Guest Post | Natalie Kurtzman

Today we have Natalie, a fellow Bostonian, from wishful nals (you can find her at The Boston Day Book, as well!).  I was so excited to come across Natalie's blog a few months ago and see her take on life in Boston.  She's another lady with beautiful, dreamy photos - and she sure does fit in her share of traveling!

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Along the coastal line of southern New England, there lies a little piece of heaven known as the FarmCoast. It combines my two favorite things: farms and wide open spaces with the coast and pebble beaches. Its grass is lush and green, its artists and wildlife are aplenty. Only an hour or so away from Boston, the FarmCoast region provides such a haven from the everyday hustle and bustle of city life.

What I love most about the FarmCoast is the quintessential New England vibe. I love wine tasting at Sakonnet Vineyards, visiting the local shops and artisans in Tiverton's Four Corners, and watching the tide and oysters come to shore in Little Compton, Rhode Island. This little community is such a hidden gem - and perfect for a much needed reflective day, away from it all.

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Natalie, we cannot thank you enough for this beautiful look into New England's FarmCoast.  We will absolutely have to stop in the area on our way back to Boston!

Also, welcome to all our new friends and thanks for your sweet comments!  For more up-to-date happenings of our travels, be sure to follow us on facebook, Instagram, and twitter!

Westport Island on Dwellable

Newport, RI

Newport, RI is one of our favorite New England cities. We are suckers for cute, historic downtowns and boats; Newport has no shortage of either. You can easily make a day of walking the harbor and ogling the many yachts, then grabbing food and drinks on the waterfront, followed by shopping around downtown. If you're up for it, an afternoon vineyard tasting is always a good idea (stick with the whites). If you're more of a beach person, I hear they have great beaches. And don't forget the mansions.  Oh, and the food. So, basically, this city has everything!

-Amanda

Mansions | Newport, RI

I believe that Newport, RI is a place every girly-girl should visit. Besides how charming the town is, there are mansions.  Many, many mansions.  Mansions that you can walk through and see all of the period chandeliers, furniture, and art that your eyes can handle. And don't forget the intricate statues on the sprawling mansion grounds.  Don't mind if I do sit in the grass and dream about mansion life... the parties... the clothes...

Newport, RI was the social capital of the nation during the Gilded Age (1865-1914) and the wealthiest Americans summered there. The Vanderbilts, Astors, and Wideners are the families known for the largest summer houses (known back then as cottages). The Breakers is the most famous mansion of them all. It was the Vanderbilt summer home and is believed to be one of the nation's greatest Gilded Age landmarks. More mansion facts and pictures here. It's worth a peek to see some interior shots; cameras were not allowed inside the mansions we visited.

-Amanda

The cherry on top? Newport's Cliff Walk is a public access walkway that allows you to take in the beauty of the shoreline and the Gilded Age mansions.  A perfect sunset stroll, yes?

 

Newport on Dwellable

Helicopter Ride | Newport, RI

 
A while back, BuyWithMe had a deal we couldn't ignore: a discounted helicopter ride around Newport, RI.  The company gave us a choice of an island or a mansion tour. We opted for the island tour since we had already seen the mansions up close.  This was a good choice, as we flew over a few mansions on the way back to the airport, anyway.

The tour was rather epic.  We flew over lighthouses, saw tons of boats floating in the water, and enjoyed the gorgeous landscapes.  It was the first time either of us had been in a helicopter - exhilarating, for sure! Although, we were a bit shocked (ahem, I was nervous) to see how teeny-tiny the 'copter was.  Oh, and I couldn't figure out how to talk into the headphones, haha!

-Amanda

Food and Drink | Newport, RI

It will become quickly evident on this blog that we love food.  Good food makes our world go 'round. We've had the opportunity to try out a few places around Newport, and here's a little rundown.

Above is a beautiful latte from empire tea & coffee.  The atmosphere is super laid back and the red exterior just draws you into the place.  We even left with a bag of ground coffee to enjoy at home!

We hit up Perro Salado one night for dinner.  Everyone on Yelp raved about their cucumber jalepeno margaritas and they did not disappoint (one of my favorite margs to date).  The restaurant is set inside an old home and the decor plays into the setting with a mix a quirky and homey touches.  We were there on an evening with perfect weather and managed to snag an outdoor table.  Rainbow lights strung around a giant tree and brightly colored candles scattered throughout the patio?  Yes, please!

-Amanda

We came across Salvation Restaurant + Bar and grabbed a quick drink at their bar.  I was drawn in by their decor, bright and perfectly mis-matched (more photos here). I think we had beer, so nothing to report on their drink and food, but we hope to make it back to test out the grub.

We have no pictures to show for it, but lunch at a waterfront restaurant is particularly enjoyable and allows for unlimited boat-gawking. On one our of next trips we'll be sure to grab a drink at the nation's oldest tavern, White Horse Tavern.

Providence, RI

Providence, RI is a city that we didn't expect to love as much as we did.  For whatever reason, neither of us realized how sizeable and city-like Providence would be.  Providence seems to have everything a good city needs: a foodie scene, the theater, a riverwalk, and an airport - just to name a few. Providence has a beautiful mix of old and new architecture and the local design college, RISD, ensures that there is some rad art throughout town.  Providence definitely has a hipster air about it - after all, they dub themselves the creative capital and house the aforementioned design college.  We sort of love that type of vibe and became quickly enamored by this little city.

Although we have no photos to prove it, we were especially taken by the city's pretty great restaurant scene.  One of our favorite farm-to-table dinners, ever, was at La Laiterie.  Definitely worth a trip in itself!

-Amanda