RSS FeedWater Water Everywhere, But Not A Pool On My Roof
Much to dismay of this blogger, not all of us who live in a downtown high rise have a pool as part of our building amenities. Luckily, if you want to spend some time on the water (if not actually in it) we have several options, one of which we’re looking at today: Paddle boats on the Tidal Basin.
Sure it may be second only to Duck Tours for sheer cheese factor, but it is fun. And on a brutally hot day like this past Saturday, it’s a pleasant way to get a little (or a lot of) sun, and cool breezes from the water. Plus the views are spectacular (much nicer than these camera phone photos allow) and it only costs $8 an hour per 2 seater boat.
The hotter the day, the less crowded the paddle boat rentals seem to be. You can get a little exercise by paddling the perimeter of the basin, or just paddle out to the middle and let yourself drift for a while. You have to wear a life vest, so you might get some funny tan lines, but that’s a small price to pay for rest & relaxation you can get by floating on the water just off the National Mall.
The ducks don’t get as much relaxation from the tourists though. The folks in the photo above were chanting “Ramming Speed” as they chased down the duck (you may need to click on the photo to view the full size to see the duck). I’m happy to report the duck had a much tighter turning radius than the paddle boats.
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Comments
You can also check out http://www.thompsonboatcenter.com/ to rent canoes and kayaks as opposed to the paddle boats.
Anon 3:57; If I wrote a second installment I was going to focus it on canoe rentals from Thompson Boat Center. They tend to run out of boats on the weekends, but they’re great fun. Plus you can take your dog out on the canoe with you!
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If you find yourself going on the duck tour or the old town trolley tours when you’re playing tour guide, you may want to take advantage of their “locals ride free” deal. http://hometownpass.com/
My cousin from Modesto loved the duck tour and I still have my quaker. ;->