Today we took in tours of three of the famed Newport Mansions, and enjoyed a walk along the ocean shore. Many of the mansions are now in the care of The Preservation Society of Newport County.

    First we visited what is considered the most imposing of the Newport mansions, Cornelius Vanderbilt II's The Breakers. What a magnificent piece of Italian Renaissance Revival architecture. We enjoyed viewing the many beautiful rooms and furnishings, along with a stroll around the grounds, which lead out toward the Atlantic.

    Next we visited the Marble House, also built by a Vanderbilt, William K. Vanderbilt, and is constructed entirely of stone, particularly white marble. It is truly stunning!

    We then decided to take the stroll along the beach, on the so called Cliff Walk; the trail looked in good shape. We didn't have a map and though we realized that exits from the trail were infrequent, we weren't prepared for what turned out to be a significant walk, sometimes on not much but jumbled piles of rocks and boulders. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the trek, and met some interesting people on the way. Many of these fellow hikers, like us, wondered how much farther they would have to go until they could get off the trail! Though the trail -- sometimes not much of a trail -- was long, and we weren't wearing the proper shoes, we enjoyed the beautiful views of the ocean, and the many estates that border the shore. It was well worth the time and trouble. Unfortunately, once we were able to exit the trail and return to the city streets, we had to walk all the way back to The Breakers for our car!

    We had a great time in Newport, and would recommend it to anyone.