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MEANDER
A small boat anchored in a rocky cove along the Newport shoreline, with a shingled seaside house on the bluff above.
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The Newport Meander

NewportBeyond theMansions.

I came for the Gilded Age. What stayed with me were the spur-of-the-moment detours in between.

Newport, Rhode Island June 18-21, 2026

Along Ocean Drive, NewportPhoto: Larry Pozza / Unsplash
The Meander
No. 02
Place
Newport, Rhode Island
When
June 18-21, 2026

Have you ever had a trip where everything went so perfectly that you couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear, even days after you returned home? That was my treat-yo-self birthday trip to Newport in June 2026.

My initial motivation for going to Newport was to experience its Gilded Age history. I am a huge fan of the HBO show The Gilded Age and have always been fascinated by the history, clothing, and social norms of this period. Visiting The Breakers and Marble House was a top priority.

The Breakers mansion in Newport, its limestone façade rising behind curved garden beds and a green lawn.
The Breakers, Ochre Point
Marble House in Newport, framed by hydrangeas and a manicured lawn under a summer sky.
Marble House, Bellevue Avenue

I visited both and took endless photos of the interiors, exteriors, and views from the mansions. It made history come alive and, for a moment, made me feel like I was part of the show. While it was incredibly fun and definitely ticked a box for me, when I think back on my trip to Newport, what catches my fancy most isn’t the mansions. It’s all the unplanned, spur-of-the-moment decisions I made along the way.

I had created a robust itinerary filled with places I wanted to see, but some of the best moments came from having no plan at all. There was an impromptu private tour through Jamestown with a local friend; meandering by car along Ocean Drive and pulling over whenever a view caught my eye; and ending my days watching the sunset at Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge.

The wildlife refuge was a particular highlight because I love watching the sunset over the water. There was an easy, flat one-mile loop with views of the ocean on one side and grassy knolls on the other. I went there every evening for a meditative walk, and it became the perfect way to end a busy day.

The sun setting over a curving bay at Sachuest Point, with wild grasses and shrubs in the foreground beneath a cloud-streaked sky.
Evening loop at Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge

What surprised me most about Rhode Island was just how much there was to explore. It may be the smallest state on the map, but it certainly didn’t feel that way once I was there. I loved discovering its state parks, many of them free to visit, and passing through little towns and villages where I wished I had more time to stop, browse antique shops, and hunt for vintage treasures.

Four days wasn’t nearly enough to even scrape the surface of the Ocean State, which might be the best reason to return. Next time, I’d love to take the ferry to Block Island, rent a bike, and spend the day meandering with nowhere in particular to be, the Mohegan Bluffs appearing somewhere along the way.

Newport reminded me that sometimes the best parts of a trip are the ones that come from spontaneous, off-the-cuff decisions.

Keep meandering

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