Whitlow’s on Water is the biggest boat in Sea Suite Cruises’ fleet. Photograph by Jack Walten.
All aboard! A great way to take in the views of DC’s majestic monuments and landmarks is on a boat adventure. Here’s a list of fun water trips to add to your summer plans:
Go hydro biking
Potomac Ave., SE and 710 Wharf St., SW
Boating in DC offers a unique experience: biking on the water while balancing on two floating rafts. The “hydro bikes” are stable pontoon bikes that can be rented at the Wharf Boathouse, and, starting on May 18, at Ballpark Boathouse in Navy Yard (Fri-Sun through October, $26+).
Advertisement
Picnic on a boat
970 Wharf St., SW
GoBoat’s electric cruisers have a table for guests to dine on. Photograph by Lavert Philip.
Sail across the Washington Channel—no boating license necessary—in a GoBoat you can rent at the Wharf. The electric boats travel at a speed of about three to four miles an hour, so you can do a leisurely cruise while sightseeing with friends. GoBoats carry up to eight passengers—including pets, for an additional fee. On this ride you are the captain, and are welcome to bring food and drinks (daily, $168+).
Explore on a paddleboard
Multiple locations in DC and Virginia
Test your balance and paddling skills on a standup paddleboard; you can find rentals throughout the area. Just south of Alexandria, paddlers can explore Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, the largest freshwater tidal wetlands near DC, with paddleboards rented from Belle Haven Marina. Boating in DC also rents boards in Georgetown, the Wharf, Alexandria, and Fletcher’s Cove (daily, $16+ for Boating in DC rentals, $30+ for Belle Haven Marina).
Sail on a historic ship
201 N. Union St., Alexandria
Travel back in time to the 18th century aboard the Tall Ship Providence, docked in Alexandria. History guides dressed in period garb talk about the life of sailors in the Revolutionary War. The floating classroom offers dockside tours, sunset cruises, and tasting journeys on the water ($55+ for daily sunset cruises, Wed-Mon; $24 for dockside tours; $76 select dates for tasting journeys).
Advertisement
Party with friends
Multiple locations in DC
Partners Jack Walten and Jack Maher aboard their Potomac Paddle Pub. Photo courtesy Potomac Paddle.
Choose a starting point—DC’s Wharf, Georgetown, or Navy Yard—and invite some friends to pedal across DC waters on a Potomac Paddle Club pontoon. There are 10 cycling stations for guests to get active while passing by sites such as the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and Pentagon. Boats can accommodate between 16 to 20 people, and are equipped with coolers, USB charging stations, Bluetooth speakers, and a motor if you prefer not to pedal; you can bring your own beverages aboard, too (daily, $35+).
Go on a Classic DC Outing
1501 Maine Ave., SW
Prepare to move your feet on the Tidal Basin’s pedal-powered, four-passenger boats. Boating in DC offers one-hour rentals for this classic DC experience (daily, $38 on weekdays, $40 on weekends and holidays).
Take a culinary cruise
970 Wharf St., SW
Upgrade your boating experience this summer on a yacht. Nautiste— a woman-owned yacht-charter company—launched last year. It offers three options for a luxe water journey: two motor yachts, the 72-foot Patriot and the more intimate 42-foot Independence, as well as the Cru Classé, a 47-foot French sailing yacht. The fleet ports at the Wharf. There are options to add dining experiences such as champagne and oyster tastings, or charcuterie spreads, for an additional price (private bookings, prices vary).
Advertisement
Throw a tiki party
3100 K St., NW and 355 Water St., SE
Guests can float by DC’s monuments on a Potomac Tiki Club cruise. Photograph by Adam Olsen, courtesy of Potomac Tiki Club.
If you’re looking for a booze cruise, Potomac Tiki Club has you covered. These Potomac River explorations feature a tiki bar where guests can purchase drinks; guests can also sip beverages they packed from home. There are two boats to choose from: a smaller boat that fits up to six people and leaves from Navy Yard, and a larger boat departing from Georgetown that fits eight to 18 people (daily, $45+ for Georgetown cruises, $350+ for Navy Yard).
Visit a local bar on a boat
3100 K St., NW and 1492 4th St., SE
The local bar Whitlow’s recently launched a 48-passenger tiki boat cruise in collaboration with Sea Suite Cruises. Whitlow’s on Water— which has televisions, music, and an open-air bar mixing up summery drinks—sails the Potomac River. The boat is also available for private charters (daily, $40+, Georgetown, Navy Yard). (Here’s more.)
Paddle the Anacostia River
4601 Annapolis Rd., Bladensburg
Spend some time exploring a quiet stretch of the Anacostia River by yourself in a single kayak, or take a serene canoe trip. Rentals can be booked from Bladensburg Waterfront Park through October (daily, $25+ for Prince George’s and Montgomery County residents, $33+ for non-residents).
Enjoy sunset views
3000 K St., NW and 580 Water St., SW
Capitol River Cruises and City Cruises are great boat options for sunset tours, date-night dining, and monument sightseeing around DC. On City Cruises, you can have a three-course meal and dance to a live DJ while overlooking the Potomac; on special occasions there are firework shows, too. Capitol River Cruises ship out around 8 PM for 45-minute journeys past the Kennedy Center, the Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial (daily, $25+ for Capitol River Cruises; daily, $52+ for City Cruises).
Advertisement
Voyage to Mount Vernon
145 National Plaza, National Harbor; 0 Cameron St., Alexandria
Tickets will be available soon for this experience that includes spending time at historic Mount Vernon. First, patrons cruise to George Washington’s former estate by way of a water taxi, which departs from Alexandria and National Harbor. On-board guides provide narration as guests pass sites such as Fort Washington. After the boat ride, passengers have three hours to tour Mount Vernon before the boat ride back (schedule TBA, $56+).
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
WASHINGTON – A sunny, dry and mild Tuesday for the Washington, D.C. region, with highs near 71 degrees.
What we know:
Advertisement
The day starts chilly, with temperatures in the 40s and a few upper 30s in the area. Plenty of sunshine with some light winds that will make for a pleasant afternoon. FOX 5’s Taylor Grenda says it’s a good day for outdoor plans, with temperatures climbing into the low 70s by mid‑afternoon. Winds may turn a bit breezy overnight, but conditions will remain cool and dry.
Rain chances return Wednesday as clouds increase. The morning and early afternoon look mostly dry, but the evening commute could turn soggy on Wednesday. Grenda says to expect two rounds of showers tomorrow – one around 5 p.m. and another after sunset – with a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms. The severe weather threat appears to be limited.
Behind the system, Thursday turns cooler and breezy, with highs only in the mid‑60s. Temperatures rebound into the 70s Friday before a warm, more humid stretch arrives over the weekend. Highs could reach the 80s by Saturday and Sunday and the 90s by Monday.
Advertisement
DC weather: Sunny, mild Tuesday; showers return Wednesday
The Source: Information in this article comes from the FOX 5 Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
With a blue sky above the Lincoln Memorial, people walk along the reflection pool in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 2023.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
hide caption
Advertisement
toggle caption
Jose Luis Magana/AP
A nonprofit is suing the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over the decision to resurface the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at Washington D.C.’s National Mall, and to paint the pool’s basin blue.
The suit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), an education and advocacy organization. In the suit, TCLF is asking a federal judge to halt the project, saying that the Trump administration failed to have the project reviewed federally, as is dictated by the National Historic Preservation Act.
Advertisement
President Trump revealed his plans for the pool do-over last month in “American flag blue,” saying that the project would take one week and $2 million, and that it would be completed in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. A few days later on Truth Social, the president posted a fake image of himself and several of his administration officials in swimsuits, along with an unidentified woman in a gingham bikini, lounging in the water with the Washington National Monument at the rear. (Swimming in the reflecting pool is prohibited by federal law.)
In a YouTube video posted by the White House on April 23, Trump called the pool “filthy dirty” and said it “leaked like a sieve.” In that video, Trump said he was going to call three companies that he has worked with in the past – “all they do is swimming pools” – and say, “Give me a good price.”
The New York Times reported last Friday that the contract for the reflecting pool’s resurfacing was awarded in a $6.9 million no-bid contract to a company called Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which previously has never held any federal contracts.
An employee at the Atlantic Industrial Coatings confirmed in a telephone call on Monday that it has been contracted for this project, but referred all other questions to the Department of the Interior.
The Times reported on Monday that the final cost of the project could be upward of $13 million, per documents it says it has obtained. The Department of the Interior did not confirm the cost of the project, but wrote: “The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project—more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th.”
Advertisement
In an unsigned statement emailed to NPR Monday afternoon, the Interior Department wrote: “The National Park Service chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations. The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. NPS is also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds’ from wildlife. The Department is proud of the work being carried out by our Park Service to ensure this magical spot can be enjoyed for not only our 250th, but for many generations to come.”
Critics of the project, including TCLF, don’t share that vision – and are taking particular umbrage at the color.
“The reflecting pool should not be viewed in isolation; it is part of the larger ensemble of designed landscapes that comprise the National Mall,” Charles A. Birnbaum, the president and CEO of TCLF, said in a statement emailed to NPR Monday. “The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”
The National Park Service regularly cleans out algae, goose droppings and other detritus from the reflecting pool. The last major renovation of the reflecting pool, which included the installation of a new circulation and filtration system, took place during the Obama administration at a reported cost of $34 million.
Before founding TCLF in 2008, Birnbaum served for 15 years as the coordinator of the Historic Landscape Initiative for the National Park Service.
Advertisement
TCLF has another open lawsuit against the federal administration: it is one of eight cultural and architecture groups currently suing President Trump and the Kennedy Center board over the planned renovations of the complex, which are planned to start in July.
The memorial service will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at 1 p.m.
A brave K-9 hero from the region will be honored at the Annual National Police K9 Memorial Service on Monday afternoon. (Roanoke Police Department)
WASHINGTON D.C. – A brave K-9 hero from the region will be honored at the Annual National Police K9 Memorial Service on Monday afternoon.
K-9 Knox died in the line of duty last year after he was accidentally hit by a police vehicle while pursuing a suspect involved in a stolen vehicle incident. He was a 3-year-old German shepherd and had served as a narcotics detection and patrol apprehension K-9 for the Roanoke Police Department since May 2023.
The memorial service will include a wreath-laying ceremony and will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m. The event will open with a musical performance by Frank Ray, and the guest speaker will be Deputy Jared Hahn of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.
Advertisement
The San Antonio Police Department Blue Line Choir will sing the national anthem, and the Emerald Society Pipes & Drums band will also perform.
