Rhode Trip.

Ochre Court.

Newport, RI – Perched atop a cliff, the path winds through more than a century of history. The water, precipitously below, sparkles like jewels tossed into the sea.

On the other side, tall manicured hedges hide mansions behind a tuxedo of leaves, polka-dotted by clumps of flowers.

But they don’t hide too much.

The palazzos and chateaux along Newport’s historic cliff walk must have also been meant to be seen. Rockefellers, Dukes and Vanderbilts: this was a veritable who’s who of the industrial revolution in America.

And I will walk...

One can only imagine the gilded parties.

The 3.5-mile cliff walk gives the public right-of-passage, despite stepping through private property. Unsurprisingly, this hasn’t always come without disputes, but it's a must-do if you're ever in Newport.

Massive stone houses stand dressed in Romanesque columns, ornate archways and sculpted iron gates. The Breakers, a neo-Italian Renaissance palazzo built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II at the turn of the century, boasts 70 rooms and looms over the pathway.

It's easy to forget these were just summer homes.