The Classic Open Air Spot In Newport Where You'll Want To Daycation With Your S.O.
On The Lawn At Castle Hill Inn In Newport
Blue skies and sunshine and the Schooner Adirondack II, circa yesterday afternoon in Newport.
The Lawn at Castle Hill is always delightful this time of year and right now I feel as though it provides the ideal balance of special-ness (as in getting out of the house or your backyard to do something special), fresh air, and social distancing (note how far apart the pairs or groupings of chairs are).
We were there yesterday around 2:30 ish and while some aspects have changed with the COVID crisis (more about that in a second), it’s still a lovely way to spend an hour or three this season.
Gone are the valet stand (if I can self-park anyone can), the mini leather menu binders and signature red and white CH coasters (a cute prop for photos but I get it), and the person-to-person drink service (to be expected really).
We had our masks on when we approached the station where you check in and request seats on the lawn. And we helped ourselves to a generous amount of hand sanitizer from a ginormous plastic bottle perched on top of the counter.
Once we had picked out our seats, we perused the paper menus, deciding on drinks. (There’s no food otl — on the lawn — this year, only drinkies.) I stayed put while the hubs got our cocktails from the bar situated off to the side and at the bottom of the hill.
Honestly it was just so, so nice to be able to sit in those classic Adirondack chairs on that iconic lawn and just enjoy the views, the warm sun, and being back in Newport, especially after staying mostly in my house (unless you count walks around the neighborhood) for the last 4 months.
We did want some lunch, though, so we ended up making our way up to the open air bar for some deliciousness (my husband said the lobster roll was one of the best he’s ever had) from their mid-day menu. All the tables on the stone patio were taken, unfortunately, but tbh I could have made a reservation the day before and had passed on the chance, not realizing then that we wouldn’t be able to order otl.
Cheersing at CH
Another thing…I’m big on tipping, now more than ever. We made sure to tip 30% on our drinks and food yesterday because wait staff, the entire hospitality industry in fact has lost so much income this year because of businesses having to close during the pandemic.
So, if you’re feeling bored, listless and looking to venture out this week, I highly recommend some daycation time on The Lawn At Castle Hill. It’s an absolutely beautiful way to hit pause and recharge your body and mind right now.
The Castle Hill Inn is located at 590 Ocean Drive, Newport, Rhode Island.