Newport, Rhode Island - The Lap of Luxury

Day 1

Arrive in Newport in the early evening and transfer to your waterside hotel. After check-in, seize the opportunity to explore your surroundings before enjoying a hosted dinner that welcomes you to "The Ocean State." Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina - 5 nights (D) 

Day 2

After a restful sleep, it's time for a hearty breakfast before joining our local guide for a day of sightseeing in and around the city of Newport. Take a deep dive into Gilded Age history as you hear stories of the exquisite mansions built here (which the rich and famous had the nerve to call summer cottages), before experiencing the wide world of sports at The International Tennis Hall of Fame. (FB,L) 

Day 3

It's "surf and turf" exploration day! Visit The Sailing Museum, which includes the National Sailing Hall of Fame, then take a cruise about Newport Harbor aboard a vintage sailing schooner. Once you are back on the turf, travel to the nearby community of New Bedford, Massachusetts, (neighboring states are close when you're in Rhode Island!) where you'll have some time to explore what was once the whaling capital of the world. There you will visit the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum, a National Historic Landmark. The stately 1834 Greek Revival mansion was renowned as a destination for freedom seekers and a rallying point for Abolitionists. (FB,D) 

Day 4

Who's ready for adventure on Block Island? Arrive by ferry, then travel by coach to Mohegan Bluffs, home to the historic Southeast Lighthouse, a landmark since its construction in 1888, located in the heart of the village on Block Island. After lunch, there will be time to explore and shop before boarding the ferry back to mainland. (FB,L) 

Day 5

It's already your penultimate day in Rhode Island. There are plenty more places to explore, starting with the Touro Synagogue, a National Historic Site, with over 250 years of history of Newport's colonial Jewish community. Here you'll explore the origins of religious freedom, and the separation of church and state in America. Dating to the early 18th century, Casey Farm is a living history homestead that was owned and operated by the same family through eight generations for over 250 years. Nearby Watch Hill is a charming coastal resort offering fanciful Victorian-era architecture, lighthouses and is where your farewell dinner is served. (FB, D) 

Day 6

Before you leave this incredible state there is still more of the legacy and opulence of the Gilded Age to experience, and we have saved the best for last. The Elms was built for Philadelphia coal baron Edward Berwind in 1899 at a cost of $1.5 million. (At this time in history the average American man made 22-cents per hour or about $500 per year.) It's something else, but just you wait! The Breakers is regarded as Newport's grandest summer cottage. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, construction began in 1893. It was completed two years later at a cost of some $12 million including furniture and art. Today's value? An incredible $600 million - give or take a hundred million. Oh yes, we definitely saved the best for last! An early evening flight wraps up your week of big discoveries in our smallest state. (FB)