The holidays are over, and maybe you’ve realized that those “five pounds” gained from Thanksgiving through Christmas really equates to 10. Melt that weight and make the most of this frigid weather with ice skating in DC. This simplistic and magical sport has taken over our imagination since the 19th century. Metropolitan Washington has its share of ice rinks:
Sculpture Garden Ice Rink
6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
The most famous of these ice rinks is in the Sculpture Garden, part of the National Gallery of Art. Here, you are in the midst of the National Mall, where over 14 Smithsonian museums call home. The Pavilion Café serves artisan pizzas, café sandwiches and Sunday brunch…did I see a mimosa on that menu? Whether you are keeping cozy inside or braving the cold, it’s the place to people watch during the winter.
Washington Harbor
3050 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
Head down Constitution Avenue and around the Kennedy Center, and you’re back in Georgetown, where Washington Harbor thrives. Surrounded by restaurants and overlooking the Potomac River, it is the District of Columbia’s largest outdoor skating venue. It boasts that it is larger than Rockefeller Center’s ice rink at 11,800 sq. ft. From Bangkok Joe’s, which is a wonderful Thai place, to Farmers Fishers Bakers (the sequel of the popular Founding Farmers restaurant in Foggy Bottom), there isn’t a shortage of great places to eat. With different skate nights ranging from Cartoon Skate, Rock ‘n Skate, College Night as well as live music, you simply can’t lose.
Pentagon Row
1201 South Joyce Street, Arlington, VA, 22202 Metro stop: Yellow line, Pentagon City.
The mixed retail/residential/commercial buildings have become the latest fad across the country, and Arlington, VA doesn’t disappoint. In the center of Pentagon City, which houses the Pentagon, Pentagon City Mall, and the Ritz-Carlton, sits Pentagon Row–a place where you can get a facial at Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door Spa, shop at Ann Taylor Loft, or eat at one of the numerous restaurants from Lebanese Taverna to Champps. Maybe I’m partial as a Southern girl, but this ice rink is beautifully-adorned with decorations, a comfortable sitting area and a Starbucks. Be forewarned; this is a family-friendly location, so they even have sliding penguins to guide you around the ice in case that eight-year-old is putting you to shame.
Photo courtesy of dc.citysegwaytours.com
