This weekend I went to Newport, Rhode Island, home to the famous Gilded Age mansions overlooking the sea. The mansions get decorated for Christmas every year and it’s a major tourist attraction. I took a tour of The Breakers, the opulent summer house of the Vanderbilt family and the biggest mansion of them all.
One thing that surprised me was when doing the audio tour they read out a letter from a 14 year old Vanderbilt heiress who was complaining that she wished that she was a poor girl so that people took her at face value. It was interesting proof of the idea that the grass is always greener and that people will always compare their situations to others, no matter how fortunate they are! I thought that was an interesting idea, especially at this time of year (Thanksgiving). Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers.
You’re really here for the photos and you can find them below!
Old England to New England 
This was the only one I visited while in Newport, and I couldn’t believe the Vanderbilts called this their “cottage”!
Right?! Who has a cottage with 20 bathrooms!
That place is a palace. I can’t image living like that.
That was just their vacation home too. Would love to see the main house!
No kidding, no wonder they went broke
I was in Campobello Island last summer visited the Roosevelt cottage, it was beautiful but a cottage compared to that place
I just googled the island, it looks pretty cool. Would love to go there one day! 🙂
yes, it is lovely, IN the summer I can take a ferry across from Deer Island, There is a whirl pool called the Old Sow, there from tide coming in and going and brings a lot of wildlife in to feed and the rich sea life. whales dolphins, seals, the Island it self is beautiful beaches light house and charming trails to hike. The Island is only accessible from Maine in off season
This looks so cool.
It really is, the camera on my phone didn’t do it justice. 🙂
My goodness that’s gorgeous. Looks like it belongs in Paris not RI. Can’t imagine what their regular homes were like. It must have been exhausting doing all the walking just to get to the kitchen or dining room.
Yeah, and they said on the audio tour they’d change outfits up to seven times a day. Too much work to be that rich!
Yah. That would take the fun out of fashion for sure!
Such opulence! All very over the top, I couldn’t live with it. Completely off topic, my great-aunt came from Rhode Island, she was a police woman in a time when that was something to behold. We’re talking abt almost a century ago. Great photos, but I come here for the tales too 😊
Yeah I couldn’t live with it either to be honest! More tales to come soon I promise! 😛