Masters rowers are a dynamic group who lead busy lives, and careers that take them all over the country. With the opportunity to travel comes the opportunity to see what rowing is like in a different city, and take in some sites, time willing. In cooperation with Masters Rowing Association , The Rower's Almanac has compiled a list of the Most Traveled Cities in the United States. We have included an overview of each city's "rowing scene", a list of clubs that allow guest rowers, and a list of rower-friendly restaurants, hotels, and sites of interest. All information was collected and compiled by rowers local to each area, and provides some excellent tips and insight into what rowing is like in each of these cities. The information presented herein is not necessarily comprehensive, and may not be entirely accurate, as we cannot verify every piece of information. If you have any travel tips, travel stories, travel rows, or restaurants and hotels to recommend, we'd love to hear about them. You can email The Rower's Almanac at mailto:info@rowersalmanac.com, or Masters Rowing Association at mailto:mra@mastersrowing.org.
AUSTIN
Austin's Town Lake is arguably the perfect spot to row. The 6 miles of water is dammed at both ends, so there is no strong current. The weather is mild throughout the year, so rowing never stops; in fact the winter is the preferred time to row among local rowers, and spring breakers. There are no motorboats or jet skis allowed (except for coaches' launches), so no need to worry about getting waked.
Rowing Dock is a privately owned, privately managed rowing club and boat rental facility located on the west end of Town Lake. Here the water is calm and the lush banks create a serene atmosphere. It is easy to get to from MoPac or downtown, and it offers a large parking lot. Rowing Dock is open a dock attendant is on duty all year during busy hours to help patrons with boats. With proof of skill and current membership in any recognized club, out of town rowers can rent the recreational single sculling boat. Other patrons may rent from a selection of single, double or triple kayaks or quad water cycles. Check the website or call for hours.
Austin Rowing Club is a non-profit run by an elected board. It hosts the two major regattas in Austin each year. They offer sweep rowing and sculling. ARC is located in downtown Austin near the Four Season Hotel; if you get the timing of your row right, you could enjoy the nightly bat flight from Congress Bridge, which can be seen from ARC.
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
Austin Rowing Club
Town Lake Rowing Center Boathouse
74 Trinity Street
Austin, TX 78767-1741
Contact: Meghan Ackley, Executive Dir.
Tel: (512) 477-7168
Email: mailto:exdir@austinrowing.org
http://www.austinrowing.org/
Rowing Dock
2418 Stratford Drive
Austin, TX 78703
mailing address:
P.O. Box 685162
Austin, TX 78768
Contact: Rachel Yates Thomas
Tel: (512) 459-0999
Email: mailto:Rachel@rowingdock.com
http://www.rowingdock.com/
ROWER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
Chango's Taqueria
3023 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78705
Magnolia Café and Magnolia Cafe South
2304 Lake Austin Boulevard
Austin, TX 78703
and
1920 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704 Castle Hill Café
1101 West 5th Street
Austin, TX 78703 Shady Grove
1624 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
HOTELS
Hotel San Jose
1316 South Congress
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-7342
1-800-547-8897
http://www.sanjosehotel.com/ Hyatt Regency Austin
208 Barton Springs
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 477-1234
http://www.austin.hyatt.com/
SITES OF INTEREST - World's largest urban bat population under Congress Bridge; nightly flights spring, summer, early fall
- 4 miles of Waterfront hike and bike trails around Town Lake
- Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum & IMAX Theatre
- Shopping SOCO and the Drag
- SOCO first Thursday
- (evening shopping, festival-feel)
- LBJ Library
- State Capitol and grounds
MAJOR REGATTAS
Fall: Pumpkin Head Regatta; October
Spring:Heart of Texas Regatta; March Boston and Cambridge are rife with rowing history. Nine boathouses line the Charles River. Four belong to clubs: Union, Riverside, Cambridge, and Community Rowing. Five belong to colleges: MIT, Boston University, Harvard, Radcliffe, and Northeastern. Guest rowing can be difficult depending upon which club you contact as some clubs require sponsorship from a member. Cygnet Rowing Club, with two boathouse locations, offers hourly rentals of single sculls.
Dividing Boston and Cambridge, the Charles River is an elegantly serpentine aquatic ribbon that varies in width from about 200 meters to more than a kilometer. During warm weather, and even not so warm weather, it is alive with all manner of rowing craft, sailboats, kayaks, "duck" boats, excursion boats, and powered pleasure craft. The round-trip distance from the Science Museum to Watertown and back is about seventeen miles. On the average morning the entire length of the river is rowable, although the chop tends to kick up below the Boston University (BU) bridge after nine a.m. Almost all the college programs have agreed to use wakeless launches, which has maintained the generally flat conditions, and only on impossibly windy days (or winter, when the river freezes) is the entire river unrowable. The scenery along the way ranges from intensely urban to quietly suburban. The river is bordered by Memorial Drive on the north bank, and Storrow Drive on the south, and a bike path runs the entire length of the river on both banks.
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
Cambridge Boat Club
7 Meadow Way
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact: Carmen Garufo
Tel: (617) 354-9696
Email: mailto:jglcmg@channel1.com
http://www.cambridge-boat-club.org/ Community Rowing Inc. of Boston
PO Box 382604
Cambridge, MA 02238-2604
Contact: Alyson Magian
Tel: (617) 964-2455
Email: mailto:office@communityrowing.org
http://www.communityrowing.org/ Cygnet Rowing Club
6 Ballord Place
Cambridge, MA 02139
Contact: Richard Gonci
Tel: (617) 251-6612
Email: mailto:richard@neoscape.com
http://www.ski-paddle.com/
Riverside Boat Club
769 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 2139
Tel: (617) 492-1869
Email: mailto:secretary@riversideboatclub.com
http://www.riversideboatclub.com/
ROWER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
Border Cafe
32 Church Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-3730
Tel: (617) 864-6100 Brew Moon
115 Stuart Street
Boston, MA 02116-5609
Tel: (617) 742-5225 Carberry's Bakery & Coffee House
74 Prospect Street
Cambridge, MA 02139-2503
Tel: (617) 576-3530 Fire and Ice
50 Church Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-3726
Tel: (617) 547-9007 Henry's Diner
270 Western Avenue
Allston, MA 02134-1034
Tel: (617) 783-5844 International House of Pancakes
1850 Soldier's Field Road
Brighton, MA 02135-1113
Tel: (617) 787-0533
HOTELS
Boston has literally dozens of hotels and B&B's with a wide range of room rates and amenities. A visit to www.hotels.com will provide a good overview.
SITES OF INTEREST
Boathouses dot both shores from the Lower Basin out to Watertown. Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Quincy Market are hugely popular settings for dining and shopping. Whale watch excursions leave from the inner harbor throughout the day, as to harbor island excursions. Jacques Cousteau once proclaimed that Boston Harbor is the most beautiful harbor in the world as one enters from the sea.
The Freedom Trail brings history alive for millions every year, while the "duck" boat tours unite the experience of river and city. The Museum of Fine Arts, Fenway Park (home of the Red Sox), the Boston Public Library, and the Hatch Shell (riverside outdoor performances of all kinds) are just a sampling of rewarding outings awaiting the curious traveler.
MAJOR REGATTAS
Fall: Head of the Charles
Summer: Cromwell Cup
Spring: Riverside Sprints Visitors to Chicago are often surprised to discover how very beautiful this city is - with its sparkling lakefront, world-class architecture, and incredible cultural attractions. For rowers, an additional source of amazement is the experience of rowing on the Chicago River in the very heart of a great American metropolis.
Chicago's three rowing clubs are situated at different points along the "Y" shape of the River. The Chicago River Rowing & Paddling Center's boathouse is located at the base of the "Y", at the mouth of the River where it meets Lake Michigan. This downtown portion of the River, the Main Branch, runs East to West right through the business district and a panorama of famous buildings. Chicagoans walking to work hail to the rowers below from the many bridges that span this segment of the River. The other two sites - the Chicago Rowing Center's site on the South Branch, and Lincoln Park Boat Club's site on the North Branch, are located in industrial areas that evoke the "City of Big Shoulders" image. In any case, the water is as smooth and endless as the vistas are compelling.
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
Chicago River Rowing & Paddling Center
P.O. Box 811190
Chicago, IL 60681-1190
Contact: Susan Urbas
Tel: (312) 458-0810
Email: mailto:chicagoriverrowing@yahoo.com
http://www.chicagorowing.org/ Chicago Rowing Center/ South Chicago Rowing Center
c/o Harrison Trading Company
601 South LaSalle Street 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60605
Contact: Michael O'Gorman
Tel: (312) 593-8040
Email: mailto:chicagorowingcenter@yahoo.com
http://www.rowchicago.org/ Lincoln Park Boat Club
4510 North Greenview
Chicago, IL 60640
Tel: (773) 549-2628
Email: mailto:rowing@lpbc.net
http://www.lpbc.net/ ROWER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
West Egg Cafe
620 N. Fairbanks Ct.
Chicago, IL
(312) 280-8366
Wishbone Restaurant
1001 W. Washington Street
Chicago, IL
(312) 850-2663
HOTELS
Comfort Inn & Suites Downtown
15 E. Ohio Street
Chicago, IL
(312) 894-0900 Fairmont Hotel of Chicago
200 N. Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL
(312) 565-8000 Hotel Monaco
225 N. Wabash St.
Chicago, IL
(312) 960-8500 Hyatt Regency
151 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL
(312) 552-2000 Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
301 E. North Water St.
Chicago, IL
(312) 464-1000 Swissotel Chicago
323 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL
(312) 565-0565
SITES OF INTEREST
The Chicago River Rowing & Paddling Center is within easy walking distance of Grant Park and Monroe Harbor, DuSable Harbor & Park, Millennium Park, Meigs Field, the Chicago Symphony, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, the Oak Street Beach, Navy Pier, and the downtown Business and Theatre Districts. The Lincoln Park Boat Club is within walking distance of the Lincoln Park Zoo.
MAJOR REGATTAS
Fall: Chicago Chase
Summer: Chicago Sprints
Spring: Iron Oars Marathon Sunny Los Angeles offers a lot of great things for rowers, with the best being the opportunity to row year-round. There are very few days each year when weather keeps you from getting a great workout. Los Angeles rowers have the good fortune to row in the largest man-made small boat harbor in the world, a place called Marina del Rey. The Marina's waters are well protected, making it possible to row on flat water most mornings. A three-mile head race is hosted by the California Yacht Club every fall, which is one loop around the Marina. Beyond rowing, there are tons of tourist attractions and outdoor adventures to be had in Los Angeles, with countless hotels and restaurants near the water (and near LAX, which is just minutes from Marina del Rey).
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
Lions Rowing Club
13669 Fiji Way
Los Angeles, CA 90292
Contact: Sara-Mai Conway, Patrick Kelly
Email: mailto:SConway@lmu.edu
Tel: (310) 338-7624
http://www.jdenuno.com/Rowing/lmu.htm Los Angeles Rowing Club
13428 Maxella Avenue #358
Marina del Rey CA 90292
Contact: Susan Varga
Email: mailto:susan@larowing.com
http://www.larowing.com/
ROWER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
Noah's Bagels
546 Washington Boulevard
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 574-1155 Joni's Juice Joint
548 Washington Boulevard
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 574-2660 C&O Trattoria
31 Washington Boulevard
Venice, CA
Tel: (310) 823-9491 Baja Cantina Restaurant
311 Washington Boulevard
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 821-2252 Tony P's
4445 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 823-4534 Cafe Del Rey
4451 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA
(310) 823-6395 Shanghai Reds
13813 Fiji Way
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 823-4522
HOTELS
Marina Beach Marriott Resort
4100 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 301-3000 Marina International Hotel
4200 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 301-2000 Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey
4375 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 823-1700 Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
4676 Admiralty Way # 525
Marina del Rey, CA
Tel: (310) 301-2626
SITES OF INTEREST
Westside/close to rowing: Venice Beach, Fisherman's Village on Fiji Way, Santa Monica Pier, 3rd St Promenade in Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains, bike riding/skating on the 26-mile-long bike path along the Pacific Ocean
Further inland:Beverly Hills, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios Citywalk and Studio Tour, Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, La Brea Tar Pits, Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park, Old Town Pasadena
MAJOR REGATTAS
Fall: Head of the Marina, November
Summer: Regatta del Sol, June Rowing in Miami Beach is a unique experience. The sheltered waterways of Indian Creek provide the perfect setting for training, just a few steps away from affordable oceanfront hotels. Guests are welcome and can rent by the hour provided they have sculling experience. For winter training, Miami Beach is the place to be. Escape to the warm waters of Biscayne Bay and enjoy the scenic views of tropical islands with palm trees and spectacular sunsets. While rowing at sunrise, expect to be accompanied by some playful dolphins, which are often seen within a few yards of our dock. Miles of flat water, year round rowing and a stunning location are the reasons people call Miami Beach a rower's paradise.
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
Miami Beach Rowing Club
6500 Indian Creek Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33141
Tel: (305) 861-8876
Email: mailto:miamibeachrowing@bellsouth.net
http://www.rowmiamibeach.com/ Miami Rowing & Watersports Center Inc.
3832 Shipping Avenue
3601 Rickenbacker Causeway
Virginia Key, FL 33149
Tel: (305) 582-4373
http://www.mrc.org/
ROWER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
Brickell Emporium
1100 Brickell Plaza
Miami, FL 33131 New York Bagel Deli
6546 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, Fl 33141 HOTELS
Comfort Inn Oceanfront
6261 Collins Ave
Miami Beach Fl 33140
A visiting crew favorite just a few blocks from the Watersports Center. Basic and superior rooms & efficiencies are available. On the ocean with pool & snack bar. Contract rates available through the Center.
SITES OF INTEREST
The Center is within walking distance of many restaurants from Norman's, a local sports bar to small and delicious ethnic eateries. On the weekends, the Normandy Village Farmers Market sells delicious smoothies as well as fresh fruits, vegetables and many other items. Only ten minutes away is the vibrant South Beach Art Deco District for shopping, dining, movies and nightlife.
MAJOR REGATTAS
Fall: Head of the Indian Creek
Spring: Miami Beach Winter Sprints Philadelphia was one of America's original rowing cities. It is host to the infamous Boathouse Row and is home to hundreds of oarsmen/women. On any given day of the week, you can find numerous boats ranging from club rowers to high schoolers to collegiate rowers. Philadelphia is host to dozens of regattas each year, including the Dad Vail Regatta, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the Independence Day Regatta and the Head of the Schuylkill. Rowing in Philadelphia is truly an experience you could feel in very few cities across the USA.
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
There are no rowing clubs in Philadelphia that will allow guest rowing without being sponsored by a member. Most rowing clubs in Philly will allow guest rowing with a member.
ROWER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
LeBUS
4266 Main Street
Phidelphia, PA 19127
Tel: (215) 487-2663 Jack's Firehouse
2130 Fairmount Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Tel: (215) 232-9000 London Grill
2301 Fairmount Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Tel: (215) 978-4545 Pete's Pizza & Restaurant
2320 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130-2519
Tel: (215) 765-3040
HOTELS
Best Western
501 N. 22nd St., Philadelphia, PA
Tel: (215) 568-8300 Holiday Inn-City Line
4100 Presidential Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA Adams Mark-Philadelphia
City Ave/Monument Plaza
Tel: (215) 581-2100 Comfort Inn
100 Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA
Tel: (215) 627-7900
SITES OF INTEREST
Philadelphia is filled with a wide range of historical sites, Museums and interactive institutes. One of the most famous is the Philadelphia Art Museum. The stairway leading up to it is the exact one that Rocky ran up in the movie Rocky. There is also the Franklin Institute, which has a variety of activities as well as an IMAX theatre. The Philadelphia Zoo is only five minutes from Boathouse Row. And you can't visit Philadelphia, the home of Independence, without visiting the Liberty Bell.
MAJOR REGATTAS
Fall: Head of the Schuylkill
Summer: Independence Day Regatta
Spring: Dad Vail Regatta T Rowing in San Diego is pretty much situated on Mission Bay, located about six miles north of the San Diego Airport, and flanked by Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. The area abounds with restaurants, beach and bay boardwalks, and hotels. San Diego Rowing Club is located in Mission Beach, with ZLAC Rowing Club located in Pacific Beach. In general, due to water-skiers, most rowing is done in the early hours, or at dusk, but there is plenty of water, and ever-changing scenery, with bird sanctuaries, Sea World pens and the local marine life.
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
San Diego Rowing Club
1220 El Carmel Place
San Diego, CA 92109
Contact: Captain Tim Watenpaugh
Tel: (858) 488-1893
Email: mailto:twatenpaugh@san.rr.com
http://www.sdrc-row.org/
ZLAC
1111 Pacific Beach Drive
San Diego, CA 92109
Tel: 858 274 7826
Email: mailto:masters@zlac.com
http://www.zlac.com/
ROWER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
Bangkok Thai & Vegetarian Cuisine
4656 Mission Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92109
Tel: (858) 581-1100 Gringo's
4474 Mission Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92109-3920
Tel: (858) 490-2877
Kono's Café
704 Garnet Avenue
San Diego, CA 92109
Tel: (619) 483-1669 Lotsa Pasta
Garnet Avenue (in Von's Shopping Center)
San Diego 92109
Tel: (619) 581-6777 Broken Yolk
1851 Garnet Avenue
San Diego 92109
Tel: (858) 270-9655 Nick's at the Beach
809 Thomas Avenue
San Diego CA 92109
Tel: (858) 270-1730 El Indio's
3695 India Street
San Diego, CA
Tel: (619) 299-0333 HOTELS
Bahia
998 West Mission Bay Drive
(858) 488-0551 Catamaran Resort
3999 Mission Boulevard
(858) 488-1081 Dana Inn
1710 West Mission Bay Drive
619 222-6440 Best Western Blue Sea Lodge
707 Pacific Beach Drive
Tel: (858) 488-4700
SITES OF INTEREST
San Diego has it all, and most of it within a few miles of the airport and the rowing clubs, beginning with Seaworld (local crews train past the shows and the penguins), Belmont Park (with an original wooden roller coaster, swimming pool and amusement park rides, right on the beach) and Old Town (a historical area specializing in specialty stores and restaurants TIP, do lunch, evening waits can be a drag if you are really hungry); Balboa Park has museums, restaurants and the world famous San Diego Zoo, or you can head north to the Birch Aquarium by the UCSD campus. Further a field you can go to the Wild Animal Park, or Legoland (north about 40 minutes) or south to Tijuana, Mexico (20 minutes by car, 30 minutes by San Diego Trolley). You can find outlet shopping by Legoland or the last USA exit in San Ysidro (GREAT buys from all the major athletic shoe companies, plus Levi and the usual suspects). Interested in human wildlife? Check out Garnet Street in Pacific Beach, or the Gaslamp District downtown.
MAJOR REGATTAS
Fall: San Diego Fall Classic, Row for the Cure
Spring: San Diego Crew Classic Rowing in Seattle is rather mystical. Rowers often start their day by launching while looking at the top of Mount Rainier, and seeing the reflection of dawn breaking over the city skyline all in one glance. Then there is plenty of water to choose from, all of which has a different flavor and feel. One direction can take rowers up a shipping canal toward the Puget Sound (the Locks) where there are barges, huge ships and fishing vessels along the shore. Rowing in Lake Union offers the opportunity to see the awesome Seattle city skyline. Turn north from Lake Union and Portage Bay is home to many houseboats bobbing up and down on the water. The Montlake Cut, or "the cut" as it is known, connects Puget Sound via the Locks to Lake Washington. Once through the cut, Husky rowers generally populate this area. Rowing in Lake Washington offers spectacular views of the Olympic Mountain ranges and Mt Rainier.
Rowers can go out every day of the year. Inclement weather is few and far between, though a constant soft drizzle in the winter is common. When the sun is out, it is arguably one of the most spectacular urban rowing landscapes.
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
Cascade Rowing
3320 Fuhrman Ave East
Seattle, WA 98102
Tel: (206) 328-0778
http://www.cascadewomen.com/
Conibear Rowing Club
3800 Lake Washington Boulevard
Seattle, WA 98118
Contact: Liz Baker
Tel: (206) 386-1913
Email: mailto:mount.baker@ci.seattle.wa.us
http://www.conibearrowing.org/ Lake Union Crew
11 East Allison Street
Seattle, WA 98102
Contact: Rome Ventura
Tel: (206) 860-4199
Email: mailto:raventura@aol.com
http://www.lakeunioncrew.com/ Lake Washington Rowing Club
910 N. Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98103
Contact: Karyn Freer
Tel: (206) 547-1583
Email: mailto:lwrcmanager@yahoo.com
http://www.lakewashingtonrowing.com/ Moss Bay Rowing and Kayaking Center
1001 Fairview Avenue North #1900
Seattle, WA 98109
Contact: Jim Clark
Tel: (206) 682-0455
Email: mailto:mossbay@earthlink.net
http://www.mossbay.net/ Pocock Rowing Center
3320 Fuhrman Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102
Contact: Colby
Tel: (206) 328-7272
Email: mailto:pocockrow@mindspring.com
http://www.pocockrowing.org/
ROWER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
Fred Hutchinson Cafeteria
1901 Fairview Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
Louisa's Bakery & Cafe
2379 Eastlake Ave East
Seattle, WA 98102-3305
Tel: (206) 325-0081 Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe
6412 Phinney Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103 Nickerson Street Saloon
318 Nickerson
Seattle, WA 98109
Tel: (206) 284-8819 Still Life In Fremont Coffeehouse
709 N. 35th
Seattle, WA 98103
Tel: (206) 547-9850 The Long Shoreman's Daughter
3508 Fremont Place N
Seattle, WA 98103-8623
Tel: (206) 633-5169 Torrefazione Italia
701 N. 34th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
Tel: (206) 545-2721 Dad Watsons Restaurant and Brewery (McMenamins)
3601 Fremont Ave. N
Seattle, WA 98103
Tel: (206) 632-6505 The Red Door Ale House
3401 Evanston Avenue N.
Seattle WA 98103
Tel: (206) 547-7521
HOTELS
Courtyard Seattle Downtown/Lake Union
925 Westlake Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
Tel: (206) 213-0100 Residence Inn Downtown/Lake Union
800 Fairview Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
Tel: (206) 624-6000
SITES OF INTEREST
Seattle is comprised of twenty-six neighborhoods all of which have their own character and charm. Fremont, near Lake Washington Rowing Club, is a funky/artsy neighborhood full of unique boutiques, restaurants and pubs. In Fremont, you can visit the infamous Troll that overtook a VW BUG that lives underneath the Aurora Bridge or the rocket ship that is stuck on a building or the statue of People Waiting for the Bus.
A few miles from Fremont is another neighborhood called Ballard. In Ballard, it's still possible to hear Swedish and Norwegian being spoken on the streets. Ballard traditionally housed Seattle's fishing industry, which was dominated by Scandinavian immigrants. If you want fresh-caught fish from the market, this is the place to go.
North of the University District is the Greenlake neighborhood. This hugely popular lake has a walking/biking/ rollerblading path around the whole lake (about 3 miles). The north side of Greenlake has some wonderful coffee shops and a great chowder house.
Capitol Hill is the gay/lesbian/artsy part of Seattle. It is known for its nightlife and houses a trendy strip of nightclubs. The best cup of coffee in Seattle can also be had on Capitol Hill, at Espresso Vivace.
The downtown Seattle area boasts one of the most famous open-air markets: Pike Place. This market is known for its flying fish, crafts, food, pastries and shopping. Virtually anywhere you go in Seattle, you'll find something totally different and unique.
MAJOR REGATTAS
Fall: Head of the Lake Regatta
Spring: Opening Day Regatta Rowing in the nation's capital dates back to the early 1800's. The oldest boat club in Washington, D.C., Potomac Boat Club (circa 1869), is well over one-hundred and thirty years old. Thompson's Boat Center, a public facility located a half-mile down river from Potomac Boat Club hosts the majority of the high school and collegiate rowing programs in the area. At Thompson's Boat Center, individuals can rent single sculls by the hour, providing they can prove they have sculling experience. Capital Rowing Club, located next to the Navy Yard, in southeast D.C., rows on the Anacostia River, and also offers opportunities for guest rowing. Perhaps the best thing about rowing in D.C. is being able to see many of the monuments from the shoreline such as the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and Arlington Cemetery to name a few.
CLUBS ALLOWING GUEST ROWING
Capital Rowing Club
1115 O Street, SE
Washington, DC 20036
Contact: Sarah Dunham
Tel: (202) 289-6666
Email: mailto:membership@capitalrowing.org
http://www.capitalrowing.org/ D.C. Strokes Rowing Club
PO Box 53019
Washington, DC 20009
Contact: J. Doug, President
Tel: (202) 232-1071
Email: mailto:president@dcstrokes.org
http://www.dcstrokes.org/
Potomac Boat Club
3530 Water Street
Washington, DC 20007
Contact: Bob Schneider, President
Tel: (202) 347-6084
http://www.rowpbc.net/ Thompson Boat Center
2900 Virginia Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20037
Contact: Emmanuel Caudron, Manager
Tel: (202) 333-9543
Email: mailto:tbc@guestservices.com
http://www.guestservices.com/ HOTELS Marriott-Key Bridge
1401 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22209
Tel: (703) 524-6400 Sheraton National Hotel Arlington
Columbia Pike & Washington Boulevard
900 South Orme Street
Arlington, Virginia 22204
Tel: (703) 521-1900 Days Inn
2000 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA
Tel: (703) 920-8600
SITES OF INTEREST
Obviously the tourist attractions are numerous in Washington, DC, but a couple of sites near Potomac Boat Club and Thompson's Boat Center include the Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington Cemetery, the National Cathedral, a plethora of monuments on and around the Smithsonian, and walking and shopping in historic Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. If you're in the neighborhood of Capital Rowing Club, a nice place to visit on the weekends is the Eastern Market, an open-air crafts and foods market that has been in existence for over 100 years. It's directly across the street from the Eastern Market metro stop. A nice place to have lunch or dinner right on the Potomac River is Tony & Joe's or Sequoia's at the Washington Harbor in Georgetown. In fair weather, these restaurants are packed on the weekend, and are great places for people watching. MAJOR REGATTAS Fall: Head of the Potomac, September
Summer: Crabfeast Regatta, July
Spring: Oxford-Cambridge alumni regatta * * * * * * by Masters Rowing Association and The Rower's Almanac |
