Cliff Walk and Ocean Drive
Newport’s iconic Cliff Walk is a paved public walkway with Gilded Age mansions on one side and the blue waters of Easton’s Bay on the other. We accessed the Cliff Walk from Memorial Boulevard, near a large public beach. It was a hot, sunny weekday afternoon; there wasn’t any shade on the Cliff Walk, just an occasional breeze coming from the bay.
We passed by Forty Steps, where people of Irish heritage gather every year on a spring day for dancing and romance. Next came Ochre Court, a mansion resembling a French chateau, now part of Salve Regina University. Then we rounded a bend and were completely surprised by a herd of elephants! It was The Great Elephant Migration, a traveling art exhibit raising awareness and funding for conservation efforts. There were about 100 life-sized elephants made from dried plant stalks. The parade of pachyderms started at Vinland Estate (now the university’s McAuley Hall) and continued past The Breakers. What a funny, random, unexpected thing to see in Rhode Island!
Ocean Drive is also a Newport icon. Our trolley tour had included a portion of Ocean Drive, but the following week we decided to return in our car, with the top down. We started our drive at the end of the Cliff Walk, with majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean. It was quite windy here, and waves crashed on the rocks. We drove past yacht clubs and more mansions, including Seafair (currently owned by Jay Leno) and Land’s End (formerly owned by novelist Edith Wharton). We passed Brenton Point State Park, where Narragansett Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. There were giant kites floating over the grass, and a wedding was in progress near the water. We parked near the Castle Hill Inn and took a short walk along shady trails to a small lighthouse dating back to 1890. Then we enjoyed a cocktail at the inn’s outdoor bar and watched the sailboats. We thoroughly enjoyed our scenic drive and lazy afternoon.
