The more time I spend near the ocean, the more I desire to be close.. to wake up every day and take a walk on the beach.. to end evenings with a picnic dinner on the sand.. to feel the salty air surround me. One day I will live on the ocean and do all these things.. but for now, I’ll be more than happy visiting whenever I get a chance!

Newport has quickly moved its way near the top of my list for places to visit.. second to Nantucket because that little island will forever be my favorite place in the world. But, Newport is perfect New England nautical charm. We recently spent a few nights away in my Mom’s condo again with our pups and had so much fun!

Since the girls were cooped up in the back of the Jeep for the 1.5 hour drive, we headed straight to Brenton Point State Park to get some energy out.  This beautiful spot overlooks some rocks and the ocean with sprawling lawns filled with picnic tables, grills, families and kite flying.. a perfect afternoon spot.

Riley especially needed to run so her and I did sprints up and down the fields while Mya and hubby watched.And I found a new (and healthier alternative to ice cream) summer treat that I LOVE.. Del’s frozen lemonade is SO GOOD and they have these cute little trucks all over Newport (I may have sought them out a few times during our getaway).Of course, Riley couldn’t take her eyes off her Dad while he was getting the goods.. major separation anxiety!The Sunday night we spent with my mom, my aunt and their boyfriends and got dinner at The Black Pearl in Bowen’s Wharf. The sunset views were amazing.. the food, not so much!Monday we went to the gym and then headed out with the girls for lunch at The Landing. This was an awesome spot, super dog friendly (they brought multiple bowls of water over), casual and with delicious food.. they even had cisco cups! Although, given the outdoor bar, it does look like it would attract a young and wild crowd at night!After lunch we walked around downtown a little, stopped at the grocery store and headed home to relax. We kept dinner low key with rotisserie chicken and pasta on the deck before heading to the beach for a walk at sunset before calling it a night.

Oh, and I played with sparklers.. yet another thing my scary and mean german shepard dog is terrified of.. And crab legs.. just the leg.. those are scary also. Tuesday started with breakfast at Belle’s Café at Newport’s Shipyard. This place was also amazing! So many beautiful boats (hubby was loving it), take out counter with lots of shady outdoor seating and also very dog friendly.Tuesday was super warm so we left the girls in the air conditioned condo and headed to the beach for a couple hours.

We headed to The Lawn at Castle Hill Inn for cocktails with I’m convinced the best views in Newport. If you ever visit, this is a MUST MUST MUST do. The lawn seating is first come first serve and you can hang out at lunch, cocktail hour or sunset with a drink and small bites. The best part is it’s completely family friendly and casual! After enjoying the Adirondack chairs, we were going to eat dinner somewhere else but decided to splurge at Castle Hill’s restaurant so we could enjoy the views just a little longer! So worth it!Then we stopped at this little beach on the way home to admire the end of the sunset.Wednesday we headed to Fort Adams State Park for a morning walk with the girls before it got too hot. Mya and I were loving every second of dipping our feet in the water.. Riley, on the other hand, hates water and kept her distance.At the end of our walk, the pups were tired and hot.. as I was pouring their water, Mya managed to find the smallest area of shade under the truck parked next to us and crawled under!We dropped the pups off and headed to Bowen’s Wharf for lunch at the Patio at 22 Bowen and grilled dinner at home.For our last night, we packed a bottle of wine, blanket and football and headed back to the beach to watch the sunset and play catch. It was the perfect end to our mini getaway.