Even a cold rainy day couldn't put a damper on an awesome tour. Morgan was our tour guide and she was full of energy, fun, and so much interesting information. Our group of 9 pulled out our raincoats and umbrellas and were real troopers while Morgan did her best to keep us out of the rain whenever possible. Thankfully it didn't rain hard the whole time.
We visited 7 different locations, all located in a wonderful historic district, but outside the main tourist areas in Newport. Everything we tasted was wonderful and unique. I only wish we had taken the tour early in the week so we could have gone back to these restaurants to have a full meal.
I won't share about everything, but here are a couple of places of note:
We learned that the Vanderbilt Hotel was originally built in 1909 by Alfred G. Vanderbilt, for his mistress. After going through several owners, the gorgeous Newport mansion has been restored to its former glory, and is just minutes from the waterfront. We enjoyed our tasting of sparkling wine and sherbet in a sitting room next to a warm cozy fireplace, while we learned about the many special services and events that are offered at the hotel in addition to plush rooms and high-quality restaurants.
Our last stop was at Perro Salado, a locally-inspired Mexican restaurant. There we sampled a sweet and sticky BBQ rib and Blood Orange Margarita. After living in Arizona for many years, I was skeptical of a Mexican restaurant in New England, but the food and drink were both delicious.
Check my profile for a link to my Traveling with Purpose blog where I'll write a full account of this tour.