It’s another AONE first! On Saturday, July 18th, our club will be gathering to take in a couple of the terrific attractions offered by southern Rhode Island — a drive along the stunning coastline and (yes, that’s right) a polo match! Here’s the scoop:

We’ll be meeting in the parking lot of St. Barnabas Church at 1697 East Main Road (Route 138), Portsmouth, RI, at 1 pm. We’ll then continue on to the famous Ten Mile Drive, first past the majestic Newport mansions, and then traveling on to Ocean Drive, with its breathtaking views of the sea and, shall we say, prime real estate. The circular route will take us back to Route 138 before arriving at our destination, the Newport Polo Club at Glen Farm, Portsmouth, somewhere between 2 and 3 pm. Agnes Keating, General Manager of the Newport International Polo Series at Glen Farm, was enthusiastic about our choice of venues and even mentioned that she had the pleasure of driving an Alfa Romeo for a week when she turned 16, so if you meet her, thank her!

Upon arrival, we should have plenty of time to dust off our cars and tailgate, as we are allowed to bring our own food and beverages. Similar to our winter pot luck gathering, everyone is encouraged to bring their specialty to share with other Alfisti.

The polo match begins at 5 pm and lasts approximately two hours. The cost for the event is $10 per adult. If you’ve never seen a polo match, don’t let any preconceived notions mislead you — this is one exciting sport! The opponent on July 18th is Ireland and, as Agnes has stated to me in her email, "The match against the Irish team will be a capacity crowd. That match sets new attendance records every summer."

If you want to make a weekend out of it, there is much to do in and around Newport, but be advised that summer lodging rates will be in effect.

For more information, check out the Newport Polo Club web site at www.glenfarm.com, and for info on the Newport area try www.gonewport.com . You can email Gary & Mimi Venable with any questions at Gerard_Venable@ML.com. And we ask that you let them know you’re coming, so they have an idea how much parking space to save. Tally ho!

Directions: Take Route 24 south toward Newport. It ends in Portsmouth and becomes Route 114. At the second set of lights, turn left onto Hedly Street (the Portsmouth Industrial Park will be on your left). Take Hedly until it ends and take a right (you’ll be on East Main Road). St. Barnabas will be on your left about a mile down the road. We will only be driving the scenic route (not through downtown Newport) and will arrive at our final destination the Newport Polo Grounds (which actually is in Portsmouth) for the match, tailgating, and commiserating.