Newport Rhode Island

After breakfast today we headed for our next state, Rhode Island. We were to spend half the day in Newport and the second half in Providence. However, we liked what Newport had to offer so much we decided to spend the day. It all started with a walk around the downtown area. We few of the highlights along the way were Trinity Church, the Harbor, and the Redwood library. From here we drove to the edge of town to the Cliff Walk. The Cliff Walk is a 3 mile path that runs along the coast. If that weren't enough the Cliff Walk is also lined with huge mansions and other large homes. A lot of these are private residences but there are also a handful of them that are available to tour. We choose to tour The Breakers, which is the largest and most popular stop along the walk. It is 138,000 square foot home that the Vanderbilt family built and summered in for a few years. We found it funny that the guide mentioned the exterior was made of Indiana limestone. The center of the home was where the grand hall was located and the was 50 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 50 feet tall. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the homes but I managed to sneak a few. The other home that we toured was called Rosecliff. This home has been owned by many different families in the last hundred years. It has also been used in a variety of movies such as the Great Gatsby, True Lies, and 27 Dresses. After walking most of the day we decided to take the scenic drive that extended past the Cliff Walk. We ended up eating lunch while overlooking the ocean. We ended our day by walking another mile or so down a different section of the Cliff Walk. After a long day and a lot of walking we were content with finding our hotel and calling it a day. The last picture is a shot of restaurant next to the hotel where we enjoyed a steak and some ribs. Tomorrow we are off to explore Connecticut.

Slightly different site for the new pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/john23r/EastCoast2