Sunset Gondolas, Sunset Beach or Huntington Harbor,
www.sunsetgondola.com
There is a gondolier on the lake in Central Park in the middle of Manhattan who has bragged for years that he steers the only official Venetian gondola in all of the U.S. Well, that man is gonna cry when he finds out about Sunset Gondola. The expanding company docks a handful of made-in-Italy gondolas in Sunset Beach and the Huntington Harbor and has ordered a few more that are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. The handcrafted boats come from the San Travaso Squero and were operational in the canals of Venice until the day they were shipped to Southern California, according to the somewhat-less-than-authentic gondoliers who think “That’s amore” is an Italian love song. That one point of snobbery aside, the watertop experience is like a scene from a classic romantic movie (or the “Kiss the Girl” montage from the “Little Mermaid” for Generation Y readers).
The gondolas at the Sunset Beach location are tucked between the dock and the massive yachts of Orange County’s wealthiest. As you board, the staff snaps a souvenir picture and tucks you in with plush red velvet blankets on the cooler nights. The gondolas are stable and slow enough to picnic on and the crew provides ice and cups for that bottle of bubbly you are allowed to bring with you (I’m sure more than one couple has gotten engaged bobbing along the canals. In fact they have an engagement package that includes chocolate-covered fruits and flowers for those who need a little help in the romance department). The gondolas can fit up to six people and troll through the fingers of the canals with views of the waterfront mansions. The tours last from 30 minutes to two hours and range from $50 to $140 for two people.
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Julie Leupold
