Newport, RI and local questions can be asked here.

[Lois R]

Sailbad,

 

I thought that The Elms had a cafe on-site. One of the tickets on the newport mansions site included lunch. I asssumed that meant that you could walk in and eat, as well.

 

I always have a hard time picking just ONE place to visit! And, the adding of a 2nd mansion for only $5 more makes me feel that I can't pass up the bargain! LOL

 

I'll show DH and see if he'd like to visit one or 2 mansions, and will show him pics of the revolutionary places...(he's usually not into research or planning for trips). The pressure is on for me to book things that we both would like to do! This is his first cruise, and I REALLY want him to like it.

 

Yes, I know that Newport is tender and we'll be there on June 21st on the Summit. Is the tender service here pretty good? The only time I've tendered before was in Belize aboard NCL Spirit - it wasn't a good experience, as we arrived late the excursion I had booked left without us. I'm hoping for no issues this time!

 

Lisa

 

Hi Lisa,:) I was on Summit last month and had no tender problems:)....when you ask if the tender service is good?

It is part of the ship's services and they have procedure and usually it works well.

 

Newport is lovely and I went to lunch at a place called

"The Black Pearl"....it was FANTASTIC:D

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise:)

Edited June 6, 2010 by Lois R

[SailBadtheSinner]

TourDeCruisde wrote: ....and the Old Mill Park (which might not be the "real" name of the park, just what I am calling the park)....

 

You are prolly referring to the Stone Mill in Tuoro Park whose east border is Bellevue Ave; pictures here: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RdTu9wA77pNl7Zv7Q-V3kQ?select=mJ7G3kDmwTTPLLYpHjHS4A

 

For the academy, I learned, by reading the Wikipedia, that during the Civil War the campus of the Naval Academy was temporarily moved from Annapolis. There must be some buildings still standing, but I'm not sure exactly where.

 

 

SBtS

[TourDeCruise]

SBtS,

 

Yes, it is Tuoro Park and that is the old stone mill, for which I renamed the park to Old Mill Park. lol

 

The "Naval Academy" is from the 1800s. When I take pictures, I take a picture of the signs too so that I can identify the buildings later. The sign will have the exact date. It is on Bellevue and close to Tuoro Park and Kingscote. I'll check my pictures and video and give you more information.

 

Kathy

[cheap_geek]

Ok, I'm not sure if anyone else has seen this site. But, I came across the Newport Restoration Foundation, and after looking for a bit found this page which lists about 65 homes that the foundation has restored. Though I don't believe that you can tour these places, it might still be neat to walk through the neighborhoods. Also, on the right side of the page, there are 2 pdf's available for download which maps out 2 neighborhoods where the houses are located (Historic Hill Map and Point Neighborhood Map). One neighborhood is south of the tender spot, and the other is north.

 

http://www.newportrestoration.org/preservation/historic_houses

 

Enjoy!

Lisa

[SailorJM]

This thread has been extremely informative..thanks everyone!

We will be in Newport end of August/early September for an Arabella cruise and will be spending a few days in Newport before and after, so all this info has been saved.....and will be invaluable!

 

We were in Newport some 20 years ago on way to/from elsewhere, stayed in a B&B and only had a short time to "visit," and wanted to know how to "get a taste" of the mansions. Our hosts suggested that we visit two direct opposites: The Breakers and Hammersmith Farms (Bouvier Mansion, also called the Summer White House during JFK's years). We were not disappointed! I now see that Hammersmith is no longer open to the public. That is too bad...it was such a warm, inviting and comfortable "home," unlike The Breakers which truly fit the definition of "mansion." Both were fantastic in totally opposite fashion. Although both were/are steeped in history.

 

we look forward to seeing some of the others this time through...as well as so much more.

 

Again, thanks for sharing!

SailorJM

[njdevil08]

If we wanted to go to Touro Synagogue, how would we get there from the port? I'm looking at the route #67 bus schedule and where I think (:confused:) the Synagogue is by Thames/Touro and there's no stop listed there. Will the bus stop anyways? If not, how far away is the closest stop?

 

Thanks!

[SailBadtheSinner]

Touro Synagogue is within walking distance from the tender dock. The distance is less than .4 mile. To get there, walk due east from the dock until you come to Thames St. Thames St is easy to identify because it is paved with cobble stones. Turn north on Thames until you come to Touro St. Walk east on Touro St until you reach the Synagogue.

 

If you are in that area, don't miss the opportunity to visit St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church , 70 Church St, church where Jacqueline Lee Bouvier and John F. Kennedy were married. To get there, take a left when leaving Touro Synagogue, then take a left onto Division St and walk 2 blocks to Church St. I think you can see it from that intersection.

SBtS

[MARCOPOLOSMITH]

Does anyone know how far St. Mary's Catholic Church is from the tender dock?:)

[SailBadtheSinner]

St Mary's Church is located at 70 Church St about .3 mile from the tender dock walking direct. From the tender dock, walk due east crossing America's Cup Ave and continue due east to Thames St which is cobblestone paved. At Thames, turn south until you come to Church St and there turn east. Walk 2 blocks to Division St and St Mary's is at the intersection on the northeast side.

 

 

SBtS

[MARCOPOLOSMITH]

Thank you SBS! Same question for the Synagogue and Amazing Grace Harbor Tours. How Far from the tenders?

[SailBadtheSinner]

If you read my reply (#107) from yesterday at 9:27 AM in this thread there are directions for visiting Touro Synagogue and St Mary's Church, in that order. The distance between them in miles is .1+

 

 

SBtS

[MARCOPOLOSMITH]

Thank you SBS. Since you have been so helpful I will impose upon you one more time. Can we also walk to the Amazing Grace Harbor Cruise dock? Would you recommend this tour?

[SailBadtheSinner]

Sorry, I remember reading both questions but got distracted and only answered one.

 

Here's the site for Amazing Grace: http://www.oldportmarine.com/harbor_tours.htm

 

The tours depart from Oldport Marine Services which is next door to the Mooring Restaurant on America's Cup Ave. The distance is just about .3 miles from the tender dock.

 

From the tender dock walk due east until you come to America's Cup Ave, turn south and follow the side walk until you come to Scott's Wharf which is the first street after you pass the Moorings Restaurant which is set back from America's Cup Ave and has its parking lot in front of the restaurant. Oldport Marine Services is located at the very end of Scott's Wharf.

 

JMO, but I feel that the Moorings Restaurant is one of the best Restaurants in Newport. Their native scallop chowder is excellent as well as the clam chowder. JMO.

 

 

SBtS

[MARCOPOLOSMITH]

Thanks again SBS!:)

[jomoin]

Thanks for offering the information. We will be in Newport on Sept. 5th (Labor Day weekend). Is there any festivals or anything unique about that weekend we should be aware of? We have been to Newport once before and loved it. We're really looking forward to the return visit!

[SailBadtheSinner]

Events:

 

Sep 4 - Sep 6 : 13th Annual Newport Waterfront Irish Festival at Newport Yachting Center, 4 Commercial Wharf.

 

Sep 1 - Sep 30 : Doris Duke's Extraordinary Vision

If you did the mansions on your previous visit, you may find a tour of Doris Duke's Mansion at Rough Point to be interesting.

 

from http://www.gonewport.com/ViewPage.aspx?id=175

 

 

SBtS

[cruisersince1992]

Could you recomend any activies for a 3 1/2 year old? There aren't any shore excursions listed that I feel would be fun for her.

 

Thank you for your help.

 

RLD

[travelbig]

Could you recomend any activies for a 3 1/2 year old? There aren't any shore excursions listed that I feel would be fun for her.

 

Thank you for your help.

 

RLD

 

With this itinerary, why would you gear your shore excursions to what a 3 1/2 yr. old would like to do? Plan outings which you would like and take the stroller, she will just fall asleep in it. If you want a cruise interesting for small kids, go to the Caribbean. She would love the dolphins, turtles, or stingrays, and going to the beaches, not to mention getting more use out of the pools which is sometimes to cool to do on the NE/Canada route.

[jomoin]

Thank you for the update on the festivals.

[GoYouBlues]

We are a couple from Melbourne, Australia who are going on a 10 day Canada/New England cruise on Sept 21 out of NYC. I have a couple of questions regarding Newport, RI.

 

1. Where does the cruise ship dock, or do passengers come ashore on a tender?

 

2. If they use a tender where does the tender arrive?

 

3. Is public transport available at this spot?

 

4. Are there internet cafes in the area?

 

Thanks.

[SailBadtheSinner]

GoYouBlues asked:

 

Q: Where does the cruise ship dock, or do passengers come ashore on a tender?

A: Newport is a tender port.

 

Q: If they use a tender where does the tender arrive?

A: The tender unloads passengers at the south end of Perotti Park, waterside or at the southwest side of the intersection of Long Wharf & America's Cup Ave. One and the same location.

 

Q: Is public transport available at this spot?

A: It would be best to walk one block north of the tender dock to the Newport Visitor's Center for buses or cabs.

 

Q; Are there internet cafes in the area?

A: There is a wifi hotspot at the Panera Bread restaurant which is just north east across the avenue from the tender dock. PB serves bakery & pastries, soups & sandwiches. I consider the food there to be very good. There is another wifi hotspot at the Newport Public Library on Spring St. which is further away but still walking distance.

 

Enjoy Newport; and Welcome to the United States.

 

 

SBtS

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TourDeCruise]

Starbuck's (coffee shop) has free wifi too. SBtS can tell you the street and directions, but I think it might be America's Cup. It is very close walking distances from the tender dropoff. Starbuck's used to only give customers with registered Starbuck's gift cards free wifi for a couple hours per day, but recently they have expanded it for all customers and I believe the time is now unlimited.

 

Kathy

[GoYouBlues]

Thanks for the info AND the welcome!

 

GoYouBlues asked:

 

Q: Where does the cruise ship dock, or do passengers come ashore on a tender?

A: Newport is a tender port.

 

Q: If they use a tender where does the tender arrive?

A: The tender unloads passengers at the south end of Perotti Park, waterside or at the southwest side of the intersection of Long Wharf & America's Cup Ave. One and the same location.

 

Q: Is public transport available at this spot?

A: It would be best to walk one block north of the tender dock to the Newport Visitor's Center for buses or cabs.

 

Q; Are there internet cafes in the area?

A: There is a wifi hotspot at the Panera Bread restaurant which is just north east across the avenue from the tender dock. PB serves bakery & pastries, soups & sandwiches. I consider the food there to be very good. There is another wifi hotspot at the Newport Public Library on Spring St. which is further away but still walking distance.

 

Enjoy Newport; and Welcome to the United States.

 

 

SBtS

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SailBadtheSinner]

Kathy - thank you

 

Starbucks is located at 212 Thames St, which puts it closer than the Newport Public Library but not as close as Panera Bread. Starbucks is south east from the tender dock. Cross America's Cup Ave and Thames St is the next street and is easily identified because it is cobble stone and has all the shops along it. From the tender dock, look south east and locate the white church steeple of Trinity Church and walk towards it; as you cross Thames St. Starbucks is on your left.

 

 

SBtS

[TourDeCruise]

SBtS: Thanks for the street correction. I should have remembered Thames Street as the street on which Starbucks is located. That is where we did wifi. Kathy