Marble House

NEWPORT, R.I. - The gilded mansions here are impressive any time, but during the holiday season three of them take on a special glow, thanks to a wealth of decorations and events. The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House were summer "cottages" for the ultrarich at the turn of the 20th century, but now they are open to all for the price of a tour ticket. Throughout December, they are transformed by thousands of poinsettias, fresh flowers, trees, wreaths, and holiday decorations of old, including hobbyhorses, toy trains, and dolls.

Sure, you can watch reruns of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "It's a Wonderful Life," or "White Christmas," attend a Christmas Pops concert or a "Nutcracker" production, and listen to yet another pop star's seasonal CD to get in the holiday vibe, or you can kick-start your flagging spirits with an immersion in sounds, scents, tastes, and sights that are distinctly Christmas. Victorian splendor When it comes to gilding the Christmas lily no one did it better than the Victorians, who were responsible for turning St. Nicholas into Santa Claus.

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The mansions of Newport are world famous for their Gilded Age opulence. This time of year, the Breakers, the Elms, and Marble House are decorated for the holidays. Elegant dining tables sparkle with period silver and china, and Christmas trees glitter in grand foyers. Choirs perform, and visitors can sample eggnog or cider. Christmas tours of the mansions are scheduled through Jan. 2. The Astor family's Beechwood Mansion is open through Dec. 31, and you're invited to stay for dinner Dec. 10, 12, 17, and 19 for a Victorian holiday feast, complete with servants in period costume...

NEWPORT, R.I. - The gilded mansions here are impressive any time, but during the holiday season three of them take on a special glow, thanks to a wealth of decorations and events. The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House were summer "cottages" for the ultrarich at the turn of the 20th century, but now they are open to all for the price of a tour ticket. Throughout December, they are transformed by thousands of poinsettias, fresh flowers, trees, wreaths, and holiday decorations of old, including hobbyhorses, toy trains, and dolls.

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The Preservation Society of Newport County is concerned about a drop in the number of visitors to its opulent mansions, a trend the head of the organization described as a "major concern. " The society's Gilded Age mansions, which include The Breakers and Marble House, draw about 800,000 visitors a year and are the fourth most-visited cultural attraction in New England. But visits to the society's mansions have decreased by about 10 percent since the mid-1990s, and other cultural and historical sites in the region have experienced even steeper drops.

Sure, you can watch reruns of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "It's a Wonderful Life," or "White Christmas," attend a Christmas Pops concert or a "Nutcracker" production, and listen to yet another pop star's seasonal CD to get in the holiday vibe, or you can kick-start your flagging spirits with an immersion in sounds, scents, tastes, and sights that are distinctly Christmas. Victorian splendor When it comes to gilding the Christmas lily no one did it better than the Victorians, who were responsible for turning St. Nicholas into Santa Claus.

When the Astors, Vanderbilts, Whitneys, and their ilk decided in the late 1800s to build their summer "cottages" along Bellevue Avenue in Newport, the Gilded Age began, and this little colonial fishing village on Aquidneck Island was transformed into a center of American society, at least in summer. That doesn't mean Newport stalled forever in the late 19th century; think Newport Jazz Festival , America's Cup races, and International Tennis Hall of Fame , for starters. But the mansions, now open to the public for touring and partying, are the core of Newport activities for visitors.

They may call it Little Rhody but from Providence to Newport to Block Island, the nation's smallest state has lots of big-time attractions. Here are some current offers: Newport's fabled mansions are old, but something new is planned: The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, Sept. 28-30. There will be restaurant wine dinners ($90-$125), a Grand Tasting on the lawn of Marble House ($65) , a celebration at Rosecliff ($175) , seminars and cooking demonstrations ($40) , and auctions of luxury goods and international wines.

LEND A HAND Randolph, New Hampshire Members of the venerable Randolph Mountain Club ( randolphmountainclub.org ), founded in 1910 in northern New Hampshire, care for more than 100 miles of trails on three majestic Presidential peaks — Adams, Madison, and Jefferson — as well as Randolph's town trails located in the Crescent Range. Volunteer Trail Days on Saturdays in July and the beginning of August invite the public to give a little back with their backs.

Tomorrow is the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, and the Marble House Celebration of Women’s Suffrage will commemorate the event with style. Alva Vanderbilt Belmont used her home for suffrage rallies, and tomorrow’s celebration will include excerpts from famous suffragette speeches, poetry, music, and remarks by Rhode Island state Senator June Gibbs and other guests. Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. Free. Marble House grounds, 596 Bellevue Ave., Newport, R.I. (tomorrow’s house tours are noon-5 p.m. $14, $5 ages 6-12)

When the Astors, Vanderbilts, Whitneys, and their ilk decided in the late 1800s to build their summer "cottages" along Bellevue Avenue in Newport, the Gilded Age began, and this little colonial fishing village on Aquidneck Island was transformed into a center of American society, at least in summer. That doesn't mean Newport stalled forever in the late 19th century; think Newport Jazz Festival , America's Cup races, and International Tennis Hall of Fame , for starters. But the mansions, now open to the public for touring and partying, are the core of Newport activities for visitors.

They may call it Little Rhody but from Providence to Newport to Block Island, the nation's smallest state has lots of big-time attractions. Here are some current offers: Newport's fabled mansions are old, but something new is planned: The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, Sept. 28-30. There will be restaurant wine dinners ($90-$125), a Grand Tasting on the lawn of Marble House ($65) , a celebration at Rosecliff ($175) , seminars and cooking demonstrations ($40) , and auctions of luxury goods and international wines.

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The Preservation Society of Newport County is concerned about a drop in the number of visitors to its opulent mansions, a trend the head of the organization described as a "major concern. " The society's Gilded Age mansions, which include The Breakers and Marble House, draw about 800,000 visitors a year and are the fourth most-visited cultural attraction in New England. But visits to the society's mansions have decreased by about 10 percent since the mid-1990s, and other cultural and historical sites in the region have...

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The mansions of Newport are world famous for their Gilded Age opulence. This time of year, the Breakers, the Elms, and Marble House are decorated for the holidays. Elegant dining tables sparkle with period silver and china, and Christmas trees glitter in grand foyers. Choirs perform, and visitors can sample eggnog or cider. Christmas tours of the mansions are scheduled through Jan. 2. The Astor family's Beechwood Mansion is open through Dec. 31, and you're invited to stay for dinner Dec. 10, 12, 17, and 19 for a Victorian holiday feast, complete with servants...

Ready or not, here they come. The holidays are nigh, and between shopping, cooking, and travel plans, amid the ribbons and bows, the latkes and candy canes, there are plenty of events to enjoy during this festive season. Gingerbread House Workshops, Concord Calling all architecture buffs with a sweet tooth: six Gingerbread House Workshops are being offered at Verrill Farm in December. Each participant will receive an assembled, undecorated gingerbread house, along with frosting and candy, including gumdrops, peppermints, and candy canes.