Known to local residents simply as The Drive, Newport's Ten Mile Drive follows the southern coastline of Aquidneck Island. Once called Rhode Island, lending its name to the entire state, Aquidneck is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. Primarily farmland before the early 1800s, Newport became the place to spend the summers. An escape from the heat of the city, wealthy New Yorkers began to line Ocean Drive with elegant mansions. Called summer cottages by the well-to-do, this vacation community was well within walking distance from Newport's beaches.
    Designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1976, Ocean Drive is almost entirely made up of residential homes. One of the accessible highlights of The Drive is the Castle Hill Inn. Built as a summer home in 1874 for Harvard scientist and explorer Alexander Agassiz, the inn was converted into a popular Rhode Island resort. During its transformation, the inn received extensive restorations, returning the mansion to its original appearance. Today, the inn retains its feel of a private estate, overlooking sweeping lawns and panoramic ocean views. Some of the most luxurious rooms are found in the inn's guest cottages. Dressed in Victorian facades, inside, guests may enjoy four poster beds, leather furniture, fully equipped kitchens and incredible views. Castle Hill Inn guests are also within a leisurely stroll of the nearby Castle Hill Lighthouse, perched on a craggy bluff.

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