Whatever Floats Your Boat By Mary Jane Solomon Special to The Washington Post Friday, June 20 1997

The Potomac Spirit departs for Mount Vernon from the Southwest waterfront. (Susan Biddle/The Washington Post)

Best of all, the trip is close at hand, safe, inexpensive and on a vessel piloted by a professional captain. You can sit back and relax while a narrator points out the sights.

Tourboat rides on the Potomac River and several area lakes offer a refreshing way to cool off and at the same time learn about the area's landmarks and wildlife. On the river, sightseers cruise past many of Washington's most famous landmarks, as well as historic sites in Maryland and Virginia. On the lakes, passengers view beaver dams, sunning turtles and nesting ospreys.

Local cruises last anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes. Choose an excursion that won't challenge your child's attention span: Bored, whiny youngsters can ruin a trip for other passengers.

Charlotte Hall, vice president of Potomac Riverboat Company, says that many families with young children enjoy a 40-minute Alexandria sightseeing trip "because it's a short, sweet little boat ride."

Relaxing as the trip may be for adults, parents still need to keep an eye on kids.

"Obviously, they're very curious and excited around the water," says Peter Lemieux, operations manager and a captain with Potomac Riverboat Company. Children should hold their parents' hands while on the dock, and, while aboard, "stay seated and don't run around the boat."

Tourboats have life jackets available for passengers who wish to wear them.

What do kids enjoy most about being out on the water?

Along the Potomac, children care less about the monuments than the passing boats and wave action that sends spray onto the bow, Lemieux says.

During the 90-minute trip aboard the Matthew Hayes, "kids get a little wet, and they always get a big kick out of that," he says.

"I love having little kids on the tour boat," because they ask a lot of questions, says Christine Simpson, captain of the sightseeing pontoon boat at Burke Lake Park in Fairfax Station. Children like to guess what's at the bottom of the man-made lake, seldom knowing that the water covers part of an airplane, two trailer ends and a discarded bulldozer, all used as fish hiding places.

Boat tours can be full of surprises. Dorothy Kengla, a park ranger who gives lake tours at Seneca Creek State Park, recently was describing blue herons to youngsters when one of the birds suddenly appeared.

"It was like magic!" she says of the creature, who stuck around long enough for the kids to get a good, close-up look.

Anchors Away

The following parks and tour companies offer sightseeing cruises that appeal to families. Even if reservations aren't required, be sure to call first. Schedules sometimes fluctuate due to bad weather or staff shortages.

The District

C&O Canal National Historical Park -- 1057 Thomas Jefferson St., NW. 202/653-5190. The Georgetown, a replica of an authentic mule-pulled, 80-person canal boat, departs at 11, 1 and 3 Wednesday through Sunday, through mid-September. Mid-September through late November, the rides leave at 2 Wednesday through Friday, and 11, 1 and 3 Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $3.50 for children and seniors, $4 for adults. During the hour-long ride along the canal, a guide relates historical facts. Passengers especially enjoy the process of locking, or raising and lowering the boat, at Lift Lock 4. Kids can bring fruit or carrots to feed the mules, Frances and Kate. Free concerts take place on the canal, between Thomas Jefferson and 30th streets, at 4 p.m. every other Sunday during the summer.

Capitol River Cruises -- Washington Harbor, 3050 K St., at the end of 31st Street, in Georgetown. 301/460-7447. The Nightingale II, a 65-foot riverboat originally built for Mackinac Island, Mich., departs for daily 50-minute Potomac River cruises on the hour, noon to 8 Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 Saturdays and 11 to 8 Sundays. Admission is free for children under 3, $5 for ages 3 to 12, $10 for adults and $9 for seniors. The boat, with a 91-person capacity, has a snack bar, restrooms and tables suitable for picnics. The narrated tour highlights monuments and other sights along the cruise, which travels about 3 miles to National Airport. Private charters are available.

D.C. Ducks -- 640 Reed St. NE. 202/832-9800. Guided 90-minute tours aboard 1942 amphibious vehicles, originally used by the United States during World War II, take visitors around the city before splashing into the Potomac at Columbia Island Marina. The 32-person boat/truck travels by water to Gravelly Point near National Airport before returning passengers to Union Station. Times vary and reservations are required. Call at least a day in advance. Admission is free for ages under 4, $12 for ages 4 to 12 and $23 for adults. Private charters are available.

Shore Shot -- Washington Harbor, 31st and K streets, Georgetown. 202/554-6500. This 53-foot speedboat breezes along at 40 mph during its 45-minute Potomac cruises from Georgetown to Bolling Air Force Base. The narrated tours depart at 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Fridays; half past the hour, 12:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturdays; and half past the hour, 12:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays and holidays. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for children ages 4 to 12 and free for children under 4. A snack bar and restrooms are available on the boat, which can seat up to 100 people. Private charters are available.

Spirit Cruises -- Pier 4, Sixth and Water streets SW. 202/554-8000. The two-deck Potomac Spirit, which holds 350 passengers, embarks on a 90-minute river excursion to Mount Vernon at 9 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday, March through October. Passengers spend 2 1/2 at Mount Vernon, then return to D.C. at 2:30. The total cost, including admission to Mount Vernon, is free for children 5 and under, $15 for children ages 6 to 11 and $23.50 for adults. Private charters are available. The company also offers lunch and dinner cruises aboard the three-deck, 600-person Spirit of Washington.

Maryland

Black Hill Regional Park -- 20930 Lake Ridge Dr., Boyds. 301/972-3476. Call for directions. Pontoon-boat rides on Little Seneca Lake are given on the hour, from noon to 6 Friday through Sunday through Labor Day. Admission is $2 per person. Pay at the boat rental facility. A tour guide describes the lake's history and wildlife inhabitants, such as beavers, muskrats, otters and various birds. The pontoon boat also is used for family-oriented special programs such as "Storytime on the Lake" for ages 3 to 5 and their parents and "Family Beaver Patrol" for ages 6 and up. Call for information and reservations.

Great Falls Tavern, C&O Canal National Historical Park -- 11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac. 301/299-2026. The Canal Clipper departs at 11, 1 and 3 Wednesday through Sunday through mid-September; 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11, 1 and 3 Saturdays and Sundays mid-September to late November. Admission is $4 for children, $6 for adults and $5 for seniors. The 80-person boat, guided by mules Ida and Ellie or Rhody and Lil, takes passengers on a narrated hour-long ride accented by lots of trees and occasional wildlife. Life jackets are available. Children can bring fruit or carrots to feed the mules.

Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood -- 15700 Needwood Lake Circle, Rockville. 301/762-1888. Twenty-minute excursions aboard the Needwood Queen, a pontoon boat that can carry up to 20 people, depart on the hour, noon to 5 on weekends through Labor Day. Weekday tours are available by reservation for groups of 10 or more. Admission is $1 per person. Life jackets are required and provided for children. The tour focuses on the park's wildlife, which includes beavers, turtles, deer and several kinds of water birds. Take Muncaster Mill Road to Avery Road and follow signs.

Patuxent River Park -- Jug Bay Natural Area, 1600 Croom Airport Rd., Upper Marlboro. 301/627-6074. From the Beltway, take Route 4 toward Upper Marlboro for about eight miles. Go south on Route 301 for four miles, left on Route 382 for approximately three miles, then left on Croom Airport Road. The park entrance is about two miles on the left, and the park office is about 2 miles past the entrance. All visitors must stop at the office to confirm reservations for park programs or to purchase or show a park permit (required for all visitors not attending a program). Annual permits are $5 for Montgomery and Prince George's county residents, $2.50 for senior county residents; $10 for other Maryland residents; $25 for boaters. Out-of-state residents must buy a $7 daily permit. Interpretive 45-minute to hour-long group cruises aboard the Otter, a pontoon boat that holds 20 people, are available at no charge, Tuesdays through Saturdays through mid-October. Reservations are required. Summer openings still are available, but registering two months in advance is recommended. A group must include a minimum of eight adults; children are welcome, but the tour is most suitable for kids in the upper elementary grades and older. Life jackets are required for passengers under 18. The naturalist who guides the boat talks about the river's ecology and resident plants and wildlife, such as muskrats, beaver and osprey. Tourists also see historic gun clubs and mansions along the shore.

Seneca Creek State Park -- 11950 Clopper Rd., Gaithersburg. 301/924-2127. The Blue Heron pontoon boat takes up to 24 people on naturalist-guided, one-hour tours on the 90-acre lake at 1:30 and 3 Saturdays and Sundays through August (and possibly September). Admission is $1 per person. Group tours are available on weekdays by reservation for $22.75.

Virginia

Burke Lake Park -- 7315 Ox Rd., Centreville. 703/323-6601. The Lady Burke pontoon boat leaves for a half-hour cruise around the 218-acre lake on the hour,from 10 to 6, Fridays through Mondays through Labor Day. Tickets are $1.50. Reservations are not necessary, but admission is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Mandatory life jackets are provided. A guide tells about wildlife at the park, including waterfowl that nest on an island refuge in the middle of the lake.

Harbor River Cruises -- 201 Mill St., Dock A, "Lady's Landing," P.O. Box 724, Occoquan. 703/385-9433. Forty-minute Potomac River cruises aboard the 32-passenger Harbor Lady leave at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. daily. Evening "Romancing the River" cruises depart at 7 and 9. Admission is $8 per child with a paying adult, $11 for adults, with a 10 percent discount for seniors. Reservations are required. Private charters also are available.

Lake Accotink Park -- 5660 Heming Ave. Springfield. 703/569-0285. Twenty-minute guided pontoon-boat cruises on the 77-acre lake take place on the hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day. Admission is $1. The boat's capacity is 23, with admission on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Lake Fairfax Park -- 1400 Lake Fairfax Dr., off Baron Cameron Avenue, Reston. 703/471-5414. Fifteen-minute guided pontoon-boat rides around the 20-acre lake are available from 10 to 8 daily through Labor Day, but the 16- to 20-person boat runs according to demand rather than on a set schedule. Admission is 75 cents.

Potomac Riverboat Company -- Alexandria City Marina, King and Union streets, directly behind the Torpedo Factory Art Center. 703/548-9000. Choose from three different sightseeing trips: a new 50-minute cruise to Mount Vernon and a 90-minute "See Washington by Water" excursion, both aboard the Matthew Hayes; and the 40-minute "See Alexandria by Water" tour aboard the Admiral Tilp. Both boats have snack bars and restrooms. Private charters are available.

The Mount Vernon cruise, featuring narration about the history of the Potomac and places along its shores, departs at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Visitors tour Mount Vernon, then reboard the boat at 3 or 5:30. There is no charge for kids under age 6 traveling with an adult. Tickets, including admission to Mount Vernon, are $10 for children ages 6 to 11, $22 for adults and $20 for seniors.

The 90-minute cruise travels past the monuments to Georgetown. The boat departs at 11:30, 1:30, 3:30, 7:30 and 9:30 Tuesdays through Fridays, 11:30, 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 Saturdays and Sundays and also 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is $6 for children ages 2 through 12, $14 for adults and $13 for seniors.

The 40-minute tour along the Alexandria waterfront area features narration about the city's history and landmarks. The boat leaves on the hour, noon to 6 Saturdays and Sundays, and 7 to 10 Saturday nights. Admission is $4 for children ages 2 through 12, $7 for adults and $6 for seniors.

Mary Jane Solomon last wrote for Weekend about summer children's programs at Wolf Trap.