Kayaking on the Potomac

This weekend my husband and I went back to the Boathouse at Fletcher's Cove and rented a kayak for two! We stumbled upon this gem a few weeks ago while walking the Capital Crescent Trail, and I am so glad we returned. Getting into the place is a bit of a challenge since the driveway is an impossibly sharp turn off a busy highway. Hope you are coming towards the driveway head-on, and if you are not, it might be worth it to drive a few extra miles and turn around for a better angle of entrance.

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Once you tackle that challenge, you are in the clear! Get out of the car, stretch your legs, and revel in the sunshine. There are some really clean bathrooms by the parking lot, so that's a plus. The Abner Cloud House is also right there (built in 1801). This area is part of a large National Park. For those of you collecting stamps, there is not a stamp at this particular location. Great Falls National Park in Virginia has several different stamps for sites in the nearby area. Cross over the canal bridge to get to the boat rentals, or follow the driveway down to get to the parking lot on the other side. There are several picnic tables and even some grills in the area. Keep in mind this is a trash-free park, so you will need to carry out all the food wrappers and leftovers from your picnic.

Abner Cloud House, 1801

While enjoying a quick snack before heading out on the water, we met a really cool guy named Gabe who is training for a marathon! Last summer he decided to get off the couch and start running. In the past year he has gone from not running at all to marathon-ready. So impressive. He has made a great transformation and is incredibly humble about it. It was a pleasure talking with him and a great reminder to be more dedicated about my running goals. Good luck, Gabe!

Glimpse of the Potomac

The weather was perfect this weekend, and we had a great time out on the water. The views along the Potomac are absolutely gorgeous. We encountered some jumping fish and ducks who swam alongside our kayak. Paddling upstream (right) when exiting the dock led to a really quiet stretch of water. There were far fewer boats because most people were headed the opposite direction towards Georgetown. After a while we paddled our boat that direction, too. It was really neat seeing that area from a completely different perspective. The crowd surrounding a Georgetown kayak/canoe rental location was one more reason to rent went with the Boathouse at Fletcher's Cove. It is $45 to rent a kayak for the day, and for $25 a day you can rent a rowboat. We plan on going back to try that before the season ends.