returned to the RV park for some nourishment and a brief rest. Naps are not good, but (as Tony would say) they’re grrrrrreat! I had nothing else planned, but the sky was still brilliant so I decided to squeeze in one of those “if I have time” items. I headed back to the waterfront for a late afternoon harbor cruise aboard Rum Runner II. The rebuilt 1929 craft was only one in a fleet of high-speed vessels designed to smuggle prohibition-era contraband into the United States. Her sister ship Mary Jane IV … no, no that’s not right! Rum Runner II has two cruising options – a narrated 1-1/4 hour daytime cruise or a late afternoon cocktail cruise complete with smuggler punch made with Rhode Island’s own Black Duck rum.
My late arrival time eliminated the narrated cruise option, but seeing the harbor from aboard the Rum Runner II without rum punch and reggae music would somehow have seemed blasphemous. I positioned myself near the captain, struck up a conversation and pretty much got a personalized narration. He told me that originally all the tours were
Need A Lot Of Canvas For These Masts
Harbor Cruise on Rum Runner II - Newport RI narrated, but found the rum-amplified voices of a few of the passengers was in direct competition with the narration and caused some disagreements with the other passengers. From time to time, he did provide everybody with an explanation of a key sight along the route. Near the end of the trip, he let ‘er rip and showed us the capabilities of this high-performance classic. This was a very nice trip, but the narrated tour probably would have been more practical for a tourist.
The Newport Historical Society (not to be confused with The Preservation Society of Newport County) has a museum and a store in an area a few blocks east of the waterfront known as The Old Quarter. In peak tourist season, it offers various themed tours including the Discover Colonial Newport Tour, the Newport's Buried History Tour, the Old House ABCs Tour and the Pirates & Scoundrels Tour. None of the aforementioned tours were yet available (giving me one more reason to return to Newport), but I did some exploration of the area on my own. Another historic area, called the Point District, is home to the Hunter House (described earlier) and lies just north of the
Lonesome Duty
Newport Harbor (Goat Island) Lighthouse - Newport RI Visitor Center. Both quaint, picturesque areas resonate with Newport’s storied history.
And then, there are the lighthouses. I learned during the planning stage that Newport is no lighthouse-lovers mecca. Rose Island Lighthouse is one of a handful of attractions where visitors can be lighthouse keepers for a night or for a week; however, it doesn’t open to the public until July 1. Two small lighthouses have open grounds but closed towers. A couple of blocks west of the Visitor Center and across the bridge is Goat Island – home to Newport Harbor (Goat Island) Lighthouse. Just off Ocean Avenue is the Castle Hill Inn and Resort – home to Castle Hill Lighthouse. Both lighthouses are small but offer a great excuse for a photo op and a short walk to fill in a few minutes on a nice day.
A short personal note: A friend of mine from Silver City NM, John Baker, and his brother Glenn from Hot Springs AR happened to be on vacation in the southwest MA – only twenty-odd miles from Newport. We got together for a late breakfast and spent several hours shootin’ da bull!
Newport is a great vacation destination. I
covered the highlights from my attraction list but still have numerous facilities I would like to visit – most of which don’t open until “peak season.” (Summer in New England appears to be limited to the months of July and August.) Newport is a lesson in contrasts. The quaint charm of the historic districts is only a few blocks from the bling of seven-figure yachts and sailboats as well as the America’s Cup World Series (to be held in Newport from June 26 to July 1, 2012). The serenity of a retired couple strolling along the cliff walk can be found in the shadows of palatial mansions that hosted parties that were all but serene in the day. The people were friendly, and the city is easy to navigate. I definitely plan to return during the peak season – probably in 2015 during the triennial Weekend of Coaching which I will miss this year (August 16-19). Authentic 19th century coaches from hither and yon are drawn by matched teams of horses and driven through the streets of Newport and the grounds of the Newport Mansions. Sounds unique and fun!
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Helen
non-member comment
Great RI toour
I had no idea that there is so many interesting things to do and see in Rhode Island. Sounds like you are having a great time. Pictures are great!!!!