Inside The Breakers - Newport, RI

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I played the role of tourists by venturing to Newport to marvel at the closest thing Rhode Island will ever have to the Palace of Versailles: The Breakers mansion.

Separated from the string of Gilded Age mansions that line the historic Bellevue Ave, the Vanderbilt’s humble “summer cottage” stands proud over its 14 acres of manicured lawns on Ochre Point Ave. A masterpiece of abundance, and a symbol of pre-eminence, The Breakers was designed to mimic an Italian palazzo and decorated with the finest materials in the world.

I am fortunate to have grown up less than an hour from Newport and have seen the mansion before. Regardless of how many times I visit, I don’t think I will ever not be stunned by its crystal chandeliers, intricately carved moldings, mural-painted ceilings, or wallpaper-shrouded walls. Save for the backyard ocean views, The Breakers feels a world away from Rhode Island.

My mom loves telling the story of when I was five or six and visited The Breakers for the first time: the tour guides were costumed in Guilded Age dresses and told a convincing account of the preparations for a party happening later that day. Of course, we were all cordially invited to attend. So, imagine my confusion and disappointment when we got on the ferry to go home.

To this day, I still wish I could travel back in time and be a guest at one of these lavish parties. For now, these short visits and photos will have to suffice.

Can’t you imagine yourself standing on this balcony in your finest silk, drowning in jewels, sipping champagne delicately from a crystal-etched glass, and marveling at the endless sparkling ocean below?