I know traveling in the times of COVID-19 can be stressful! You may have anxiety about entering a potential "hot spot" and then having to quarantine afterwards. You may worry whether or not people will be wearing masks or if things are properly sanitized. If I can recommend any place to go, I would highly recommend heading to the shores of Rhode Island. This weekend we had such an amazing experience visiting our friends in Newport and I felt SO SAFE the entire time! The entire town had a mask policy in place so everyone was wearing masks everywhere we went. We ate at amazing restaurants and spent some great quality time with our friends. We even took a day trip to see the Newport Mansions and walk on the Cliff Walk (which you can see photos of HERE). On our final day in Newport, which was my favorite day of the trip, Ryan and I had the amazing opportunity to take a sunset sail on the Adirondack II, and it was such a relaxing experience that I can't wait to go back with family and friends. If you have the chance to head on one trip this summer I would say HEAD THERE and definitely take a sail!
We got to Bowen's Wharf Marina early so that we could walk around, eat, and visit the many shops in the area before heading out on the water! After a delicious dinner at Benjamin's we headed over to the Adirondack II to check in for our sunset sail. The 80-foot schooner is absolutely stunning and is the perfect vessel to sail around Newport and see all of the beautiful sights along the historical waterfront. The crew introduced themselves - we were sailing with Kevin, Lila and Kiera (they were Twiddle fans which was really cool!) - and let us know the guidelines for social distancing. If we wanted to walk around during the sail we just had to make sure to wear our masks and there was plenty of hand sanitizer to go around! The boat was at very low capacity and I felt super safe the entire time - to be honest it kind of felt like we had it to ourselves because there were only two or three other small groups! Definitely the perfect way to end the weekend!
We were super lucky that it was a beautiful evening and we had plenty of wind so we got to sailing pretty much right away! The experience of sailing is something that is so indescribable and you will only understand if you can experience it for yourself! Letting Mother Nature guide us we sailed out into an amazing sunset, all while admiring the views of Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay. The crew were so knowledgeable and pointed out so many cool sights along the way - we got to see Fort Adams, the Clingstone house that is perched atop a small, rocky island in "The Dumplings" in Narragansett Bay, and a gorgeous view of the sun setting behind the Claiborne Pell Bridge. Plus, we got the added bonus of seeing Richard Branson's yacht, the Victoria Secret yacht, and Weatherly, which is said to be the favorite boat of John F. Kennedy!
While we were on the boat the crew told us stories of their experiences sailing and explained the whole process of sailing to us. Ryan and I are super interested in sailing (because of our love for Below Deck - HAHA!) so it was really cool to learn about how they put the sails up and take them down, the different knots that they use, and how they know when it is safe to turn off the engines! The whole experience was really just so great and I can't thank the crew enough for taking the time to really explain everything to us! I think it really made our trip so much better!
If you guys head to Newport this summer definitely visit Adirondack II or their smaller sloop Eleanor! You can buy tickets HERE - and don't forget to mention that you heard about them from us! I promise you will have an unforgettable time! Check out their Instagram for proof from some of their happy sailors!
xoxo. Alexandra
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