Newport

Rhode Island – Friday, Oct.19

I was up and out really early to meet Taryn’s train in Providence at 7am but underestimated school bus traffic and other heavy traffic, so I was a little late. We decided to try to find a coffee shop nearby, and I knew there were some around, but didn’t know exactly where. We ended up walking about 1 1/2 miles through the historic part of Providence and through Brown University so she had a chance to see some of the old colonial houses and businesses. Then we came to the perfect coffee shop and had a good breakfast, which revived her after traveling on a plane and train all night. On the way down to Newport, we stopped and shopped for the soup kitchen that was going to be out donation-for-the-day. It’s the Bristol Good Neighbors Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry, and I picked this one because they offer both breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, and have a big sign outside their building welcoming anyone who would like a meal. They did not have any specific requests food-wise, and I let Taryn decide what all to get for our donation. We took the food over to the soup kitchen between breakfast and lunch times, and it looked like a really nice, organized, welcoming facility in a building next to a church. There were people enjoying the opportunity to sit and relax inside between meals. After dropping off the food, we got in another mile and a quarter of walking in Bristol before it started to sprinkle a bit.

After another couple of stops, we got back to our motel just outside of Newport, and while Taryn took a much-needed nap, I left Tula with her and headed over to the mansion area of Newport and got in 3 miles of walking down a long, broad avenue. It was very overcast, but the heavy rains that had been forecast hadn’t started yet. Then I went back and picked Taryn up and we ended up walking over 5 miles all around Newport. We started off in the riverfront area, looking at the shops in town and along the piers – several restaurants and boat excursions had been canceled due to the expected bad weather, and things were on the quiet side. We had a little clam chowder snack and then set off for the Cliff Walk again. It was gray and misting out, but we walked a good part of the 3.75 mile trail and back again, and made it to the opposite end from where I’d been yesterday. We didn’t go along the part of the trail on the rocks since things were a little wet. Altogether the Cliff Walk passes by 64 mansions (many of them are referred to as “summer cottages”) and it’s quite a sight to have the beautiful mansions on one side, and to ocean with a rocky shore on the other side. It’s a beautiful walk, even in the mist! Then we headed to the Wharf Pub and Restaurant and enjoyed a dinner which was a treat from my mom. (Thanks, Mom! had a good lobster roll!) It was time to call it a night- I did a little over 11 miles of walking today; the most I’ve done on a single day yet! And Taryn did 8 of them with me. I won’t have as much time for walking tomorrow so it all works out!