So I was saying how (e:maureen)'s post made me homesick... It's so beautiful there. And the beach will be open... So I'm thinking I'll just take my week of vacation and go home. Spend time with the fam, and the puppies!!, and at the beach (and take my #$%#$ licensing exam). I love going home, and it makes my parents happy. I'll miss the 4th in Buffalo, but I guess that's not the end of the world.

But so last night (e:mike) asked me if I lived in one of the mansions. Being from newport, I get that question a lot. And (to me) it's a totally crazy question. Of COURSE not! But to people not from the area, how should they know? But so sometimes I say yes for the hell of it. (my dad's office IS a few blocks down the same street, does that count? ;) )

Well apparently people believed me. hahahahaha so sorry. I was going to try to keep up the charade for a while, but i'm too terrible a liar...

But anyway, so the pix above- Not My House. The first is the Breakers (the biggest mansion) . The next two are Marble House (where I had my prom, actually.) (no pix are allowed inside the mansions, which is too bad, b/c they're super ornate and fancy and impressive.)

Actually the mansions are pretty amazing. "summer cottages" of the rich and famous... Most are owned by the Preservation Society, and are open for tours. But a few are still privately owned and I think people live in them. But the stories about them are so cool. I just can't even fathom that time, the wealth, society, etc. Those links give some of the history (construction cost, family stories, etc). (There's also a section of the "Lost Houses". Cool.)

But it's so pretty there... I mean it's a small town and there's not a ton to do, but sometimes it takes being away to realize what I've always taken for granted. I'm going to try to dig up more pix when I get home. Maybe I'll show you all my real house. Or (gasp) my prom picture. (ok probably not on that one.) And I'll be sure to take some good touristy pix when/if I go home, to give you all a virtual tour and share some good old hometown pride. :)

Oh and while looking for mansion pix, I found this- never knew Olmsted did a park in newport too!



Love,
Princess Jenks (ha, ha)