Pathway beside a grassy area with bare trees and yellow flowers.

Springing into Summer!

New Englanders know that Spring takes its time to unfold in these parts, especially in a coastal town like Newport. Looking back, we thankfully have the 42,000 daffodils planted around our property to let us know that Mother Nature has flipped the switch to maximum production! In Newport, the entire month of April is dedicated to these cheerful blooms. At last count, there are some 1.3 million daffodils that bloom in the early Spring in our City by the Sea!

Park with daffodils, trees, and a view of the sea under a clear blue sky.
Daffodils stretch towards a pale blue sky against the deep green background of the Chalet lawn and the deep blue expanses of Narragansett Bay.
Curved road with yellow flowers, houses in background under blue sky.
At the Castle Hill entrance, the cheerful yellow and white blooms greet our guests. There are several different varieties of daffodils planted throughout our forty-acre property.
Pathway lined with yellow daffodils leading to the sea, flanked by fences.
Yellow daffodils line a path to the sea.
Stone surrounded by yellow flowers by the sea, with trees and sailboat in the background.
A remnant of the last glacial age – a boulder of pudding stone is festooned with yellow daffodils.
Foggy landscape with distant island and calm water, daffodils in foreground.
The perimeter of the Lawn is hemmed with daffodils where a lone goose peers out into the foggy depths of the East Passage.
Sailboat race on a blue ocean near a grassy shore under a clear sky.

Ocean Race Returns

The biggest story of May aside from the greening up of the landscape and the flowering of the trees was the return of the Ocean Race to Newport. Five IMOCA 60s left Itajai, Brazil for Newport but only three sailed in including the hometown 11th Hour Racing Team who won the 4th leg of the race! Two additional boats suffered a dismasting at sea: Team Holcim (Switzerland) rejoined the Race from Newport after being escorted here by cargo ship, while Team Guyot environment (Europe) has of yet not rejoined the race.

The In-Port Races scheduled for Saturday, May 20 were postponed due to torrential rain and the possibility of thunderstorms. They were incorporated into the beginning of Leg 5 on Sunday, May 21st. Spectators from the Lawn at Castle Hill filled the Adirondack chairs and enjoyed the addition of a grill station set up near the Adirondack Bar for the occasion.

Outdoor bar with people standing under umbrellas, near lush greenery.
People relaxing on lounge chairs by a waterfront, with clear blue sky.

The weather was perfect for soaking up the rays, watching the sails, and sipping refreshing beverages.

Coastal scene with people watching yachts on the water.

Team Malizia (Germany) barely beat out 11th Hour Racing (USA) to win the In-Port Race and the four boats were out to sea again on Leg 5. Following a collision out at sea with a suspected marine mammal that left two crew members injured (ocean racing is no walk in the park), the 11th Hour Racing Team was again the first to arrive in Aarhus, Denmark — winning the 5th leg of the race! They are now in the lead overall with everybody in good health.

Now that we have passed Memorial Day weekend and enjoyed the finest weather imaginable for the unofficial start to summer, we look forward to a season of timeless memories on the lawns, terraces, bars, beaches, cottages, decks, gardens and anywhere in between of our forty magical acres.