Tag Archives: travel

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Newport – Day 6… a dive (like) bar and a stroll around the Newport shipyard.

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As we were walking along the harbor that early evening, my husband spied a bar he’d heard about from some locals.

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The Quencher is what some might call a dive.

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But I grew up in New Jersey and then the working waterfront of Portland, Maine in the late 70’s and early 80’s (before gentrification of the Old Port). Trust me, I know dives… and this wasn’t one.

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It’s a bar, you should buy a beer.

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Old Winnie knew his stuff.

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Being a Wednesday, I made it just in time for 20% off.

This bar was loud, with a bartender uninterested in conversation.

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Internet photo.

We were still full from lunch otherwise I’d have been tempted to try a pizza.

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The husband did order wings which were awful, so no photo required. We had one drink and moved on.

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To the Newport shipyard down the road. The husband’s new favorite breakfast cafe was there and he’d come back to the resort every morning filled with stories of the giant ships being worked on there.

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Untold millions of dollars in watercraft require a 24/7 guarded gate and no one drives in without a pass, but we walked and the guard recognized my husband as one of the breakfast crew. It pays to make friends.

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This was a research vessel from Maine.

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And this catamaran cost well over a million itself.

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All I can say is, it must be nice.

💵

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Newport – Day 6…. Downtown Bristol, seagull meet and greets, fried egg jellyfish and the husband goes back to the playground.

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After our fabulous meal, we felt the need to walk off some of the calories.

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And took a stroll around the waterfront of downtown Bristol.

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Quiet on the off season, I’m sure the marina is full of pleasure craft in the summer.

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Along the edge is the Maritime Center. A one time armory built in 1894, it now houses public restrooms, showers and laundry facilities for boaters as well as a wi-fi lounge and a 4,000 square foot multi use hall displaying local artists.

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Though the marina was people free, the seagulls kept a close eye on us.

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And since we were roughly 20 miles from the wind tunnel that is Newport?

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A smile and a relatively in tact hairdo.

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Should we visit the area again, I would take more time to explore this lovely town.

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And perhaps bring the seagulls a treat.

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The gulls concur.

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As we were leaving I glanced over the side of the pier and saw…

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Eggs?

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They’re actually jellyfish, but tell me that doesn’t look like someone randomly cracked a few eggs in the harbor.

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As we made our way back to the car through the park, my husband made a friend.

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Who was a little reticent at first, but when he realized the strange man could push him higher than his mother?

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Was quickly and happily on board.

😊

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Newport – Day 6…. an antique peek, a scenic drive to Bristol and the best meal of our trip.

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Deciding to take a drive to Bristol on our 6th day of vacation, the husband spotted an antique shop on our way out of town.

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Which turned out to be more of a tourist trap gift shop where the new items outnumbered the old so I thought I’d dodged a bullet. Until my guy started chatting up the owner and she told him about two giant antique malls he simply had to visit.

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Damn her.

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Bristol, Rhode Island is a lovely spot.

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Waterfront, like most of the towns we visited.

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With its share of stone walls and beautiful old homes.

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Arriving at lunch time, we chose an assuming little place called the Beach House.

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It was on the water, no surprise there.

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And was nicely decorated, with a warm, welcoming beachy feel.

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One aperol and pink guava spritz in…

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I was feeling right at home.

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My NY strip crostini with shallot brandy cream sauce appetizer?

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Omg.

I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. The beef literally melted in my mouth.

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And when my husband raved over his butternut squash bisque? I knew we’d chosen the right place.

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They even had his new favorite local beer.

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My main course of homemade wild mushroom ravioli with caramelized onions and porcini cream sauce?

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Absolutely decedent.

But the husband’s crab topped filet mignon with stuffed lobster tail, sautéed garlic spinach and mashed new potatoes?

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Huge.

Filling.

And perfectly cooked.

This entree alone… in Maine, would easily be $100. And we’re the land of lobster. In lovely little Bristol, Rhode Island? $44.

We were stunned.

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And vowed to come back to this hidden gem if we’re ever in the area again.

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Newport – Day 5… Watch Hill scenic drive, the Ocean House and a home literally ON the ocean.

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After our lovely lunch in Galilee we took the advice of some locals and headed off on a scenic drive to Watch Hill.

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A popular beach destination in the summer, the carousel.. and pretty much everything else.. was shut up tight off season.

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But the beautiful waterfront homes were still there.

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With impressive stone walls…

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And neatly trimmed hedges.

I include this photo because the perfect shrubs weren’t just in front of one home, it was an entire neighborhood of likeminded shrubbery.

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Which was hella impressive and must be beautiful when fully leafed out.

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Along the way we drove past this.

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An impressive looking place of which I had no previous knowledge.

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“…one of only fourteen Five-Star resorts in the world to hold this honor.”

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Impressive indeed.

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Reading that, you know I had to check out the accommodations.

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Oh my.

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Holy hell.

I somehow doubt any bed in Rhode Island is worth that.

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At the end of our drive we were astonished to find this house.

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Where being waterfront meant on the actual water.

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How crazy is that?

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Newport – Day 3…. The Breakers finale and a fabulous Irish pub.

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Finishing our tour of the top floor we strolled across the upper loggia.

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It was a semi outdoor sitting room.

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Filled with wicker furniture, rugs and potted palm trees in its day.

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The ceiling is a continuation of the painted sky from the great hall.

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Looking out…. you can see the waves breaking over the cliffs that give the house its name 30 feet below.

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Here’s the husband taking a picture of the servant’s stairs.

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The kitchen was large and extremely workable.

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Which is a good thing considering the size of the dinner parties they had to cater.

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Here’s the separate two story butler’s pantry that housed the china. Because why have one 50 piece pattern… when you have the space for 20? The family’s 1,000 piece monogrammed Tiffany silver was kept here as well. In the locked safe. Away from the possible sticky fingers of the 40 person staff.

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Here are some exterior photos of the house.

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The sun was hard to avoid so pardon the rays here and there.

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We visited the Breakers once, decades ago in the summer… and the grounds were lovely.

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Me, in 1989, tan and thin.

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Husband in 1989, still active duty and thin.

In March 2025 things were mostly brown.

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World’s largest bird bath?

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I can’t imagine having this type of wealth.

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Or living in this type of home.

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But it sure was fun to wander around and pretend we did.

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We spent the entire morning here and were famished by the time we were through. Reading in the brochure about a cafe on the grounds, we brought our appetites.

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Only to discover the elaborate building had no kitchen, just bottled drinks in a cooler and bags of chips.

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Bit of a let down, that.

After battling the crowded Thames Street waterfront…where there were ample restaurants but no parking, we drove a little farther and discovered Zelda’s.

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A wonderful Irish pub favored by locals.

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Nautically themed…

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With an anchor chain serving as bar foot rail…

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We happily settled in for lunch.

My cocktail of choice?

PRICKLY PEAR SPRITZ

RUFFINO PROSECCO, FRUITFUL PRICKLY PEAR, ELDERFLOWER LIQUOR, FRESH LEMON

Perfection!

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And ooh la la.

A weird selection for an Irish pub… but their shrimp and grits was da bomb. They were fried, which was also weird, but everything was perfectly cooked and spiced. Tender shrimp, creamy cheesy grits, I was a happy camper.

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There’s a very large Irish presence in Newport. Most of whom are ancestors of the original indentured servants brought over to serve the wealthy and build their fabulous summer homes. The robber barons are gone, but the Irish remain. And because of that….you’re never very far from a decent pub.

😊

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Random Newport photos to give you a feel for the place.

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Newport Rhode Island is a colonial town that was settled in 1639. It sits at the bottom of Aquidneck Island and is famous for its sailing.

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Many original buildings are still standing and give the city a historic feel.

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The downtown area is vibrant.

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Quaint.

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And has a tourist sense of humor.

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With a current population of 25,000 in a little over 11 square miles…

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Space is at a premium in the crowded waterfront area.

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Parking is a serious issue and even in the off season you can spend a lot of time circling the tiny one way streets for an open spot.

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Or you can just park on the sidewalk like these people.

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Yes, the distances are usually walkable.

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But with the constant 40-50 mph winds we experienced in mid March temperatures? Not that enjoyable.

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Did I mention there were Canada geese?

Everywhere.

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Bellevue Avenue and its stately homes are a popular attraction.

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And yes, there’s serious money in this area… as evidenced by the plethora of expensive automobiles we encountered on the road, like this Ferrari.

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And finally there’s the water.

The Atlantic Ocean, Narragansett Bay, the marinas, the ports, the beaches, the lighthouses, the bridges, the sailing.

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In Newport, it’s all about the water.

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York Beach.

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Since our weather has been crazy beautiful?

Road trip!

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York Beach, a popular tourist destination during the summer but wonderfully deserted this time of year.

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It’s a typical seaside community that we avoid like the plague during peak season.

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But on a bright November afternoon?

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These folks had the right idea.

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Across from the ocean?

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Some seriously large pumpkins.

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It’s a lovely area.

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Off season.

😉

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A lakes region road trip.

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When the thermometer is reading temperatures this high?

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You ditch yard work and take a road trip west.

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To the lakes region, over the Naples causeway.

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Through Bridgton…

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Past ski slopes that look a little strange in the summer.

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To a premier pub in Lovell, Maine.

Any similarities between my husband and the pub sign mascot are purely coincidental.

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Ebenezer’s is famous for its extensive beer menu and hand blown glass taps.

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It also has a buzzard on the bar.

It’s hard to top that.

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They’ve won multiple awards and though they’re small and off the beaten path… those in the know, know.

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Belgians.

A white for the husband, a geuze boon for moi.

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I love their vintage signs.

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And their coconut shrimp with sweet Thai chili sauce.

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Some signs are prophetic.

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Good beer, beautiful lakes.

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A perfect summer day.

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