Old RHONY will forever be my favorite franchise. RHONY Season 12 aired during COVID and it was one of the things that got me through lock downs. I remember waking up early to watch the episode of them in the Hamptons throwing tiki torches into Ramona’s pool and laugh-crying so hard. Leah Simpson was tv gold during this season. She was the only newbie that could go toe-to-toe with the infamous cast. Funny how things change years later… as Leah Simpson recently sued Bravo TV and claimed Andy Cohen does cocaine with his favorite housewives.
During the season the cast took a trip to Newport, RI. My husband and I decided to take our first trip with our 10 month old daughter to check out the spots RHONY filmed at. Above her crib we have artwork from Drunk Drawn of Leah, Sonja, and Tinsley that I always refer to as her “drunken fairy godmothers”. Felt appropriate for her first vacation to visit one of the spots from the season.
Check Out:
Tyler Boe
The Black Pearl
Clark Cooke House
Where to Stay
If you haven’t been to Newport before, just know that Tinsley’s family has a home here and she grew up going here. It’s definitely a town built on old money. If you grew up here your boyfriend would be the sailing captain and you would go to Brown University. There are gorgeous mansions along the coast from the “Gilded Age”. Driving along Ocean Drive or hiking along the coast is well worth your time to see all the historic homes and daydream about life of the rich and famous.
The hotel the ladies stay at is called Castle Hill Inn and it may be the perfect location to stay while in Newport. It is right along the western tip of the peninsula with private beach access and sunset views. There is a large historic mansion which houses the main hotel, restaurant, and spa. There are seven guestrooms in the mansion, each with their own personality and decor. While we were there they were setting up for a wedding on the lawn. I can only imagine how much that would cost. During the cast trip the New York housewives stayed in beach cottages along the water. The little casitas they stayed in each have their own beach access and perfect views of the water from your bed. They range from $1000-1400/night depending on which one you choose.
The nice thing about this Newport itinerary is all of the destinations are right next to each other. I’m assuming the cast was only given permission to film in this small area because they are way too drunk and disorderly for the upscale Newport residents.
What to Do
The area they are in is right off the main road, America’s Cup Avenue. The area is called Bowen’s Wharf and it’s the perfect place to enjoy my favorite pastime, day drinking and shopping. We started our RHONY bar crawl at a spot not featured on the show called Twenty-Two Bowen. This restaurant has an outdoor bar we ordered Aperol Spritz from. We sat next to a large boat floating in the wharf and enjoyed the sea breeze. We had perfect weather for our day.
Once we had our buzz started we checked out Tyler Böe, a preppy clothing store with lots of bright colors. It has that Newport vibe, white and airy with colorful sweaters. It’s like a toned down Lily Pulitzer. The clothing is laidback weekend wear with Newport prices. Very Ramona. Not totally my style.
Next we stopped at The Black Pearl which is just steps away from Tyler Böe. It has a great outdoor patio which was perfect for us and our 10 month old baby in a stroller. They do not take reservations so we were lucky it wasn’t super busy. We both ordered a Spa Water cocktail and it was perfect for a warm spring day.
Up last was the Clark Cooke House. This is wear Leah threw a ravioli at Ramona. Interesting that the menu no longer features ravioli... After realizing this is a super famous restaurant where many famous chefs have worked (such as Thomas Keller), I can now understand why Tinsley was extra embarrassed by her friends’ terrible behavior. The upscale dining room is only open during summer season and by reservation only. It’s where you will find rich families and celebrities when they are in Newport for the summer. There is another bar and restaurant called the Candy Store bar that is open year round and you don’t need reservations for. It has that old school, New England charm and showcases lots of interesting yachting memorabilia and history. We stopped in for our last drink, a “Newport Water,'' with Veuve Cliquot, St Germaine, and Grand Marnier. It's so quaint and quiet inside it's hard to imagine the ladies here making a scene.
Because everything is so close you can do this in an afternoon and enjoy the rest of what Newport has to offer. Overall we really like Newport, there is something about this town that is so relaxing and calming. I highly recommend making the trip!