The very competitive Head of the Charles regatta had its lottery this week for 2026 entries, and my husband and I were successful with our mixed double, so we’ll be returning to Boston in October. For us, it’s just for the adventure because rowers come from all over the world who are much better at the sport than we’ll ever be. We enjoy just being there for the spectacle.

Last year, our double did not get in, but my husband rowed his single, and I came along for the road trip and took some photos. The river was calm and sunny when the singles launched in the early morning, although it got windy near the start of the race.

Of course, it’s an outdoor sport and we’re not always lucky with the weather, but I expect to have a fun time regardless. My husband is very enthusiastic about the trip; he already has rebooked the Airbnb where we stayed last year and is making arrangements to carry boats for other rowers. That helps us too because, with more boats on the trailer, we get a better parking space at the regatta. Now that we’ve done this a few times, the logistics are much easier to manage.