September 28, 2013 Day 129
Newport, Rhode Island
What a difference a day makes! We traveled for seven hours under a sunny sky
and very calm seas! It was a beautiful, peaceful ride and there were very few
lobster pots! The Cape Cod Canal has a
strong current so we left with it behind us and enjoyed the extra speed it
provided us. It eventually opens into
Buzzards Bay which was still calm. We
started seeing more sailboats and more fishing boats today. We even saw a few 12 meter class sailboats, formerly
used for the America’s Cup races. Now
passengers can enjoy a two hour sail on these jewels.
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| Traveling west on the Cape Cod Canal |
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Our mooring at Newport, RI (water is actually calm -
a boat went by and caused this small wake) |
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| Shops! |
We entered the Rhode Island Sound and
Narragansett Bay, then the Newport harbor itself. It is quite an impressive sight and is
literally filled with boats on moorings and in various marinas. We called Old Port Marine earlier to make a reservations, but they have a first
come first serve policy. We did not have
a problem getting an assigned mooring ball (this is nearing the end of their
boating season). They have a “launch
service” and come around on their boat to collect the fees. This boat also
serves as their water taxi. Rather than take our dinghy to shore we used the
convenience of their transportation.
We spent a few hours walking around the
streets near the harbor. These were jammed
packed with people. There are a myriad of shops and restaurants of all kinds on
small streets, divided streets, and cobblestone streets that embrace the
waterfront. There are also many tour
boats that leave port regularly that attract tourists.
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| A beautiful sunset! |
Newport is a vibrant city and has much more to
offer than we could do in one short afternoon. There are incredible mansions to
tour, a beach, lighthouses, an historical area and much more. We did have dinner at a restaurant near the
water, and then we walked back to a cupcake shop we spotted earlier and brought
dessert back to the boat.
We caught the water taxi back to the boat in time
to see the sun setting over the harbor. What
a lovely day!
Tomorrow we will go to Mystic, CT and spend four days docked at the Mystic Seaport Museum.
