Newport; A nearby jewel

Rhode Island; A less crowded Eden

The Ocean State is an undiscovered gem

Castle Hill Inn sits upon one of New England's most impressive settings with Newport Harbor to the north and the bay and ocean to the west and south

The building itself is a Victorian jewel.

The views from Castle Hill are breathtaking.

By Walter & Pat Brooks

When you live in a paradise like the Lower Cape Cod, it's easy to become snobbish about other New England vacation areas. This is especially true of attitudes toward our next door neighbor Rhode Island.

Most Bay State travelers will admit that Newport is as special as any Massachusetts destination, even better in some respects. Charlotte Curtis, one-time Op Ed Editrix of The New York Times, said of this town, "The new, young, chic and acquisitive rich, the restless young Europeans and the beautiful people still flit from Palm Beach's polo fields to Newport's yachts with refueling stops at Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Tiffany."

This Spring we spent two weekends, a month apart, in Newport and Providence and explored the area between these two cites. We will tell you about the latter and the really lovely towns and villages which lie between these two cites in our story next week. But first we want to tell you about a spectacular small, Victorian inn.

The Castle Hill Inn, Newport

Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Newport boasts a maritime heritage which is the equal of any. From the narrow colonial streets and clapboard houses of the Hill and Point districts to the stately stone mansions along Bellevue Avenue, this seaport is a living museum of American architecture and society. As "America's First Resort," Newport is an icon of relaxation, adventure, and fun.

The Castle Hill Inn is on its own forty-acre peninsula, at the west end of Newport's world renowned Ocean Drive, with all the amenities and luxury the seclusion and extraordinary beauty of a private oceanfront resort affords. There is even a lighthouse on this exceptional property.

As you can see by the photos, this small inn is magnificent. It is also about as posh as possible. Among its many charms is the elaborate afternoon tea, but you had better save room for the dinner which ranks with any big city hotel's cuisine, and the view of Newport Harbor, Narragansett Bay and the ocean on three sides of the dining room is breathtaking.

The menu is extensive and reminded us of Julian in Boston and the dining room at the new Chandler in Newport. It was at one of these recently where my wife upon sampling the foie gras explained, "if I ever have to order a 'last meal', it will include this."

About Newport;
 Newport was the first city to pass a traffic ordinance has the oldest synagogue in the US & operated the first ferry service . White Horse Tavern is the oldest tavern building in continuous use in the US.
Newport has the oldest newspaper, the Mercury, which started in 1758 and is owned today by the Newport Daily News, in continuous operation in the US (was home of the first woman newspaper editor) and the town is the home to the oldest US Naval War College, hosted the first Open Golf Tournament,  the first International Polo Match & home to the first National Lawn Tennis Championships. 
 Newport was the site of the first automobile arrest America & as colonial capital of RI was the first of the thirteen colonies to declare its independence from England (May 4, 1776). The first airplane passenger line in the US was between Newport and New York & was home to the first auto race.
Best Read Guide - Newport is an excellent source for information. You will find a copy in all the area lodgings, shops and info booths or here.Of special note is the "Taste of Castle Hill" which on the Spring evening we were there began with yellowfin tuna carpaccio with sesame, garlic, ginger and coriander dressing; wonton chips with wasabi, sea salad and crushed peanuts and pan roasted New York foie gras with crispy polenta, country ham and aged Vermont cheddar sandwich and red currant jelly.

After the palette freshening lemon-lime sorbet came the Colorado grazed rack of lamb with roasted garlic-black trumpet crust, fingerling potato, lima bean, tomato and feta cheese casserole and lamb jusand ended with a chocolate Grand Marnier soufflé, all for $59. With the three wine selections you would add $28, but a modest amount for food and service of this quality.

The Castle Hill Inn is at 590 Ocean Drive, Newport, RI 02840 which is the the western end of the drive adjacent to the Coast Guard Station, telephone (888) 466-1355.

America’s Yachting Capital.

Newport has been named the “Most Hospitable City” by the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA), a professional organization of travel savvy individuals including travel writers, photographers, broadcasters, and professionals from the hospitality industry.

Walk with the ocean on one side and the mansions on the other along Newport's world renown Cliff Walk

The members of NATJA annually review their experiences in a vote for the world’s best travel providers ranging from hoteliers to cruise lines to tour operators and publicists. A total of 19 awards were given to world-class providers this year, which put destination Newport in the ranks among notables such as Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts (Best Hotel Chain), the US Virgin Islands (Best Domestic Destination), and Crystal Cruise Lines (Best Cruise Line).

Located at the Southern tip of Aquidneck Island at the entrance to Narragansett Bay, Newport offers boaters an unparalleled arena. No trip up a river or along a torturous channel is necessary to enter the large, deep and protected harbor around which the city began in 1639.  

What to do in Newport;

Upcoming Waterfront Festivals for 2005
Other Newport venues 
The Cliff Walk along the eastern shore of Newport, RI is world famous as a public access walk that combines the natural beauty of the Newport shore line with the architectural history of Newport's gilded age. Wildflowers, birds, geology ... all add to this delightful Walk.

On your way home, detour through the delightful Narragansett Bay seaports of Bristol and Barrington for some of the prettiest villages and vistas in all New England.

Coming next week;

Rhode Island's state capital moved to Providence centuries ago, and for many decade's that city was something you quickly passed through on your way to Newport of someplace else, but today it is a vibrant, and uncrowded delight, and the subject of next week's travel article. If you want a peek at where we stayed, click here.

Walter and Patricia Brooks are the founders of Best Read Guides, eCape.com and this online newspaper.  They started these companies in 1988 after extensive careers in the newspaper business beginning at The Village Voice and New York Post and culminating at MPG Communications and The Cape Codder before launching their own companies. They live in East Harwich overlooking Pleasant Bay. Pat is a native Cape Codder and Walter is a Connecticut Yankee. They have lived on the cape since 1965. They have two sons, two grand children and two cats, Todd, Jay, Will, Marina, Rama and Shiva.