Day Trip to Newport, RI

Last weekend we made a trip to Newport, RI to see our friend Brooks.  Brooks has been stationed there for the last few years (he's in the Navy), but is moving to Hawaii in a few weeks.  We needed one last get together before he took off for the other side of the globe.  Newport is one of my favorite towns in New England!  It's got a little of everything (except mountains...but that's ok) - water, great food, a beautiful downtown area full of shops, walking paths, and beautiful homes.  I've been 4 times before, and there's something new to do each time we visit.  This time we did some of Brooks' favorite things - I love traveling with a local.  :)

We got there around noon and hopped in Brooks' jeep.  This jeep was seriously awesome.  I've never really understood the whole "jeep thing" until now, but it really made the day for me.  It was 72 degrees and sunny with a breeze - the perfect day to cruise around with the top down.

We started with lunch at Anthony's Seafood.  It was super yummy.  After lunch, he took us to an overlook, where we climbed out on some rocks to enjoy a beautiful view of the coast and "2nd beach".  Then we walked a little further up and saw Pergatory Chasm, a 2 foot slit in the rocks right on the water.  The waves crashing into the cavern made a fantastic noise - it was very cool.

After taking in some scenery, we headed over to the War College, where he'd been stationed.  They have a great museum there with lots of ship replicas, metals, uniforms, and weapons.  The view from the Navy base was beautiful - a perfect shot of the bridge and town.  We also drove around to see some of the ships docked there and I saw my first aircraft carrier, the Saratoga.  It was HUGE.

We had a little time to kill between the War College and a schooner trip I'd booked a few days before, so we stopped by a fantastic coffee shop in town and got out of the sun for a while.  In addition to fantastic drinks, they also had a giant light bright board, which I (obviously) had a good time with.  Then we walked around downtown and got ready for our schooner trip.

Our boat trip was on the Adirondack II, a beautiful sail boat that held as many as 55 people.  Travis and I love getting out on the water whenever we can (and Brooks obviously feels at home...being in the Navy), so this was pretty much a given for the day.  The trip was really nice except for two things.  1) As we were about to leave, a group of 25 Jersey shore-type 20-somethings boarded the boat.  They were loud and EVERYWHERE.  2)  We never left the harbor!  While it was great sailing around the harbor, it would have been nice to see some different scenery and not just sail around in circles for 1.5 hours.  I guess I shouldn't be picky...I mean...we were on a schooner in Newport.  ;)

Fort Adams

The Kennedy's home

The Eisenhower home

After the boat trip we finished the night with dinner.  We settled on the Speakeasy Bar & Grill, which was a fantastic choice.  The front of the restaurant was a bar-type scene, but the back half was set up for a nice dinner out.  Since we were starving, we decided to started the evening with their pulled pork nachos.  When they came to the table we were shocked.  They were HUGE (and delicious).  I'm embarrassed to say we devoured them.

For dinner I had the Pork Porterhouse Chops with a Wild Mushroom Demi-Glace, Brooks had the Mix Grill of Meats (Petite Filet, Chicken, and Andoulli Sausage), and Travis had the Lobster Gnocchi.  Travis' dish was the winner for the night - it was fantastic.  Brooks couldn't stop raving about the andoulli sausage that came with his dish.  My pork chops were ok, but pretty tough.  Thankfully I'd inhaled yummy nachos earlier, so I wasn't too sad.

Then, the most fun part of the day, I got to drive the Jeep home.  It was the wildest car I've ever driven.  I took my foot off the brake and we took off.  We were seriously driving down the street and my foot wasn't on the gas.  I guess that's what a V8 engine does.

It was a fantastic day with great friends.  Check out one of our other day trips to Newport for some other ideas of what to do.  We're sad Brooks is leaving, but look forward to visiting him in Hawaii!!