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that we've been to Newport, what with COVID and all that.

and wow, has Newport changed! First, they've tried to route everyone off 95 at exit 7, where we usually take exit 3. This sent us on a long and winding two lane road through URI, around a new round-about and plopped us just outside of Jamestown. I'm guessing this move is best for congestion.

Once you get into Newport, there is an entirely NEW traffic pattern that uses an interstate exchange that was built YEARS ago but stood abandoned. A true highway to nowhere that just...stopped. That part was cool to see, I like it when a long ago traffic improvement plan finally gets finished!

But the hits didn't stop there...the visitor's center is now an aquarium. Okay, perfect for hot or rainy days, but we have no idea where the 'new' visitor center is...we walked the town quite a few times, but no dice.

There is a new hotel building a couple doors down from the former visitor-center-turned-aquarium that is in a wildly different style than any OTHER building in Newport that looked to have a very cool rooftop bar/restaurant. But the building it replaced had very cool shop with a mix of paintings, photography art and antiques, but that just closed and didn't move to a new location.

The hotel was the same (lol) and The Red Parrot was delicious, although I don't know I ever actually finished one of their burgers, they are HUGE!

But the worst was walking down Thames Street where all my favorite dress shops WERE. of the 6, 4 are gone entirely and 1 was cut down to half the size it used to be. The other had done a pivot into a boutique, and they were selling gorgeous, overpriced and very SMALL clothing items. And that seemed to be the theme. Lots of expensive boutiques and shops. I can get that at home, I don't need to travel to Newport to go to Banana Republic or Rockport, you know?

and the felling blow? Gary's Breakfast and Luncheonette closed after 55 years and in its spot is a Taco joint. they kept all of the same decor, so looking in, you'd think it was still Gary's but the sign is down and you know....they're serving tacos. Our favorite Asian Fusion restaurant closed as well. Boooooo!

But we DID get to walk through a Farmer's Market across from the Tennis Hall of Fame, that was nice.

There was a cruise ship in the harbor and it was a full 2 weeks before schools go back and 3 weeks before Salve Regina started their fall semester, but the place was deserted!

Looks like most of the shops are running from 11am - 8pm, so by 9pm, the place was shut down. There was some live music in two places, but just single guys with guitars. You used to be able to hear live music in several bars this time of year, and the Black Pearl should have been JAMMED with people hanging from the balconies...but nope.

In all it was a weird trip....it didn't FEEL like the Newport we loved and thought about buying a weekend condo in. And that was kind of shattering, you know? WE HAD PLANS!!! LOLOL

It was nice to get away, and it was nice to see/visit/eat at the places that were still left, but what a punch to the heart.