| Why just read about the rich and famous
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| | Balboa Bay Club have gone well and the
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| when you can vacation with them? A stay
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| | resort has attracted a consistent stream
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| in a Newport Beach luxury waterfront
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| | of getaway travelers, most hailing from
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| hotel will give you an up-close look at
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| | California and arriving by car ' although
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| how the other half lives -- or maybe we
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| | John Wayne Airport is only a 15-minute
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| should say the other 10 percent.
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| | drive from the resort. The temperate
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| The Balboa Bay Club will be glad to share
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| | coastal weather and the property's
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| its front-row view of the good life now
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| | waterfront location are big draws.
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| that this legendary club of the Newport
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| | In fact, Newport Beach is a pretty good
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| Coast elite has opened half its units to
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| | draw all on its own. Take a drive and
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| the general public. Before 2003, the
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| | you'll see that modern, wide palm
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| resort's prime Newport Beach real estate
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| | tree-lined thoroughfares take visitors
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| was only available to members of the
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| | through some of the priciest real estate
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| club. Now there are 150 rooms and 10
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| | in the country, the gorgeous blue Pacific
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| suites available to anyone yearning for
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| | Ocean almost always visible with just the
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| some weekend affluence.
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| | slightest elevation.
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| Staying at the club a night or two would
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| | World-class shopping and fine restaurants
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| be a sure-fire way to impress the
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| | are in nearly every part of the city '
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| significant other, or to completely
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| | and, we might mention, the club's
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| escape from job stress, but still keep
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| | restaurant, the First Cabin, is no slouch
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| costs within reason. We consider resorts
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| | either. Famous galleries, exquisite home
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| like the Balboa Bay Club
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| | furnishing stores and many fascinating
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| "special-occasion" getaways ' places we
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| | shops are awaiting your exploration in
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| go to celebrate, not just to get away.
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| | nearby Corona del Mar. Or visit Fashion
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| With small houses on nearby Balboa Island
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| | Island, one of two Orange County super
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| going for $4 million and 100-foot
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| | retail complexes that just seem too
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| mega-yachts parked in slips right out in
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| | grandiose to be called shopping centers
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| front of your bay-view suite, the Balboa
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| | (the other being South Coast Plaza in
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| Bay Club takes you many steps beyond the
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| | nearby Costa Mesa). Name a store found on
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| average getaway.
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| | New York's Fifth Avenue, and you'll
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| The first clue you're not in Kansas
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| | probably find a version of it at Fashion
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| anymore is when you cruise the circular
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| | Island.
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| driveway to the lobby area. Behind that
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| | For the outdoor enthusiast, it's just a
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| line of dark-colored, late-modeled SUVs
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| | five-minute drive from the club to Upper
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| there's a gleaming new two-seat sports
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| | Newport Ecological Reserve, a 752-acre
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| car you don't quite recognize because, in
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| | coastal wetland that is home to 200 rare
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| all likelihood, it's not the kind of car
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| | and endangered bird species. Visitors
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| available at your local auto mall. Then
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| | enjoy walking tours through the area.
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| it's not one or two valets, but a platoon
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| | On our visits to Newport Beach, we have
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| of at least six fair-haired young
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| | enjoyed shopping on Balboa Island, which
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| gentlemen running to and fro to make
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| | has a tiny, but busy Main Street '
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| certain that no one waits long for their
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| | actually it's called Marine Avenue '
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| vehicle.
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| | which is just a few short blocks with
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| And the service just keeps on coming.
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| | about 70 shops and restaurants to
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| From the smiling young woman at check-in
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| | explore. This little example of Small
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| to the cordial bellhops to the
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| | Town Americana offers a wide selection of
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| extraordinarily punctual room service
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| | shops in all price ranges as well as
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| attendants ' who managed to bring us
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| | several boutiques and galleries.
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| cookies and milk while the cookies were
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| | The downtown shopping area is just part
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| still warm ' the service at the Balboa
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| | of the attraction on Balboa Island, an
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| Bay Club, during our stay, was
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| | island small enough that you can walk
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| consistently top-rate.
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| | entirely around its perimeter in less
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| And then there are the rooms. Once we
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| | than two miles. It's fun to observe life
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| opened the door to our bay-view suite, we
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| | on an island that remains exclusive
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| could fully appreciate the club's
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| | because it is so expensive. There is no
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| location and attention to detail. The
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| | denying that the ever-present sunshine
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| sliding glass doors opened to a maritime
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| | and the harbor views create a quiet
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| show that continued from dawn to dusk.
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| | respite from bustling city life and
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| From small Duffy boats to super-yachts,
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| | clogged freeways. The colorful villas and
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| from kayaks to college rowing teams, the
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| | vacation-style homes on the island are
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| sights and sounds of Balboa Bay are
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| | quite lavish for their size.
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| mesmerizing. You'll be tempted to spend
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| | Walk out onto your deck at the Balboa Bay
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| many an hour on the one of your two
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| | Club and you'll likely see many
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| private decks that are perfect for
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| | electrically powered Duffy boats -- which
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| viewing all of the water activities.
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| | you can even rent for your own cruise on
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| The rooms are over-size and our
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| | the bay. Duffy boats are made locally and
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| one-bedroom suite actually had two of
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| | are specifically designed to take a group
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| these large rooms with two bathrooms, one
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| | of people out on the water in total
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| so spacious it had three dressing areas,
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| | comfort and luxury for simple harbor
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| a walk-in closet, a two-person
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| | cruising. The 21-foot boat we rented
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| Jacuzzi-style tub and a separate shower
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| | could accommodate 10 adults with plush
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| room. The bathrooms were Italian marble,
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| | bench seats on each side of the boat with
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| the counter-tops granite and the overall
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| | table tops available in the middle for
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| design was reminiscent of those bathroom
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| | drinks or snacks. The boat was entirely
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| areas you see in home d?r magazines ' you
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| | shaded and had plenty of open areas on
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| know, the ones you wonder if you will
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| | the sides to enjoy the view. It was easy
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| ever really be able to afford.
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| | to operate and requires little or no
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| Large-screen TV, high-speed internet,
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| | boating experience.
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| games, they're all there. And, when it
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| | Our Duffy boat wasn't exactly like the
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| came time to turn in for the night, our
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| | 100-foot mega-yachts tied up in from of
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| luxuriously appointed king-size bed was
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| | our suite at the Balboa Club -- but let's
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| form-fitting and among the most
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| | just say it was a tad bit easier on fuel.
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| comfortable we've ever slept on. Oh those
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| | AT A GLANCE
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| 10 percent do live well.
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| | WHERE: The Balboa Bay Club is in Newport
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| The Balboa Bay Club actually was created
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| | Beach, which is located in Orange County,
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| in 1948, back when there were far fewer
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| | south of Los Angeles. It is easily
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| people living in Newport Beach and the
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| | reached on the 405 freeway.
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| area was a popular getaway for Hollywood
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| | WHAT: A playground for the wealthy, but
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| elites. There are about 2,800 members of
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| | still within reason for the average
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| the club, which includes a couple
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| | middle-income family if you go for just a
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| thousand or so living on the property and
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| | weekend.
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| the others just dropping by to use the
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| | WHEN: Year-round, with blue-sky weather
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| spa, Olympic-style pool and other
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| | virtually any time of the year.
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| recreational facilities. Past and present
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| | WHY: "Weather and water" as one club
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| members of the club include such familiar
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| | executive explained. The weather's
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| names as John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart,
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| | perfect most of the time, and the club is
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| Robert Wagner, John Travolta, Jerry
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| | the only waterfront resort in Newport
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| Seinfeld and Jim Carey.
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| | Beach.
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| The first few years of the "public"
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