Rhode Island Camping
Rhode Island, the smallest state in the Union, was another new camping destination for our summer trip. Interestingly, Rhode Island is not a true island, but it does have islands as part of its boundary as do many states. Our campground was on its biggest island, Aquidneck.
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island contains the cities of Newport, Portsmouth, and Middletown. We planned to spend one day in Newport and one day taking the ferry to Providence. However, there was a high probability of heavy rain for both of our full days there. Also, we saw that Providence had some flooding. So, we decided to just stay on the island.
We were camping in Portsmouth at Newport RV Park. It was the most expensive campground on our trip at $122 a night, but it did not have the most amenities. So, we definitely were paying for location.
We had a nice, level site on gravel, but it was nothing special. Our site was at a low point on the campground, so we were concerned about flooding. However, the girl in the campground office assured us that the island doesn’t flood. She was right; even though weather radar showed a large mass of bad weather, we had no flooding and less rain than one would expect.
The Newport Mansions
The Newport mansions are a popular tourist destination. American industrialists built the lavish mansions from 1870 to approximately 1910. The owners referred to the mansions as summer “cottages”. It was called the Gilded Age. Mark Twain coined the phrase to draw attention to the excesses of the era. Personal income tax began in 1913 and , consequently, the mansions became white elephants. Many were torn down, a few were donated to The Sisters of Mercy for Salve Regina University, eleven are currently managed by Newport County’s Historical Society, and a few are still privately owned.
A tobacco heiress built Vinland Estate, pictured above, in 1882. A family member donated it to Salve Regina University in 1955. Today, it is classrooms and office space.
Ochre Court is the second largest Newport mansion. It was built in 1892 at a cost of 4.5 million. The owners donated it to the Sisters of Mercy in 1947 for the university. I liked that the mansion appeared in the movie, True Lies.
The Breakers
The Breakers is the largest Newport mansion and we toured it on one of our rainy days. Cornelius Vanderbilt II built the mansion in 1895 as a summer home for his family. The 70-room, Italian-Renaissance Villa utilized forty servants for its upkeep. It was built with all the latest conveniences of the day, including plumbing, central heat, and electricity.
The tour provided an app with information on the house and how it’s residents lived. Photographs were for personal use only.
I loved the tour because it was like a time capsule of the era. While we don’t have royalty in this country, these folks sure lived like they were. The house appealed to me because of same reasons that I like Downton Abbey. They are a reflection of the times and mores of the privileged.
We saw all of three of these mansions from Cliff Walk, my favorite thing in Newport.
Cliff Walk
I absolutely loved Cliff Walk! It is a 3.5 mile National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District. It was designated in 1975 and about two-thirds of it is very easy walking. Cliff Walk is wonderful because the trail winds around the eastern shore of the island with spectacular views of the shoreline and several of the mansions.
We took our pup with us and she loved seeing the people and all the sights and smells.
The shoreline was very rugged in places and quite beautiful. It was very overcast that day and we were glad to see it before the rain began.
It was so exhilarating to walk along the easy pathway with the sea air blowing from below. We did not get to do the entire walk, but I was grateful we got to see some of the best parts, including the mansions referenced above.
Redwood Library
Libraries have been a passion of my my entire life, so, I was happy to get to visit the nation’s longest continuously operating library that is in its original structure. Redwood Library was founded in 1747 and has been continuously operating ever since.
An annex is across the street that dates to 1863. It was so cool to see these old buildings that were in operation so many years ago and are still used today.
Clams
On a lighter note, I was in search of New England clams. We had fresh lobster a couple of times, but we had missed eating fresh New England clams. Apparently, Flo’s Clam Shack is an iconic place for clams in Newport. We had our pup and couldn’t go inside, but Flo’s has an outdoor area that allows pets.
I learned that New England’s most popular clams are belly clams. Instead of just the strips, you also get the bellies. They taste a bit like fried oysters and I understand they are an acquired taste. I liked them right away, but my husband was not a great fan.
Dealing with a Dirty Dog
We had been traveling for almost four weeks and our pup was in great need of a bath. I met a couple at a State Park earlier and they told me about Rumford Pet Express. We went to the Middletown store on Labor Day and they offer all you need to give your pup a bath for only $12. Additionally, the staff was fantastic. It was a wonderful experience and so nice to have a clean pup again.
Rhode Island Camping in Conclusion
Our Rhode Island camping didn’t go as planned because of excessive rain, but we still had a good time. It would have been nice to take the ferry to Providence, but it just wasn’t in the cards. However, I am grateful we got to visit lovely Newport. Check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource to read about our adventures in other states.
