The Newport, R.I. Cliff Walk at night

Whenever exploring a new place - whether it be a large city or small town - I always try to do two things: View it the from the water, if available, and see it at night. When you view a city from the water, it’s obviously a different perspective than viewing from inside the confounds of the streets and building walls, but some of the prettiest sides of a building or landscape are facing the water to present the best view to tourists on boat tours. Cities specifically, turn into totally different places at night. They become alive with excitement, lights and a different crowd of people than those who walk the streets during the day. I happened to be walking around Newport, Rhode Island towards dusk the other day and decided to do the infamous Cliff Walk.

About the Cliff Walk and Newport Mansions

According to the official Cliff Walk website, this 3.5 mile (one way) path was designed in 1975 as New England’s first National Recreation Trail. Along the walk, some portions paved, grass, beach strands or rock scrambles, you will pass by multiple “Newport Mansions,” which some of the most beautiful architectural masterpieces from Newport’s gilded age. My personal favorite is The Breakers, which was built as a, believe it or not, “summer cottage” by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, the grandson of steamship and railroad tycoon Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1893. You can read more about the Breakers and other Newport Mansions here.