Newport, Rhode Island

Today Ginger and I quasi fulfilled a dream we have both had for a long time. We went and toured one of the Newport Mansions in Newport, RI. I say quasi because our dream was actually to tour all the mansions. However, we only had time to tour one, The Breakers.


For those of you who aren't up on Gilded Age history (I wasn't really either), Newport RI is where many of the notorious rich families built their summer cottages. These rich families I am referring to are: the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Astors, etc. Anyway, we toured ONE OF THE Vanderbilt's summer 'cottages'.

Our tour guide talked in such an obvious 'tour guide' voice that I thought she was joking. We were also the last tour of the day and it was apparrent from her impatience at any semblence of interest we had in anything other than what that she was showing us, that she wanted to get home to her 35 cats. Here is the one picture she let us take inside....a picture of the outside. :] Here is the view from the second floor.
The inside was extremely ornate. So much so that I wondered what they did here during the summer. Not making sand castles and tree forts apparently. Here is the outside of The Breakers as we were leaving.


I was getting dark but Ginger and I didn't want to give up. We drove around the whole peninsula trying to shine our brights at the nice houses. I am sure the residents appreciated that....