📍 Rhode Island · Newport | Old-Money Coastal Trail & Mansions

This was my second trip to Rhode Island—and once again, I missed the entry time for The Breakers (total bummer! 😂). But even so, walking along the Cliff Walk coastal trail made the trip totally worth it: watching waves crash against the rocks, spotting wild roses that had bloomed and fruited in the summer sun—their tart-sweet rose hips looked just like hawthorns 🌹. Every little detail felt like a gift. By the end of the trail, I’d logged over 20,000 steps! Some sections even required a little scrambling over rocks, with the vast ocean churning right below my feet 🌊. On summer evenings, the breeze was perfectly cool—just enough to chase the heat. Mansion after mansion lined the cliffside: their backyards opened up to sweeping ocean views, grand and imposing, while their front yards hid behind winding paths, exuding a quiet, secluded peace. Most of these mansions belonged to America’s Gilded Age tycoons—titans of finance and railroads:🏛 The Breakers – The Vanderbilt family’s “summer palace,” with a construction cost that would equal over $100 million today.🏛 Marble House – Once the most lavish birthday gift ever: a villa gifted by Alva Vanderbilt to his wife.🏛 Rosecliff – Former home of America’s richest silver magnate, famous for hosting extravagant balls back in the day.🏛 The Elms – Modeled after the gardens of France’s Versailles, a perfect reflection of the era’s taste and wealth. Walking here, you’ll feel a totally unique vibe: it’s the romance of the coast, mixed with the quiet confidence of old money on America’s East Coast. The small gatehouses at the mansions’ entrances are roughly the size of a typical middle-class home—but they can’t hide the grandeur of the backyards that face the Atlantic head-on. ✨ The town’s market was also bustling with energy. Next time I come back, I’m determined to tour the inside of The Breakers—and I’ll even swing by Taylor Swift’s legendary mansion. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and spot Taylor herself! 🤩 #NorthAmericanLife #RhodeIsland #CliffWalk #Connecticut #IslandLife