Summer in Newport is a lovers kiss. I am helpless in resisting her spell so I sink in deep. Here is my ode to this island, my favorite place in summer, home.
Image Shannon Hammond
100 days of summer
- Swimming in the ocean long before it’s warm enough in the season
- Waking up and falling to sleep to foghorns in the harbor
- Buy yourself flowers at Wild Season all summer long
- Meet friends at a Gulls game and get really into it
- Mission Burger and Clementine’s on a warm night with your crush
- Charter a sailboat, dress the part, take an absurd amount of pictures
- Go to the Folk or Jazz Festivals, but don’t miss Newport Classical
- Have a martini and oysters at the raw bar at Clarke Cooke House with someone you haven’t seen in a while
- Sign up for Wet Paint, paint plein air and then bid on art you love during the auction - especially the kids’ pieces
- Get in the water every day, we waited all year for this, let’s goooo
- On a full moon night, drive to the end of any street that ends at the water, find your way onto the rocks and howl at the moon until you feel it in your soul
- Find a way to knock around a few golf balls
- Make new friends jumping off the Elm Street Pier at night
- Catch a hazy, lazy sunset from the harbor gazing at the bridge, catch 50 if you can
- Celebrate another year of the gallery, I thank all my lucky stars this life is real
- Drag a table and chairs and everything necessary for a picnic to the beach, let the surf touch your toes
- Pick your own at Sweet Berry Farm, eat half on the way home in the car
- Get on a Vespa
- Get on a Vespa and pick up Del’s for your friends and family at Brenton Point and figure out how to get back not soaked in frozen lemon water (hint: it takes two!)
- Sing happy birthday over a Snowball in Hell to all your houseguests and take their picture in the glow of the sparkler (even if they’re an Aquarius or Sagittarius)
- On a warm night find yourself walking home with the love of your life and kiss them as much as possible
- Stop at Benjamin’s for impromptu Grand Marnier
- Make friends with strangers who invite you on their incredible boat and actually go
- Go to a wine tasting at Grapes & Gourmet
- Celebrate Pride at Smuggler’s
- Find yourself on a hallway bench at the Vanderbilt dining from cocktail tables because someone forgot to make the dinner reservation for 12, but it’s fine because you all get to be together
- Have a spritz on the rooftop at the Brenton
- Say no to all the parties that don’t sound fun and read a summer book or two
- Get on a boat to send off the sailors racing the Newport Bermuda Race
- Have dinner at Salty
- Dance long past bedtime at Sky Bar and link arms with our friends to sing God Bless America
- Fall in love making guacamole for a dinner party with your (potential) significant other
- Take out a disposable camera all summer so you can develop it post Labor Day, send memories to your friends when you’re all commiserating over being depressed it’s time to put the rosé and cheeseboards away
- Pick up a picnic at Bottega Bocconi and visit Fort Adams for Music at the Fort
- Get on a surfboard, take a lesson or just boogie board your heart out
- When you get invited to do something that sounds a little wonky, but you love the person who thought of you, accept, make the most of it, it might be the best night of your life
- Tan topless at the beach on a quiet afternoon
- Get on a boat for the whole day, eat and swim like it’s the last day of summer, find another few days to do this before October
- See Hadi Falapishi’s show Searchers at the Great Friends Meeting House curated by Dodie Kazanjian
- Order Pasta Beach pizzas to go and watch the sun set at the beach, feet in the sand
- Try your luck at the lawn chairs at Castle Hill, stay as long as you can
- See camels and now The Elephants at Rough Point
- Have brunch at Clarke Cooke House, don’t skip dessert
- Stay the night at Rose Island Lighthouse, or if you can swing it Clingstone
- Attend a Newport Contemporary Ballet performance, get tickets for their gala
- Buy a sweater at the Royal Male so you have a reminder of summer when you put it on in fall
- Dress up for the Flower Show opening night, shop the booths for tubers and bulbs you plant at home
- See the sunset from a place you’ve never been before
- Have lunch at The Tea House at Marble House
- Order oysters from Blondies when you see them on the harbor
- Stock up on candles, thank you notes and hostess gifts from local shops, you want them to be here when you return next summer
- Tour The Elms, The Breakers and Marble House but don’t forget Hunter House, Chateau-sur-Mer and Kingscote
- Get a group of friends for a picnic and go to all the NewportFILM outdoor shows, support their annual fundraisers and become a member
- Take the Jamestown Ferry over for dinner, remember to plan to get back!
- Catch the Newport Regatta
- See Tell Newport at the Firehouse Theater, better, sign up to Tell
- Dine at Aurelia, dress up for it!
- Go to a lecture at the Redwood Library, Paul Miller and Charlie Burns are legends
- Run The Newport Beer Run 5k
- On a rainy night stop for a drink at the bar at White Horse Tavern
- Set up croquet in your yard, have Le Bec Sucre cater your lunch for it
- Visit Jamestown Art Center
- Stop in Loren Hope, Alloy and Three Golden Apples and buy yourself Rhode Island made jewelry
- Dress up with all your friends and tailgate at Newport Polo
- Stop by the gallery and see Luke Brenner’s show On Island
- Grab some sides from Aquidneck Meat Market and surprise your family with a midweek picnic
- Wander Cottage & Garden, bring something home that will forever remind you of this summer
- Full moon yoga on the beach
- Walk Sachuest Point and see how many animals and birds you can find
- Have a burger, or in my case, veggie burger at Gooseberry
- Sign up for tennis lessons at the Hall of Fame
- Make a point to visit the Farmer’s Markets every week
- Go to Cars and Coffee
- Visit Norman Bird Sanctuary
- Stock up on your summer reading list at Charter Books, actually read the books!
- See Camden Murphy live
- Tour the recently restored Blue Garden designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
- Grab a group of friends for a beach clean up at least once this summer
- Walk Cliff Walk at dawn
- On a stormy day where the sun comes out at night, walk Cliff Walk
- See Nick Mele’s interactive photography show at the Newport Art Museum, buy his book for all your summer guests and hosts
- Dine at Flora and have drinks in the lounge at Gardiner House
- Have Alexi from ASW Illustrations draw something to commemorate this summer
- See Water Brother, a locally made documentary on surf pioneer and lifelong champion of Newport, Sid Abruzzi, at Jane Pickens
- Take a class at the Coleman Center at the Newport Art Museum
- Go antiquing and yes, you do need a model boat in your house even if you live in Pennsylvania
- Find even more treasure at The Newport Show
- Have breakfast at Belle’s and really take in some of the boats at the docks
- Support the Boys & Girls Club Newport, attend the Yacht Hop and get on the boats at the docks!
- Get a lobster roll at Castle Hill
- Collect seagrass on the rocks at Battery Park, say hi to my aunts doing the same
- Pick up lobsters at Anthony’s and have a proper feast
- Summer Sushi at Clarke Cooke House and chowder at Black Pearl
- Visit the Museum of Newport History, it’s tiny but sweet
- Have dinner outside on a hot summer night at Bar ‘Cino with a few good friends, have that extra piece of pizza
- Ride your bike to Rejects and swim on a hot summer evening
- Take a nighttime ghost tour of Belcourt designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt
- Have drinks at the recently opened Quencher, owned and operated by locals
- Get your tickets for 9 Central Film Festival… they will sell out!
- Make this your best summer ever, falling in love with Newport and mark your calendar to do it all over again next year
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1 comment
LOVEeeeeeeeeee. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️. This. 👱🏼♀️👱🏼♀️👱🏼♀️👱🏼♀️👱🏼♀️👱🏼♀️👱🏼♀️💯. Xoxo
Elaine Dolley on