Washington, DC has a very particular energy during the summer season. The universities are on summer term, those fortunate enough to have vacation days head out of the city, and even the most driven professionals feel the urge to sneak out a few minutes early. The interns take over the metro and bars, everyone sweats in their suits, summer Fridays are pervasive, business booms for restaurants with patios (and the servers hate the patio section), a Friday at Jazz in the Garden is a must, a couple rooftop happy hours are equally as essential, and suddenly Virginia and Maryland are more enticing for a visit.
As a DC resident of five years, I have passed by the Tidal Basin and seen people floating along on the paddle boats that are available for hire during the summer and into the fall and frequently thought, “oh, I should do that some day!” on numerous occasions. My coworkers and friends had similar thoughts- “oh, I’ve always meant to do that but never have.” Well, yesterday became that day for me.
Not only is paddle boating in the Tidal Basin a summery, water-based activity, it also offers unique views of the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, as well as the ubiquitous Washington Monument.
Here’s what you need to know about Tidal Basin paddle boating:
- A 2 passenger boat costs $15 per hour and a 4 passenger boat costs $24 per hour
- For a couple dollars more, you can add a cover, or a sun shade that is pulled over the seating area of the boat. Your legs and feet can still get a good tan! We used this option and I highly recommend it for a DC summer day as it creates a perfect temperature for your exercise-based summer sightseeing. Otherwise, an hour of pedaling on hot plastic seats can get quite toasty.
- There is a late fee if you don’t return the boat on time, but you won’t have any issues getting back on time.
- It’s easy to circulate around the entire Tidal Basin, seeing both the Jefferson and MLK memorials up close, while still having time to float without pedaling to take in the sights before heading back.
- Each person sits comfortably with pedals in front of them, unless you’re just enjoying the ride on the back bench. There is a wheel in the middle for steering- the two people up front will need to negotiate who wants to be in control.
- Unless you try to reconfigure who is sitting where in the middle of the ride, there is basically a zero chance of anyone or anything getting wet (or falling off). The pedaling section is completely included within the hull of the boat, and dock assistants help you get on and off the boats.
If you go in the morning, you avoid the main tourist rush, the midday heat, and can reward yourself for an hour of pedaling with brunch in one of DC’s many nearby prime brunch neighborhoods. With a car or Uber, the restaurants at Eastern Market/Barracks Row are less than ten minutes away. We tried out Ambar, which has a $39 endless drinks and Balkan brunch tapas deal. If you survive brunch without the urge to immediately nap after (or lie on your stomach to “compress” your food, as I am a huge fan of doing), you can go browse the actual Eastern Market or the adjacent flea market. A word of warning- do stay in the air conditioned cover of your brunch location through the hottest midday hour. It can get pretty sweaty walking outside from booth to booth during DC’s summer days otherwise.
I finished the day off poolside at a friend’s apartment building in Shaw to cool down and relax.
Check out my photos from paddle boating below. I only brought my phone for photos as I wasn’t sure if the pedals were enclosed within the boat or hanging above the water, but you can safely bring a nice camera if you choose to!
Photos: iPhone 5, Apple Camera App
anchored & adrift 
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