The last two weeks have been pretty mellow on Zia.  We spent a couple of days on Block Island fighting the crowds on Labor Day weekend.  While there, we reconnected with our wonderful British friends on "Twice Eleven" who we hadn't seen since St. Lucia in January.  We look forward to meeting up again in Annapolis as we both make our way south in search of warmer weather.  The temperatures in New England have turned downright frigid for us thin-blooded cruisers.  To appease the insurance companies, boats typically have to wait for the end of hurricane season in early November before traveling back to the Caribbean.  It can be a cold couple of months!

     Regardless of the temperatures, we did enjoy sitting at anchor in Great Salt Pond on Labor Day Monday watching the overstuffed anchorage empty as most of the other boaters motored out through the channel towards home, work and school.  By the end of the day there weren't more than a dozen boats left.  With home and school close at hand, we were content to enjoy the beautiful day knowing that our cruising wasn't over because the holiday weekend was.

     Joe had plans to travel to New Mexico on Friday to celebrate his mother's birthday with his family, leaving the girls and me onboard.  With this in mind, we chose our next destination carefully.  He was flying out of Providence, Rhode Island.  We needed to make sure he could get to the airport relatively easily.  A secure anchorage was also high on our list of criteria, so I wouldn't have to move the boat on my own if the wind increased or changed direction.  We wanted a nice town close by so we could get off the boat and stretch our legs or go out for a meal.  After contemplating Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket or even staying in Block Island, we finally decided that Newport would be our best choice.  It's a real sailors town, with tons of racing and general boating activity.  It has a nice anchorage area with a nearby dinghy dock and plenty to do ashore.  There was even a bus from downtown to the airport an hour's ride away.  With the forecast calling for heavy winds starting on Wednesday, we made the passage from Block to Newport on Tuesday morning, motoring the whole way.

     We discovered the wonderful Seamen's Church Institute of Newport where wayward cruisers can find hot showers, laundry, a comfy library, free wifi, and good, inexpensive grub.  "Twice Eleven" had told us about the facilities and we eagerly took advantage.  One of the downsides of the cooler weather is that our hot water tank, which usually lasts three days or so after running the port engine, gets cold much more quickly.  There is nothing worse than taking a cold shower when it is cold outside!

     The girls were enthusiastic when we started out for the Cliff Walk, a three and a half mile trek along the shoreline between the rocky coast and the fantastic mansion estates of Newport's gilded age.  The glimpses of these monumental homes, most of which are now public facilities, left us awestruck. 

Perhaps Cassie and Juliana's enthusiasm would have lasted through the entire journey had we not had to schlep an additional mile plus from the dinghy dock to the beginning of the walk.  You should have seen the relief in Juliana's face when a taxi passed by on our way back to the dock from the end of the path.  I was proud of her, though, when she finally decided that all the whining and complaining wasn't going to make it any better.  She "flipped the switch" and was making the best of it by the time the taxi arrived.

     The girls and I managed fine without Dad.  The weather was dreary so we plowed through four lessons of school.  We had a pleasant surprise on Saturday when the Delaneys decided to make the hour drive down from their home in Mansfield to visit us in Newport.  They got to see firsthand what living on the boat in the rain can be like.  The adults were all standing around in the damp cockpit as the kids romped around inside and out, oblivious to the wetness all around.

     By the time Joe returned home on Tuesday, we had decided to hang out in Newport for another week.  Our friends Cody and Dana were hosting their 13th annual Fine Nest Farm Fest.  Lots of our friends would be in attendance, and it promised to be a riot with good food, drink and activities, all capped off by a roaring bonfire on Saturday night. 

We got a great deal on a three-day weekend special from Enterprise Car Rental for $100, pick up and drop off at the dinghy included.  The 140 mile trip promised to be well worth it.

     We saw lots of old friends and met lots of new ones.  We were frequently introduced as "The Boat People."  Many of the party goers had heard about our adventures and were interested and enthusiastic.  One or two even walked away from our encounter thinking about life from a different perspective.  I can't tell you how rewarding it is to think that we might inspire others to pursue their dreams. 

     Actually, we left on Sunday with an eye towards returning to Zia in time to meet up with Dan and his family.  Proud new owners of a 50ft monohull, they plan to take a year off to sail in the Mediterranean.  They had come across our website and written to us while we were in New York.  We finally managed to connect in Newport the evening that they had closed on their new boat.  Although their cruising adventure won't start for another year and a half, we are eager to share our stories and advice.  There is no doubt that others' experiences and recommendations have helped us over the years and we are thrilled to pay a little back into the karma bank. 

     Showers taken, laundry cleaned, groceries bought and stored, and rental car returned, we decided to check out one of those mansions we saw along the Cliff Walk tour.  Ten of them are open to the public and we were told that The Breakers is the one to see.  Built by the grandson of steamship and railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, it is a 70 room Italian Renaissance-style villa immaculately preserved with all original furnishings and decor. 

The luxury and opulence, the gilded moldings, platinum coated wall panels, Italian marble floors, and alabaster columns to name just a few of the touches, left us agape at the vast amount of wealth that must have been necessary to build and support this one family's summer home.  I believe the family fortune in the late 19th early 20th century, when The Breakers was in its prime, totaled around 70 million dollars.  It is a mere pittance compared to the immense wealth nestled in the hands of today's business tycoons. 

     Returning to our humble home, our cramped living quarters seemed even smaller than usual.  Contemplating our next destination, deciding to head back to Martha's Vineyard on Tuesday, we assessed the value of mobility.  The single biggest joy of our adventure has been our ability to feel, and be, perfectly at home in every port of call.  Even in the middle of the ocean, a thousand miles from anything and anywhere, we are home.  I'll take that power and freedom over a huge mansion any day. 

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