Titanic and Bowling

Since yesterday was the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic sinking I thought it would be appropriate to share a fun fact. Then I will move onto my next topic.

FUN FACT: The Titanic sank 1,300 miles east of Boston and Boston is only 1 hour and 15 minutes from Newport. Pretty interesting I thought. 

Now that I have paid my respect to the Titanic, I will move on to a more fun topic, BOWLING!!

If you are in Newport and you are in the military you will know that the Navy base right in the center of the island.

For those lucky enough to go on it there are a number of useful things. One of those things I have found to be really fun is the bowling alley. It is cheap and really nice inside (surprisingly). Their hours are kinda screwy too. Sunday thru Thursday they close at 8!! So we decided to venture off this island to try to find bowling else where during the week.

For those of you who are not able to go onto the Navy base there aren't many options (well ANY) options for bowing on the island. Ryan, Sara, Brandon and I went to Old Mountain Lanes in Wakefield. It is just over the Newport bridge about 30 minutes away. They have some great specials! Monday thru Thursday they have bottomless bowling starting at 9pm. 3 hours of bowling including shoe rental for $9.95 a person, can't beat it! We went, we bowled, we had a BLAST!

In Massachusetts they have Candlepin Bowling. I personally have never heard of it before, but from what I have heard it sounds like so much fun. You can only do it in Massachusetts though. They are tall skinny pins and you have to knock them down with a really little ball. Once I try it I will let you know how it is!

So there are some options for bowling, but none on the island unless you are military or have military friends, unfortunately.

Spring Is Here!!

Winter is over and Spring has sprung. As I am writing this I am at work enjoying the sun and warmth, 62 degrees to be exact. I never thought I would think 62 degrees was warm. This is "winter" weather for California but I guess you start to adapt to the cold living here. Since Spring is here that means Summer is next!! YAY :)

I cannot wait for this summer. There are SO many things I would like to try. Since we moved here July 1st last year, Ryan and I didn't really explore our options for activities because we were so wrapped up in setting up our apartment and making sure we knew where our essential places were.

This summer, WATCH OUT I am going to try to do as much as I can in the 3-4 months of nice weather we have. Which brings me to my next topic, stand up paddle boarding also known as SUP.

I saw it in California wanted to try it.
Heard the celebrities love it, want to try it.
Heard it is a great whole body work out want to try it.

 So why keep wanting? I am doing! So when the water warms up (higher that 50) I am renting paddle boards, going with or without someone. My dad always told me you can't wait for someone else to go out and have a good time or else you wont ever go.

Paddle boarding in Newport should be really fun to be able to go all around the yachts and sailboats. Then maybe stop and grab some lunch downtown. You can either take your board out into Newport harbor or I hear 1st (Easton's) beach is a big place to do it as well.

There are 3 known places in Middletown that rent SUP's but one I always hear about, that I will most likely use, is Island Sports. I can't find much information from their website about rentals but I have been told they do in fact rent boards.

When I do try this out I will be sure to write about it and post pictures from my personal expierence. The good, the bad and the ugly, I will write about it all. I just hope there is no bad, how could there be? Being out on the water in summer there is nothing bad about that. Im sure "awkward" would be a better word than "ugly" but you will hear about it all!!

FORE!

I know I said I would write about what there is to do in Newport but it is such a small state, it should really be its own town. So there are a number of things to do outside the little town of Newport. On Aquidneck Island there are the towns Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth.

Today Ryan and I went golfing at Newport National in Middletown. It is a golf course I know very well because, well, I work there! I am the beverage cart girl (beer bitch, beer wench, beer lady, hey you girl) haha. Well on the off chance I am not working I get to go play some golf.

It is (I'm not saying this because I work there) a really nice course! It got ranked #1 public golf course in Rhode Island!! You have an ocean view on a nice clear day on about 4 different holes. The maintenance crew really keeps those greens smooth and the fairways clear. The course plays pretty fast in my opinion, all of a sudden you look at your score card and you are on hole 12! I am not saying it is an easy course to play. If you slice it or hook it, OOPS there goes your ball better hit another.

There is obviously the cart going around the course pretty much all day and there is a little shack called "the 7th Hole" it is at the end of 6, beginning of 7 and the end of 8. So you have plenty of chances to get something if you didn't get anything from the beverage cart by then. The course just got BRAND new carts too and they are speedy!

There are a number of other courses around Middletown, Portsmouth and other towns but I have never played at any of them. Why would I, it's competition :) BUT I did hear that Wanumetonomy Golf and Country Club is really nice as well. For how small the state is there are TONS of golf courses around. So if you are coming here and you like to golf better pack up those clubs!!

For more information about Newport National Gold Club here is their website: http://www.newportnational.com/

ENJOY YOUR ROUND!!

^^ Newport National hole #12

Who's Line is it Anyway?

I don't know if anyone remembers the show "Who's line is it anyways" but it was with Drew Carey (when he was fat and funny) and he takes suggestions from the audience and the comedians have to act them out, IMPROV!

 In downtown Newport on Friday and Saturday nights there is a place called the Firehouse Theatre, they do improv there! I went for the first time with some friends and it was the funniest thing I have ever been to. I haven't ever been to anything like that before so it definitely was a treat.

It is $10 and BYOB. It is about an hour maybe an hour and a half (I wasn't really paying attention to the clock) and I was laughing so hard the whole entire time. I might have even snorted a couple times. It makes it even more fun when they take the suggestion you have yelled out to them.

This isn't something that a lot of people know about and it isn't on the Newport "things to do" website, so I guess you could call it the best kept secret. I definitely recommend going and seeing it, you will be entertained I promise! :)

Here is their website for more information:
http://www.firehousetheater.org/

Dr. Seuss Cars!

Last weekend for Easter my Dad and his wife Anita came to Newport to visit Ryan and I. One of the things I have always wanted to do in downtown Newport was ride these 3 wheeled scooter car things. I call them Dr. Seuss cars.

They are the goofiest things I have ever seen and the best part is you have to wear helmets! Everyone stares at you when you drive by so we just started honking and waving to everyone. I laughed the WHOLE time we were driving around. My Dad and Anita loved them too! So they are great for the whole family!  

I highly recommend renting these cars to tour Newport, I think it is the best way to see the town. They go pretty fast too! You can take them anywhere but highways and bridges (DUH!). It's $50 for the first hour and $35 for every hour after that.  

You can take them around to see the mansions, pull over anywhere you want, park pretty much where ever you want. AMAZING! 

Their website is http://www.scooterworldri.com/ for more information. 

Here are some pictures from our adventure!

Welcome to Newport!

I have decided to start this blog for those who are moving to Newport or just visiting.

I have been in Newport RI for almost a year now. My first question when I got here was, what is there to do?! The answer I got almost every time I asked was "Well there is a good bar scene downtown!" Don't get me wrong there is a good bar scene but being the lame 22 year-old I am, I don't drink often. I was looking for more activity ideas but didn't seem to get any.

Coming from Orange County where there was something to do everyday during every season, there seemed like there was nothing to do here in Newport.

So I have thought that I would write this blog in hopes to help those visiting and moving here to find fun things to do without feeling like all you can do is go out and drink.

I will try to write everyday all the things that I have done so far and things I have heard are fun to do. Those things that I hear are fun I will try to go out and do! I have made (thanks to pinterest) an activity jar of things my husband and I should go out and try. Somethings we have done some we have not. I will also let you all know of great restaurants and food stores to shop :) So day one will start tomorrow but for now.


WELCOME TO NEWPORT RHODE ISLAND!