PAGE 53
SPRING 2018 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 03
William Gillette , an actor who earned reasonable fame and fortune playing Sherlock Holmes a hundred years ago , spent a lot of his money on this castle in Connecticut .
Heading across to Sakonnet Point , I admired the openness of the fields and the multitude of graveyards . Today ’ s real-estate types must look at these expanses of oceanview land with longing . The small harbor at Sakonnet is well protected , with many small boats , and a fine old building turned into a gathering place for the moneyed types who summer out here .
Moving on , I rode up along the Sakonnet River — in reality a tidal strait — to cross the Sakonnet Bay Bridge on my way to Newport . After a good night , I rose early to ride the famous Ocean Drive uncluttered by traffic ; it is a stunning 10 miles of smooth , winding coastal road . Looking at the 19th century mansions , one realizes that there were a goodly number of very rich people back then .