Newport, R.I. Family Vacations

With its lengthy history as host of the America's Cup sailing race, most people associate Newport with the water. The ocean beckons for families who love to sail, sea kayak, surf and get out on their boogie boards. Then there's the long stretch of beach found at Easton's and Second Beach with some of the warmest waters in the Atlantic north of the Jersey shore. Find your own stretch of sand, bring that pail and shovel and watch the salty breeze blow through the kids' hair.

But there's a whole lot more than the ocean in this historic seaside town. The oldest synagogue in America, Touro, visited by George Washington when he came to Newport, and the tall white steeple of Trinity Church, erected in 1726, can be found within several blocks of each other. The summer cottages (grand estates) of the Vanderbilts, including the opulent Breakers and Marble House, will mesmerize families with the extreme wealth to be had in the Industrial Age. The three-and-a-half-mile Cliff Walk that hangs precariously atop the seaside bluffs behind those Bellevue Avenue mansions is one of the finest walks on the East Coast. Then there's Fort Adams State Park, residing at the mouth of Newport Harbor and home every summer to the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals.

On Thames and Spring Streets, boutique shops, many owned by artists and fashion designers, sit alongside some of the town's favorite eateries like Brick Alley Pub. Family-friendly hotels are all centrally located and you never have to walk far to find a restaurant and shop. Also, many of these hotels have their own outdoor and indoor pools, which make Newport a fun choice year-round.