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The Kayaking Craze Means Prime Seats For Washington's Monuments

New York’s Hudson River isn’t the only scenic-but-questionably-sanitary urban waterway getting in on the kayak craze. Boating down DC’s Potomac River yields an inexpensive and crowd-free way to see the Washington tourist sites.

The Thompson Boat Center in Rock Creek Park offers kayak rentals, from $8 an hour/$24 a day for single boats and $10 an hour/$30 a day for doubles. The Boat Center is right in the middle of the city, and with just a few paddles in either direction you’ll sail past the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Kennedy Center, as well as the picturesque Georgetown waterfront. For a more adventurous day, pack a picnic lunch and stop off for a hike at Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial, the relatively un-traveled, car-free park set on the DC-Virginia border.

The boat center opens at 8 am and in our experience, it’s best to get there before noon—kayaks can’t be reserved and are often rented out by early afternoon.

Oh, and as in the Hudson, try to keep your hands out of that water.

Related Stories:
· The Thompson Boat Center [Official Site]
· Kayaking Trend Going Strong Into 2009 a> [Jaunted]
· NPR Confirms Kayaks Are the Hotness for 2008 [Jaunted]

[Photo: Marciela]