There’s just something about New England in the summer!

Before the pandemic, my family took a summer vacation to Newport, Rhode Island and I fell in love with the charming coastal town and its Gilded Age “summer cottages.” So, when my friends Julie and Doug invited us to their Newport, Rhode Island wedding over Labor Day Weekend, I was ecstatic not only to celebrate their nuptials, but to show my boyfriend, Matt, around the historic, waterfront town that I consider to be one of my favorite places!

We arrived in town early Thursday afternoon and left Sunday afternoon, which, I thought, was the perfect amount of time to enjoy Newport. (Plus, as an added bonus, we both had Monday off work — it’s always nice to have a recovery day after traveling!) While Matt and I visited many of my tried-and-true Newport favorites on this trip, we also went to several new-to-me places, so I wanted to share a recap of our trip. (As a reminder, I also have a ton of Newport recommendations this post!)

Labor Day Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island

WHERE WE STAYED —

Unsurprisingly, given Newport’s high season are the summer months, hotels over Labor Day weekend were extremely expensive — like $750/night expensive. There were a few bed and breakfast options that were slightly cheaper, but I very much prefer a hotel. So after some late night researching, I stumbled upon The Pell, a Hyatt property in nearby Middletown, Rhode Island. After using a combination of cash and points, I was able to book all three nights of our stay for $750 total — which was much more in our budget.

And — we really loved this hotel! It was somewhat recently taken over by Hyatt and completely renovated — so while the outside had a nostalgic motel feel, the rooms inside were modern, clean, and spacious. And while we weren’t right in downtown Newport, the location of the The Pell was great — it was a quick 5-10 minute Uber ride anywhere we wanted to go, and we never had to wait long for one to arrive. I would absolutely stay there again on my next trip to Newport.

WHERE WE ATE & DRANK —

Newport has so many great places to eat + drink — and if you love seafood, you’re in for a real treat! We got a cup of clam chowder at every meal we could. Here’s a roundup of where we found ourselves:

Stoneacre Garden

This is where the rehearsal dinner was held, so while we ate off a prix fixe menu (I had the fried chicken which was amazing and very generously portioned!), I wanted to include it in this roundup because it was such a cute place, with both a beautiful rooftop overlooking the harbor and a beautiful bar right off a large courtyard. This would be a fun place to grab an afternoon drink and snack if you need a break from exploring downtown Newport or for brunch.

Clarke Cooke House

An iconic Newport restaurant, the Clarke Cooke House is located right in the heart of downtown Newport in Bannister’s Wharf. We didn’t eat a meal here this trip, but we did make it in for a nightcap at their lively second floor bar, which overlooks the wharf and marina. I had a lemosa, a drink I discovered here last time I was in town — it’s a Fisher’s Island Lemonade topped off with sparkling wine and fresh oranges. Order one and thank me later!

Flo’s Clam Shack

We ate here for lunch the day of the wedding and it is one of my favorite spots in town! A divey, no-frills spot that serves up great seafood overlooking the ocean. We sat on their second floor balcony and there was such a nice breeze. Their clam chowder is a must — as is any of their fried seafood.

Brick Alley Pub

This was my first time eating at Brick Alley Pub and it was one of my favorite meals of the trip. A great family-friendly, sports bar and restaurant with memorabilia everywhere, it was the perfect place to enjoy brunch and the last of College Gameday before a long day of exploring. They offer classic American fare and I opted for a Cobb salad with fried chicken after a cup of clam chowder. When in New England, you know?

Mother Pizzeria

Another new-to-me spot, my boyfriend found this on Yelp when he was craving pizza, and it was delicious! We split the meatballs and burrata to start and then shared a margherita pizza, though everything on the menu looked good. The space was approachable, yet was more upscale than your typical pizza joint, making it a really good date-night spot!

White Horse Tavern

Following pizza, we dropped into America’s oldest tavern for a nightcap! They have a very small bar — it had six or seven bar seats total — so we felt lucky to snag two. It felt very historic, with much of the original wood and windows. We considered eating dinner here as well, but the timing of the reservations didn’t work out for us; next time!

The Red Parrot

I’ve eaten here on both of my trips to Newport and while the food isn’t terrible, it’s not my favorite. I think there are better options in downtown Newport, so recommend skipping this one as it feels a bit like a tourist trap!

Del’s Lemonade

If you go to Newport, you can’t leave without stopping in for a Del’s frozen lemonade! There is one right on Thames Street, so it’s a great afternoon treat after you’ve been walking around.

Newport Sticks & Cones

I capped off my trip to Newport with a delicious vanilla milkshake! They also had more than a dozen flavors of ice cream and several cute tables outside where you could enjoy.

WHAT WE DID —

While we were in town for a wedding, we had plenty of time to explore Newport as well — and we covered a lot of ground as we:

Walked Along Easton’s Beach

Known by locals as First Beach, after our lunch at Flo’s Clam Shack, we walked across the street to the beach and took a nice leisurely stroll by the water. In addition to offering a beautiful view of the Cliff Walk, there are also beautiful homes right off the beach that we enjoyed looking at. Because it was a holiday weekend, there were a lot of people out enjoying the day, yet the beach did not feel overcrowded at all. While we were there, the surf was very calm and the water was pretty shallow, so this would be a great beach for families.

Shopped Around Downtown Newport

There are so many cute stores in downtown Newport! Bannister’s Wharf and Bowen’s Wharf are right next to each other and both offer great shopping. We popped into any store that caught our eye, and especially enjoyed Kiel James Patrick, Scrimshanders, and the Newport Mansion’s Store. Further up Thames Street, my friend Taylor and I found great Newport sweatshirts to commemorate the trip by at Soft as a Grape.

Visited The Breakers

This was my third visit to The Breakers, and its grandeur and beauty never get old. While I have been to and love other Newport mansions as well — namely Rosecliff, Marble House, and The Elms — since we only had time to go to one, I wanted to take Matt to the “crown jewel” of them all. We purchased our tickets online before we went, and I am glad we did as there was quite a long line to do so in person. (Of note — when purchasing tickets, they aren’t for a certain date or time, so you have a ton of flexibility with your visit, which is super nice.)

Another thing to note is that they no longer hand out headphones and audio devices for the mansion tour — you are expected to play the narration off an app on your phone using your own headphones. While many people were just reading from the pamphlet they handled out at the entrance, I think the narration adds so much context and history to the tour, so I highly recommend throwing some AirPods in your bag!

Walked the Cliffwalk

After taking The Breakers mansion tour and enjoying the beautiful grounds, we began a long, leisurely walk on Newport’s famous Cliffwalk, a 3.5-mile trail overlooking the coastline. It is absolutely stunning and takes you by the backside of many of Newport’s most famous mansions. Listening to the waves crash into the cliffs below while enjoying the ocean breeze was such a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Went to The Lawn at Castle Hill Inn for Sunset

Though it’s a 20-25 minute drive from downtown, heading over to The Lawn at Castle Hill is so worth it! We came here for golden hour Saturday night to watch the sunset and it was the highlight of our trip. They have a huge lawn filled with adirondack chairs overlooking Narragansett Bay where you can enjoy your favorite drink while watching all sorts of boats go by. (If you’re just coming to enjoy a drink on The Lawn, you don’t need a reservation as the Adirondack chairs are available on a first come, first serve basis and there’s a bar right on The Lawn. You could also choose to dine at The Lawn Terrace, which I do recommend snagging a reservation for.)

An embarrassing, but ringing endorsement for our trip: I had so much fun in Newport that I cried the morning we came home because I didn’t want to leave! It was such a fun weekend celebrating the marriage of two friends, exploring a great New England coastal town, and capping off a memorable summer.

Don’t forget that I have additional Newport, Rhode Island recommendations in this post — and feel free to drop me a comment below if you have any questions about our trip. Until next time, Newport! x