What does one do on Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend, with no plans to go home and plenty of midterms on the horizon? A sidequest, obviously. For this early October sidequest rendezvous, my destination was Newport, Rhode Island.
The first order of business for the trip was figuring out how to get there from Boston University. From BU, there are a couple of transportation options. There’s the option to take the Providence Line MBTA Commuter Rail from South Station to Providence Station, then transfer to the RIPTA Route 60 bus, which runs directly to downtown Newport. Although this option is the cheapest, ranging from $15–20, it takes close to 2.5 hours, and the available times are very limited.Â
Alternatively, the Amtrak Northeast Regional train from Back Bay goes to Kingston, Rhode Island, followed by a rideshare from there, also taking close to 2.5 hours and costing upwards of $50.Â
Due to the uncertain timing and lack of flexibility, the group I went with decided to take a Zipcar, costing about $40 per person for the 1.5-hour drive. Although it was more expensive, I found that this alternative gave us the most flexibility for our day trip and provided us with an opportunity to see beautiful foliage paired with carpool karaoke.
Our first stop was Nitro Bar, as we’re obviously chronically online, and why else would we choose Newport if not to experience this cafe?Â
I got the cinnamon roll latte, which was insanely good, and the Farmer’s Bagel, which had tomatoes, radishes, microgreens, and cucumbers, topped with pesto cream cheese. The line went down the block but moved fairly quickly. It was definitely worth the hype if you’re in the mood for vibrant food and sweet, strong coffee.
Soon after Nitro Bar, we quickly learned about the charm of Newport as we began our morning chapter of aimlessly strolling the city. Fall in Newport is truly cinematic, as we stumbled upon a pumpkin patch just overlooking the wharf. We continued down the wharf onto the main boardwalk lined with a classic balance of quaint shops and tourist traps that trademark the likes of any classic northeastern beach town. There were ample opportunities to sit and take in the clear blue water, people-watch, and postulate about the boats docked there.
After our feet grew tired and our stomachs grumbled, we made our way to Mother, the Italian restaurant located in downtown Newport known for its sourdough pizza. It was delectable. We ordered the marinara pizza, and it was just a perfect slice. While they had an enticing dessert menu, we left room for Seaside Scoops, where I had the most delicious Thai tea ice cream.Â
Satiated, we embarked on our afternoon plans filled with nature and history. Our first stop was the Newport Cliff Walk, entering near The Forty Steps. The Cliff Walk contained a small path overlooking the cliffs and water. Although we were there in early October, there were still people surfing and taking advantage of the uncharacteristically warm day. We stopped by the beach along the walking path and took time to sit, read, and chat.
On our way back from the Cliff Walk, we stopped at The Breakers, the Gilded Age summer “cottage” of the Vanderbilt family. This grandiose limestone mansion is an obscene Italian Renaissance-style palazzo overlooking the water. We couldn’t quite justify paying the $40 entry fee to the mansion itself, but we felt the experience was just as captivating walking through the grounds. The gardens are beautiful and well-maintained, and we were astonished walking through the backyard alone.
Because we lacked self-control and needed caffeine for the ride home (and were just in love with it after our first time), we went back to Nitro Bar. I got the cinnamon roll latte, again. What can I say? I’m a creature of habit. It was the perfect way to start and end the day in Newport. We got back to Boston around 8 p.m., completely spent after our day of exploring.
Overall, Newport was a hit! It was a great way to spend a free day. I’m conflicted about whether I would go back because I felt like we saw most of the things there are to see, but in the grand scheme of sidequests, it was very successful.
I hope you enjoy Newport, RI too!
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