Summer in Newport is a lovers kiss. I am helpless in resisting her spell so I sink in deep. Here is my ode to this island, my favorite place in summer, home. 

Image Shannon Hammond

100 days of summer

1. Swimming in the ocean long before it’s warm enough in the season
2. Waking up and falling to sleep to foghorns in the harbor
3. Buy yourself flowers at Wild Season all summer long
4. Meet friends at a Gulls game and get really into it
5. Mission Burger and Clementine’s on a warm night with your crush
6. Charter a sailboat, dress the part, take an absurd amount of pictures
7. Go to the Folk or Jazz Festivals, but don’t miss Newport Classical
8. Have a martini and oysters at the raw bar at Clarke Cooke House with someone you haven’t seen in a while
9. Sign up for Wet Paint, paint plein air and then bid on art you love during the auction - especially the kids’ pieces
10. Get in the water every day, we waited all year for this, let’s goooo
11. On a full moon night, drive to the end of any street that ends at the water, find your way onto the rocks and howl at the moon until you feel it in your soul
12. Find a way to knock around a few golf balls
13. Make new friends jumping off the Elm Street Pier at night
14. Catch a hazy, lazy sunset from the harbor gazing at the bridge, catch 50 if you can
15. Celebrate another year of the gallery, I thank all my lucky stars this life is real
16. Drag a table and chairs and everything necessary for a picnic to the beach, let the surf touch your toes
17. Pick your own at Sweet Berry Farm, eat half on the way home in the car
18. Get on a Vespa
19. Get on a Vespa and pick up Del’s for your friends and family at Brenton Point and figure out how to get back not soaked in frozen lemon water (hint: it takes two!)
20. Sing happy birthday over a Snowball in Hell to all your houseguests and take their picture in the glow of the sparkler (even if they’re an Aquarius or Sagittarius)
21. On a warm night find yourself walking home with the love of your life and kiss them as much as possible
22. Stop at Benjamin’s for impromptu Grand Marnier
23. Make friends with strangers who invite you on their incredible boat and actually go
24. Go to a wine tasting at Grapes & Gourmet
25. Celebrate Pride at Smuggler’s
26. Find yourself on a hallway bench at the Vanderbilt dining from cocktail tables because someone forgot to make the dinner reservation for 12, but it’s fine because you all get to be together
27. Have a spritz on the rooftop at the Brenton
28. Say no to all the parties that don’t sound fun and read a summer book or two
29. Get on a boat to send off the sailors racing the Newport Bermuda Race
30. Have dinner at Salty
31. Dance long past bedtime at Sky Bar and link arms with our friends to sing God Bless America
32. Fall in love making guacamole for a dinner party with your (potential) significant other
33. Take out a disposable camera all summer so you can develop it post Labor Day, send memories to your friends when you’re all commiserating over being depressed it’s time to put the rosé and cheeseboards away
34. Pick up a picnic at Bottega Bocconi and visit Fort Adams for Music at the Fort
35. Get on a surfboard, take a lesson or just boogie board your heart out
36. When you get invited to do something that sounds a little wonky, but you love the person who thought of you, accept, make the most of it, it might be the best night of your life
37. Tan topless at the beach on a quiet afternoon
38. Get on a boat for the whole day, eat and swim like it’s the last day of summer, find another few days to do this before October
39. See Hadi Falapishi’s show Searchers at the Great Friends Meeting House curated by Dodie Kazanjian
40. Order Pasta Beach pizzas to go and watch the sun set at the beach, feet in the sand
41. Try your luck at the lawn chairs at Castle Hill, stay as long as you can
42. See camels and now The Elephants at Rough Point
43. Have brunch at Clarke Cooke House, don’t skip dessert
44. Stay the night at Rose Island Lighthouse, or if you can swing it Clingstone
45. Attend a Newport Contemporary Ballet performance, get tickets for their gala
46. Buy a sweater at the Royal Male so you have a reminder of summer when you put it on in fall
47. Dress up for the Flower Show opening night, shop the booths for tubers and bulbs you plant at home
48. See the sunset from a place you’ve never been before
49. Have lunch at The Tea House at Marble House
50. Order oysters from Blondies when you see them on the harbor
51. Stock up on candles, thank you notes and hostess gifts from local shops, you want them to be here when you return next summer
52. Tour The Elms, The Breakers and Marble House but don’t forget Hunter House, Chateau-sur-Mer and Kingscote
53. Get a group of friends for a picnic and go to all the NewportFILM outdoor shows, support their annual fundraisers and become a member
54. Take the Jamestown Ferry over for dinner, remember to plan to get back!
55. Catch the Newport Regatta
56. See Tell Newport at the Firehouse Theater, better, sign up to Tell
57. Dine at Aurelia, dress up for it!
58. Go to a lecture at the Redwood Library, Paul Miller and Charlie Burns are legends
59. Run The Newport Beer Run 5k
60. On a rainy night stop for a drink at the bar at White Horse Tavern
61. Set up croquet in your yard, have Le Bec Sucre cater your lunch for it
62. Visit Jamestown Art Center
63. Stop in Loren Hope, Alloy and Three Golden Apples and buy yourself Rhode Island made jewelry
64. Dress up with all your friends and tailgate at Newport Polo
65. Stop by the gallery and see Luke Brenner’s show On Island
66. Grab some sides from Aquidneck Meat Market and surprise your family with a midweek picnic
67. Wander Cottage & Garden, bring something home that will forever remind you of this summer
68. Full moon yoga on the beach
69. Walk Sachuest Point and see how many animals and birds you can find
70. Have a burger, or in my case, veggie burger at Gooseberry
71. Sign up for tennis lessons at the Hall of Fame
72. Make a point to visit the Farmer’s Markets every week
73. Go to Cars and Coffee
74. Visit Norman Bird Sanctuary
75. Stock up on your summer reading list at Charter Books, actually read the books!
76. See Camden Murphy live
77. Tour the recently restored Blue Garden designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
78. Grab a group of friends for a beach clean up at least once this summer
79. Walk Cliff Walk at dawn 
80. On a stormy day where the sun comes out at night, walk Cliff Walk
81. See Nick Mele’s interactive photography show at the Newport Art Museum, buy his book for all your summer guests and hosts
82. Dine at Flora and have drinks in the lounge at Gardiner House
83. Have Alexi from ASW Illustrations draw something to commemorate this summer
84. See Water Brother, a locally made documentary on surf pioneer and lifelong champion of Newport, Sid Abruzzi, at Jane Pickens
85. Take a class at the Coleman Center at the Newport Art Museum
86. Go antiquing and yes, you do need a model boat in your house even if you live in Pennsylvania
87. Find even more treasure at The Newport Show
88. Have breakfast at Belle’s and really take in some of the boats at the docks
89. Support the Boys & Girls Club Newport, attend the Yacht Hop and get on the boats at the docks!
90. Get a lobster roll at Castle Hill
91. Collect seagrass on the rocks at Battery Park, say hi to my aunts doing the same
92. Pick up lobsters at Anthony’s and have a proper feast
93. Summer Sushi at Clarke Cooke House and chowder at Black Pearl
94. Visit the Museum of Newport History, it’s tiny but sweet
95. Have dinner outside on a hot summer night at Bar ‘Cino with a few good friends, have that extra piece of pizza
96. Ride your bike to Rejects and swim on a hot summer evening
97. Take a nighttime ghost tour of Belcourt designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt
98. Have drinks at the recently opened Quencher, owned and operated by locals
99. Get your tickets for 9 Central Film Festival… they will sell out!
100. Make this your best summer ever, falling in love with Newport and mark your calendar to do it all over again next year