If you know me well, you know that Ben and I have plans to own a sailboat. This is no retirement plan. If we have it our way, we’ll be sailing sooner than later. For now, we’re just trusting that God put this desire in our hearts for a reason, and if it’s meant to be, He’ll make it happen. Add it to the list of interesting ideas my mom has come to expect over the last nine years…I even made her tour catamarans with me in San Diego as if we were walking the Street of Dreams (is that just an Omaha thing?).
Anyway, while mom and I were staying in Newport, Rhode Island, we had a chance to go for a sail around the harbor. There are numerous boat tours you can take in Newport, and since it is considered the sailing capital of the U.S., I thought it’d be a fitting experience to add to our visit. Over breakfast at The Bellevue House, I booked an “early bird” cruise with Classic Cruises of Newport ($5 off normal ticket price) and we headed down Bannister’s Wharf with coffee to go.
Tip: While visiting Newport, I highly recommend heading to the wharf early before all of the stores open – it’s blissfully quiet. Grab a coffee at The Coffee Grinder and enjoy waterfront views while you wake up.
If I had to rate this excursion on a one to ten scale – ten being OMG (in a bad way) touristy – I’d give this morning cruise a six. Much like any other popular travel activity, mornings are always best for avoiding crowds. That being said, if a champagne sunset sail sounds like your cup of tea (facepalm – that didn’t make sense), Classic Cruises of Newport has that too. Just be prepared to share your cruise with a birthday or bachelorette party.
After 90 minutes of mellow mañana sailing, I think it’s safe to say I’ve won over my mom with the whole sailboat idea. There really is nothing more relaxing than floating through the breeze, surrounded by water and wildlife. This is more or less what we were able to experience sailing around Newport Harbor. In addition to epic views of the historic mansions dotting Newport’s coastline, we got up-close-and-personal with some of the most impressive yachts I’ve ever seen! (We coasted alongside Tom Golisano’s $75 million superyacht, Laurel. Galisano is the founder of Paychex. NBD)
While it wasn’t exactly an intimate sailing experience, it’s one of my favorite things we did in Newport and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone planning a trip to the area. Plus, Classic Cruises gets bonus points for reducing their carbon footprint by over 70 percent!
“Shut the front door! You have a YouTube channel?” Why yes, yes I do! Here’s one of my more recent travel videos from our trip to Grand Cayman. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to my channel. 😉
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