Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a two and a half hour drive from Stamford. An amazing spot for a holiday, weekend breaks, sailboat regattas and mansions. Very few people know an intersting fact about Newport, that it is one of the very few places in the United States where one can walk down a street that has been unchanged for over 200 years.
These photographs (above & left) were taken on a drive along Ocean Road near Fort Adams, which was a Naval Base and now a museum.

Newport was also a major center of pirate activity during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. So many pirates used Newport as their base of operations that the London Board of Trade made an official complaint to the English government.
The America's Cup is the most famous and most prestigious regatta in the sport of sailing, and the oldest active trophy in international sport.

Nelson Rockefeller, Governer of New York in 1973 and later the 41st Vice President of the United States had this beautiful J Class sloop (right) that he raced in the America's Cup. It is one of the most beautiful sailboats that I have ever seen.
Sailing is something I cannot resist. The moment I get a chance I'm on a sailboat. To be a in place where sailing has such a history, tempted me to get onto one of those J Class sloops from the America's Cup. And, I did just that. I got myself a tour on the Rum Runner II (left). I loved every bit of it. I intend to sail across the Atlantic someday...
Newport downtown is famous across the US for its bars and restaurants. The lovely summer weather and seafood at a Newport street cafe has its own charm. My favorite dish was Calamari at the 22 Portside cafe (right).
The Newport Blues Cafe (left). Another one of the restaurants in Newport downtown. The ivy on its walls is what attracted me. This building stood out in the block because of it. Newport is also a shopping haven, especially for clothes. Name any designer and there is a store out there. The time I clicked this snap, Denny and I had set out on driving tour that covered Boston and Newport in one day on the 4th of July weekend.
An old sailing ship's anchor was restored and lodged in the middle of Bannister's wharf (right). Its a local attraction. I waited for almost thirty minutes before I could get this snap. At any given point of time, its almost impossible to find the anchor by itself without people crowding all around it.
Newport is famous for its mansions that have been the residence of the rich and famous of America dating all the way back to the Gilded Age. I couldn't find out who owned this mansion (left). But the sailboat, the motor yacht and the mansion on the cliff made a good snap.
Marble House (right). This mansion was built between 1888 and 1892 for William Kissam Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt family were amongst the wealthiest in the 19th century and built a strong shipping and railroad empire in the United States. Photography was not allowed inside. However, the inside was all gold and marble!! I found it rather gaudy, but it was definitely very extravagant.
Belcourt Castle (left). Well, I jumped over a hedge and got into this one. It was just to huge to circle around it and find the entrance. I clicked this shot just before jumping over into the lawn. This mansion was built for Oliver Bellmont, the son of a wealthy banker in the 19th century. It resembled a Louis XIII hunting lodge in Versailles, France. The entire ground floor comprised of carriage space and stables for Belmont's prized horses.
Many of these mansions overlook the Atlantic Ocean and one can take a walk along the cliff with the ocean on one side and the mansions on the other. Some of these mansions are museums and others have people living in them. Here's one of those shots from the Cliff Walk (right).
I took this shot (left) along the Cliff Walk. Waves crashing against the rocks. The tide was coming in and these waves were strong. You don't want to be down there at right then...
As I headed back after the Cliff Walk, I passed by a cottage. There was a cat sitting by the window staring at everyone passing by. I decided to take a minute and click it. The red brick wall with a window with the blue green shutters and the cat sitting by it was a pretty site (right). Its very simple, but you don't notice a site like this everyday.

I visited a Classic Cars and Luxury Cars Auto Show in Newport. It was amazing to see the very first production automobile that was built, Duryeas (below). It actually had an engine that was running and could be driven!!!


The Duryeas went into production in 1898. Eventhough Henry Ford built the first automobile in 1896, Ford did not offer a car for sale till 1903.

Duryeas were raced in the very first closed circuit automobile race in history. The race was held in Narragansett Park, Rhode Island, not far from Newport.


You simply can't miss the Bentley Continental GT (right). What do you think about this 6000cc 550bhp beauty with a sticker price of $150,000.




After ogling at all those cars, my Newport trip was coming to an end. I headed back to my own ride... The Maroon Mustang... (left). Although she isn't like the cars at the auto show, I never stopped ogling at her. Ever since I was a kid, I had always wanted to drive a Mustang!! I decided to take the scenic route back home along the Ocean. Driving a Mustang along the coast into the sunset was a dream....

I had to stop for this one (right). This was the last photograph in Rhode Island before we guys headed back for Connecticut. Thats the 2 mile long bridge between Jamestown and Newport. Right below it is Goat Island and the lighthouse on it. Interesting fact - that island out there has numerous graves of pirates who were executed and buried over the ages. This shot is one of my favorites... This trip was amongst the most memorable....

Cove Beach, Stamford, CT

This was a Saturday morning in January '06. I woke up to a blizzard, the worst of the season that year. I got this weird urge to head out to the beach. I don't know why that thought came to my head, but it did. I didn't even stop myself to think it over. I just followed my instincts cause I felt that there was something out there for me to click.

The first sight I see at the beach is this row of trees (above). I knew right there that it was a great idea to be here and this was going to get better. I walked on only to discover that there were other crazy people like me at the beach (left). There was this couple who were walking their dog in that blizzard!! Can you beat that? But then, I can see myself doing that as well.. :). So, its ok...

Thats a perfectly timed shot (right).

An interesting thing about my stay in Stamford was that I never went to this beach in the summer eventhough its supposed to be a great place to hang out!!

Flags have always attracted me. I believe the flag of any country is a symbol of its pride. I like this shot (left). I feel that the colors of the log cabin, the flag, the trees in the backdrop and the snow blend beautifully.

I stood there staring at the Long Island Sound (right). I wondered how cold that water was, but I definitely didn't want to find out...

The thought that runs through my head when I look at this shot is (below) - "Each person has a way of dealing with the rough moments in life".

The tree on the left, sheds its leaves to conserve moisture to survive the harsh winter and grows them back in the spring. The tree on the right has adapted to the environment and keeps its leaves. Different solutions to the same problem, but they both survive the winter. You may associate yourself with one of the two solutions, but cannot do justice by stating that the other solution is wrong.

I was headed back, by the time I got to this one (right). This walk along the beach in the blizzard is an experience that I would never forget. Some of the most ordinary things were looking awesome behind the lens....

As I walked on back to my car, I came to a clearing. Well, its actually a park, but thats under 4 feet of snow at this moment. This is a classic (left). I felt that I was looking into the past from a distance. You could stand there visualizing the 19th century and expect some carriages to pull up by the porch of that house. However, that SUV parked in the corner, brings you back to reality.

Calf Pastures Beach, Norwalk, CT

One of my numerous drives to the beach and walks along the boardwalk. My buddies and I used to take time out to unwind here.

Dusk is such a beautiful time of the day by the beach. A view of the Norwalk Sailing School (right). I remember that I walked out to the beach at low tide and in an instant framed this shot. An old couple walking by commented - "Now, thats a nice shot!!!"


Denny & I decided to get some hot dogs and sip coffee along the beach one evening in September '05.

Heading back to the docks at sunset, was this boat.... speeding away on a sea of gold..... (left)

I often visited Pier A. Thats where Mike had his boat. Atleast thats what he called his million dollar yacht. Thats Pier A for you on a beautiful summer evening..... (below)


There was this Sunday evening in May '06, I decided to head out to Calf Pastures.

I went to Pier A and there were these boats docked and looking into the sunset (below).

All I could hear at this time was the sound of waves splashing against boat hulls, sailboat rigging fluttering in the wind against the mast and the roosting of seagulls.

Connecticut has historically been a large sea faring community. There are numerous lighthouses in this area. Peck's Ledge Lighthouse (below) overlooks Calf Pastures Beach. This lighthouse is active as a U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation.

I remember looking it up on the GPS on the Renegade. Thats all I had to figure out how to get home from the middle of the Long Island Sound. Thats all I needed :). Not that I wanted to get the boat back home!! I loved it out there in the Ocean!!!

This lighthouse (right) stands 54 feet high and is not open to the public. I've tried to click this lighthouse on a full moon night on countless occasions, but damn the Connecticut weather!!!


One of the most amusing photos I got of this lighthouse is with the geese (left). Thats the view you get when you are sitting in a low hanging car, my Mustang!!!

I took this shot one evening in the Fall (below). Fall in the New England area is something you've got to see. To say its beautiful is to say that the Atlantic Ocean is damp...

I saw these two old ladies sitting on a bench by the beach (right). A carpet of maple leaves on grass gave way to the sand on the beach that ended up in the ocean. What you can't see here is the icy wind that was blowing inland, but that didn't seem to bother anyone. Not even me, a resident of a tropical country, :).

Denny & I went out one Sunday evening in October to the beach to chill out. "Chill out" basically meant take the camera and see what we get. I love this shot (left). I thinks its nice....

The same Sunday evening got us a few more nice shots. Maple Leaves!! (below). Thats what i clicked..... All the Fall colors!!!
That weekend was spent capturing the colors of the season in the Fairfield County area in Connecticut. This led Denny and me to the beach that evening. I was putting my camera away. When I bent down to pick up the camera bag, this is what I saw.... (right). Another example of nature's beauty....

This was one helluva night!!! (below) Martha, Sue, Marlene, Rich and I were out drinking at South Norwalk, better known as SoNo.
Wild ideas usually follow drinking late into the night. This stormy night, Martha and I thought it was a good after party idea to head to the Renegade at Pier A and click some photographs. Thats not a good idea in this area as storms are accompanied by lightning that can actually hit you and the probability of such a thing happening increases near the beach. At the time of this shot (left), the storm was only minutes away from breaking. Good sense prevailed and we called it quits for the night and headed home.

As I said earlier, that I have driven to this beach on numerous occaisons. This can't be complete without my ride.... That Fiery Red Mustang!!!! (right). You can drive a BMW, a Porsche or whatever, but driving this baby is an adrenalin rush. The Mustang isn't about owning a car, but its about being part of some clan of thrill seekers who love the classics.... and thats the adrenalin rush!