My DH and I went to visit his brother in Massachusetts on the weekend and we decided to spend Saturday in Newport, Rhode Island. I had read about Newport on this board and got some great info from the previous threads (thank you so much!).

We first stopped at the Visitor Information Center downtown to get info on the Cliff Walk and mansion tours.

Tip: If you park in the parking garage behind the visitor center and take your card in to get stamped, you'll get the first 1/2 hour free.

We decided to grab lunch before doing the Cliff Walk. We went to the Red Parrot Restaurant on the corner of Thames and Memorial Blvd. It's a very nice 3-storey restaurant. The food was good and they had a nice selection of beers and wines.

The tourism advisor recommended that we start the Cliff Walk at the Forty Steps. By doing that, we could park on the street on Narragansett Street (off Bellevue). The Cliff Walk was fantastic. You really do need a pair of sturdy shoes or sandals as you're walking on asphalt, rocks and even sand. The view of the coastline was spectacular and the weather was perfect.

We wanted to visit Breakers, but saw that the entrance fee was $23 per adult, which we found a bit too steep given that we were only there for the day. Had we spent the night in Newport, we would have considered it.

We made our way back to the car thanks to the RIPTA trolley that runs along Bellevue Ave. We then did the Ten-Mile Drive and stopped at Fort Adams Park to walk around and take in the views. Just gorgeous - I had never seen so many sailboats in one place before!

After the Ten-Mile Drive, we headed back toward the wharves and parked in public lot. We went down to Bowens Wharf to the Wharf Pub for a drink. We then went to The Mooring Restaurant for dinner.

We got a table on the patio right beside the water with a gorgeous view. I had read about this restaurant on this site and it really lived up to my expectations. It isn't by any means cheap, but the food quality and service are definitely worth it. I would highly recommend it for a nice evening out.

Afterward, we headed to Cold Fusion Gelato, which was visited by Giada DiLaurentiis recently. Their website lists many, many gelato flavors, but they don't have everything. I had a chocolate strawberry gelato that I am still thinking about today! It was so delicious - the flavors were balanced and the texture creamy. Cold Fusion Gelato is located on Thames St.

All in all, we had a fantastic day in Newport. We liked what we were able to see in such a short time and we'd love to go back and explore some more.

Hope this is helpful!