Frugal Friday travel to the Gilded Age for Christmas in Newport

I fell in love with Newport, Rhode Island the first time I visited and have been back several times since.  It is a step back in time to America’s Gilded Age when the Vanderbilts, Astors and DuPonts held court in high finance and society.   It became a seaside resort of opulent summer cottages in the days when $1,000,000 was worth a million and there was no IRS.  Today, Newport still echoes with the grandeur of those gilded mansions and the soirees which danced through their halls.

Many fans of Newport will tell you that summer is the best time to visit because of tennis (The Tennis Hall of Fame is there), sailing and yachting.  That might be true but that is also when you pay a premium to visit.  I find Christmas to be the best time to visit because you can score a high-end hotel for $50 a night on Priceline if you bid correctly (Name Your Own Price & Save up to 50% OFF Hotels!) and the mansions are all decked out for the holidays.

While all of the mansions are opened during the high tourist season, Christmas visitors to the Mansions will have to do with The Elms, Marble House and The Breakers.  Each is breathtaking but none more memorable than The Breakers.

Christmas at The Breakers in Newport

Cornelius Vanderbilt II had both fresh and salt water tapped into his private bathtub and each room is more ornate than the next.  I have visited both day and night and find that at this time of year it is quite cozy to happen upon The Breakers for a candlelight tour, when visitors are greeted with a light-strewn path, carolers, and eggnog and cookies inside.  It’s almost as if the Vanderbilts were still in residence and entertaining for the holidays.

During the day there is plenty to do around town, where the various shops and antique markets offer up holiday sales.  Cuffy’s is great for discount sweats and t-shirts (they make great souvenirs) and the antiques market on Thames Street is full of  memories of yesterday to buy or just have fun reminiscing.  One Pelham East has great pizza (when the chef is in!) and the popular Red Parrot offers a solid ecclectic menu but the best restaurant, BY FAR, has to be Elizabeth’s Cafe on Thames Street.  It is small (less than a dozen tables) and a bit on the expensive side but oh, is it worth it.  Chef Elizabeth custom makes each entree and visits with diners to make sure they are enjoying every bite.  (Just remember to BYOB) I stepped back into the kitchen to ask about a certain spice in a recipe and she just laughed and pointed to her wall-sized spice rack.  She never makes anything the same way twice and you are sure to remember and savor every bite.

Sadly, Newport, with all its seasonal air of the yachting set and ladies who lunch, has been hit quite hard by this economic crisis.  Rhode Island, as the smallest state in the nation, is also the poorest and there are many shops which have closed as a result.  This year, also, the number of Christmas lights has been cut back but that should not hold you back from enjoying this picturesque little community.

TOURIST TIPs:  Step back in time to St. Nicholas Day in 1891 at Beechwood Mansion, former home of The Astors, where you can dine at a holiday gala as a guest of Mrs. Astor.  Entertainers in period costume host the event and guests are given wide access to the house.  It’s a real step back in time to holidays the way they used to be a hundred years ago.

Cliff Walk is a must-do on a sunny day.  The vistas of the rough, winter waves are breathtaking.  And make sure to walk or drive down to the end, beyond The Breakers, for a sweeping photo spot.

Roba Dolce is the best gelato this side of the Atlantic.  If it’s still opened (also on Thames Street) you must stop in.  It is to die for – even when it’s freezing outside!