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Sporting Newport Style
Tennis, Polo, and, of
course, sailing highlight the city-by-the-sea's sporty side
From
www.GoNewport.com
-- Newport, Rhode Island's long history
as a sailing destination has bestowed a sporty character to the
city-by-the-sea. In addition to outstanding sailing conditions,
visitors will be delighted to discover a variety of sports and
recreational opportunities ranging from a professional tennis
tournament to one of the world's most treasured walking trails.
The first U.S. National Championship
(now known as the U.S. Open) was held in 1881 at the Newport
Casino, a complex of buildings completed in 1880 as a private
club and playground for the wealthy summer residents of Newport.
Now the site of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the Newport
Casino is home to a comprehensive and interactive tennis museum,
an annual men's professional tournament, and the only lawn courts
available for public use in the nation.
On July 4-10, the Campbell's Hall of
Fame Tennis Championships will bring 32 of the top men in professional
tennis to the legendary grass courts of the Newport Casino, the
only ATP event played on grass courts in North America. Rounding
out the week of professional tennis will be the International
Tennis Hall of Fame's induction for the Hall of Fame Class of
2005, to be held on Saturday, July 9 prior to the semifinal matches.
The Class of 2005 inductees will be Jim Courier, Yannick Noah,
Jana Novotna and Butch Buchholz.
In addition, the week of tennis festivities
features daily tournament match play, a children's tennis clinic
with the pros, and the annual Angela Moore Fashion Show, a must-see
event when the local designer presents her brightly-colored,
unique jewelry and clothing at the beautiful backdrop of the
International Tennis Hall of Fame- an architectural masterpiece.
Additional details are available on www.TennisFame.com
Newport hosted the first International
Polo match in 1886, a tradition that continues to live on every
Saturday afternoon from May through September at Glen Farm. The
Newport International Polo Series is a uniquely Newport event
that makes for a wonderful Saturday afternoon. In fact, summer
weekends bring the world's best polo teams back to Newport, the
birthplace of the sport in America more than one hundred years
ago. A crowd of all ages gathers at Glen Farm to take in the
competitive matches and enjoy true Newport style tailgating as
the summer sun sets and the mist rolls in! The 2005 season will
kick off on June 4. Additional details are available on www.NewportInternationalPolo.com.
Of course, Newport's sporty side isn't
limited to tennis and polo. A longtime home for the America's
Cup, the waters of Newport Harbor annually welcome ships from
around the world. Visitors can take to the water for a sunset
sail on Newport's lovely Narragansett Bay or watch as world renowned
sailors harness the wind in one of the many annual regattas,
races and sailing festivals! In Newport, visitors can enjoy a
sunset sail aboard a wooden sailboat, an afternoon sight-seeing
cruise on a former rum runner built during the height of prohibition,
or even a harbor excursion on a chartered former America's Cup
12-meter. Home to the Museum of Yachting and the International
Yacht Restoration School, Newport is a sailor's dreamland.
Newport is also the ideal destination
for the recreational walker. Newport's dramatic coastline and
natural beauty are nowhere more charmingly on display than on
the 3.5-mile Cliff Walk. Named one of fifty Places of a Lifetime
by National Geographic Traveler, the Cliff Walk winds between
the sprawling lawns of the opulent Newport mansions and the pounding
surf of the Atlantic. Open year-round, the Cliff Walk is best
enjoyed from spring through autumn, when wildflowers and lush
foliage bring an additional layer of color to the experience.
The entrance to the Cliff Walk is just past Easton's Beach, also
a lovely spot for a stroll.
The Newport County Convention &
Visitors Bureau is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
the promotion of the City of Newport and the five townships of
Newport County as a destination for leisure and business travel.
For further information, please contact the NCCVB Marketing Department
at 401- 845-9151 or www.GoNewport.com.
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