The first stop was Newport, RI. In the past several years, we have become fascinated with the Gilded Age in large part due to Gilded Age television series.
So we were very excited when we found the New England cruise was docking at Newport. We had to taxi from the ship to shore. Then a short walk to the bus meeting point.
The weather in Newport is usually mild, neither too hot nor too cold. The flow of air was perfect for summer homes in both the Northern and Southern states. A great escape from the diseases that plagued people at that time. The above picture is of Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, a Revolutionary War hero under the command of George Washington.
The tour continues with local history and the famous Astor list of 400 nobs (old money), omitting the swells (new money). Several comical anecdotes about those who didn't make the list.
Finally, we arrived at the Breakers mansion, built by Cornelius Vanderbilt.
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