Take a ride on the wet side

Looking for a relaxing way to end the week and enjoy the beautiful springtime weather we (finally) get to experience? Travel to week two of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and take in the sights from the tidal basin while lounging with a friend on your own paddleboat.

Rent boats by the hour to bask in the sun while seeing some of the most famous foliage in the city. Later, wander around the Tidal Basin Stage listening to the free music and watching the various dance and cultural performances occurring all day during the festival.

Transportation:

Take the 104 Metro Bus from Stamp Student Union to the College Park Metro station to start off your day. Once at the station, take the Green line toward Branch Avenue and transfer to either the Orange or Blue line to Smithsonian station. A one-way fare will cost $2.75 during off-peak hours and should take around 35 minutes.  

Once on the National Mall, walk toward the Washington Monument to get to the tidal basin, turning left onto 15th Street. The walk is about a half-mile long and takes around 10 minutes.  

Scenic Sailing:

The tidal basin truly offers the best view of the Cherry Blossom Festival, and arguably the best view of Washington in the spring. To rent a boat, either reserve one online here during the hours of 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or just walk up to the stand. Boats are rented in hour-long shifts with the last one leaving at 5:00 p.m.  

Two passenger paddleboats rent for $12 per hour and four passenger boats rent for $19 per hour. This makes it about $1.25 cheaper to rent with three friends rather than one — even more reason to share the fun. Rent for two hours if you have a little more time and money to kill.  

Festivities and Feasting:

The tidal basin is also home to live music, performances and food during the festival.  From Bangladeshi dancing to Japanese pop music to the National Symphony Orchestra, there is something for everyone. There are also plenty of food vendors within walking distance in case you work up an appetite paddling and walking around. Click here for a full schedule of performances and descriptions of each.  

To travel into the city and rent a four-person paddleboat for an hour, this day in D.C. costs a little over $10. That is cheap, so there’s no excuse to not get out there and enjoy this awesome weather and all the festival has to offer.