The pathway along the rocky shore provides walkers with views of breakers crashing on the rocks below, as well as the mansions' gardens and sea-facing facades above, and is one of the most popular – and free – things to do in Newport. The Cliff Walk begins well before The Breakers, the first major mansion it skirts, and after 3.5 miles, it passes by Rough Point, at the end of Bellevue Avenue. The exotic Tea House at Marble House stands just above the path.
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Built in 1892, Marble House was designed by the same architect as The Breakers, but pre-dates it. Modeled on the Petit Trianon at Versailles (French palaces were the model of the day), the house has an opulent gold-encrusted ballroom, inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. The rest of the house is equally lavish in its detail and is widely considered to be the most tasteful of the Belle Epoch mansions in Newport. The elegant dining room, an almost exact reproduction of a salon at Versailles, is faced in pink Numidian marble. The solid bronze dining chairs were custom-made and, at 75 pounds each, must have been a challenge for the brawniest of footmen. In 1913, Alva Vanderbilt added a red Chinese teahouse to the grounds, which you can see from Cliff Walk.
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Designed by Stanford White, after Louis XIV's Grand Trianon at Versailles, Rosecliff belonged to one of Newport's most legendary hostesses, the flamboyant Tessie Oelrichs. The mansion is no less flamboyant, but of all the mansions, it's the most livable. The ceiling of the 80-foot-long grand ballroom – Newport's largest – is a cloud-studded blue sky surrounded by plaster swirls and painted medallions. The ballroom was the setting for scenes in the films The Great Gatsby and True Lies. Another highlight of the house is the graceful grand staircase that rises in sweeping Baroque curves, emphasized by a filigreed wrought-iron railing at either side. The extensive rose gardens, with wood trellises, a pergola, urns, and statuary, have been restored, using the horticulture records of the estate's original owner, the noted 19th-century rose grower George Bancroft, who created the gardens.
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The four-acre Waterplace Park and Riverwalk border the Woonasquatucket River as it winds through Downcity, Providence. Several times during the spring, summer, and fall, the city celebrates this river, which until late in the 20th century, was completely covered by roadways. More than 100 bonfires are lit in large iron pans in the river's center and kept blazing throughout the evening as residents and tourists stroll along the brick riverside walkways and footbridges. Street performers, vendors, and world music highlight these family-friendly celebrations.
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Ten miles offshore, Block Island is reached by ferry from Point Judith (Galilee), on the south coast. From laid-back little New Harbor, where you'll find lodging and dining, you can bicycle or walk to several beaches or to the Victorian Southeast Lighthouse. So solidly does this brick building and its light tower sit atop its bluff, you'll be surprised to hear the story of how it was moved in 1994 to keep it from falling off its eroding bluffs into the sea. Mohegan Bluffs are a three-mile stretch of coastal cliffs with a 200-foot drop to the ocean. At the foot of these is a beautiful beach, although the prospect of climbing back up the 151 steps might discourage you. At the northern tip of the island is the 1867 North Lighthouse, where there is an interpretive center. Miles of trails crisscross the island and are popular with birders who come to spot the more than 150 species stopping here in the fall. A weekend on this island with its far-away feeling is one of the most romantic things to do in Rhode Island
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