We woke up on our last day in Newport to a crisp, Fall day. Our hotel, Hotel Viking, had complimentary bikes so we decided to take them down to Bowen's Wharf, which is a marina right on the waterfront. We took this opportunity to explore the town on our way to the water to sightsee with less people milling about. We made it to the wharf and into Coffee Grinder, which is a small coffee shop that overlooks Newport Harbor. We ordered two coffees and sat by the water to drink them and enjoy the fruits of our biking labor.
After relaxing with our coffees, we jumped back on our bikes and made the up-hill journey back to the hotel. Yelena and I did not realize how out of shape we were and the last quarter mile of our ride back involved lots of huffing and puffing. When we finally made it to the hotel we quickly packed and jumped in our car for the last day in Newport.
Due to our arduous biking adventure, we decided to eat breakfast as soon as possible. Yelena recommended the Hungry Monkey Cafe as a great local spot for breakfast, so we made our way over there. What a fantastic choice! The poached eggs on the Rueben hash and the lox dishes were outstanding. Hungry Monkey is also very well known for its french toast, which looked delicious as well.
After stuffing our faces, we wanted to see more of the beautiful Newport sights, so we made our way to Goat Island on the Narragansett Bay to see the Newport Harbor Lighthouse, which was built in 1842. There were numerous plaques detailing the history of the lighthouse and a great view of the boats out on the water. Parking was limited so I’d recommend getting there early or during the offseason, so that you’re able to grab a spot.
We left Goat Island and decided on visiting the Breakers Mansion, which is named for where the waves hit the rocks on Newport’s rocky seaside coast. We purchased our ticket and entered the mansion for our self-guided tour. It’s an extremely opulent mansion that contains all manner of ornate decorations, beautiful furnishings, and amazing (but historically accurate) amenities. The Breakers Mansion is right on a trail that hugs the water called Cliff Walk, which is a scenic 3.5 mile walking trail overlooking the Easton Bay. If we had more time, we would have loved to walk up the trail for a bit but alas, we had to check-out of the hotel.
It was time to get our luggage at Hotel Viking, so we hopped in the car and drove back to the hotel. While waiting for checkout, we noticed that Hotel Viking has a very good cafe inside called Hill Market, which has options such as lattes, nitro brewed coffee, and Americanos. I decided to order a nitro brew and Yelena had to get her favorite drink of all time, a vanilla latte. Just as I thought we were about to leave the hotel, Yelena spotted a boutique in the hotel called Una Bella. There were tons of items that caught her eye and I had to drag her out of there before she bought half of the store.
Our last stop in Newport was a spot recommended to us by our good friend Carol - the OceanCliff Hotel. We’d highly recommend getting lunch or dinner at the restaurant inside the hotel - The Safari Room. The restaurant is beautiful and overlooks the water. We had great service throughout our dining experience and the food was great. I ordered the lobster mac and cheese and clam chowder while Yelena ordered a lobster roll. As you can guess, everything was delicious. After lunch, we made our way down to the grounds that overlooked the water and relaxed on the adirondack chairs that line the lawn. It was incredibly relaxing and a great way to say goodbye to Newport. Once we said our proper goodbyes, we loaded up the car, drove to Providence, and boarded our flight home.
But most importantly, don't forget to see the world and eat the food.