KUDOS April 2019 Travel Issue

International Tennis Hall of Fame
Coors Brewery in the city of Golden Cliff Walk that winds along behind the Gilded Age mansions
BEYOND THE MANSIONS
It was back in 1881 on the grass courts of the International Tennis
Hall of Fame that American tournament tennis was born. Today, an
onsite museum traces the evolution of the game and its players
through memorabilia like 19th century all-wood rackets. The
building itself, shake-shingled, gable-peaked and capped with a
handsome clock tower, is so beautiful that it frequently hosts
weddings. The world’s top players compete here each year, but
mere mortals can also book a court for a game or a lesson.
Just steps away on the very same block, visitors will find Audrain
Automobile Museum, a small but magnificent space dedicated to
rare high-octane, high priced cars. The museum displays a rotating
roster from its collection of 200 antique cars dating from 1899 to
new releases, including Bugattis, Bentleys and Lamborghinis, many
customized and one-of-a-kind. Jay Leno, who owns property in
Newport, is a frequent visitor.
For outdoor fun, nothing beats a stroll along Cliff Walk, the
three-and-a-half mile pathway that weaves behind the swank
Gilded Age mansions, delivering dramatic vistas of the mercurial
Atlantic Ocean. Here, waves crescendo against the rocks, sending
sea spray into the air. At certain points, visitors can climb down to
small coves and plunge their feet into the (typically) chilly water.
DINE
Newport is awash with places where you can sample authentic
New England seafood, harvested from the waters right out front.
The Black Pearl, a buzzy local favorite is prized for its extraordinary
clam chowder. The Clarke Cooke House, an 18th century white
clapboard building with a wonderful warren of dining rooms, serves
up classics like lobster rolls. And, you can grab a table on the deck
overlooking the marina at The Mooring to dine on local clams,
claws and calamari.
STAY
Newport has no shortage of charming accommodations. Nestled
among the twisting streets, you’ll find worthy bed and breakfasts
that buttress restored historic homes. One of the best is the elegant
but unfussy Hydrangea House, which puts you in easy walking
distance of the mansions and museums. To get a taste of what it
must have been like to be a guest at a Gilded Age mansion, book a
room at Castle Hill Inn, an estate tucked at the end of the scenic
Ocean Drive, with dramatic vistas of Narragansett Bay.
No matter where you anchor yourself, you’ll never be far from the
waterfront, the soul of the “other Newport.”
Newport's Clarke Cooke House restaurant at Bannisters Wharf
KUDOS Newport Beach | April 2019 31