Things to Do in Saint Charles

Open year round, Capital Clubhouse is an all-ages, 90,000-square-foot facility wholly dedicated to sports and recreation. The multisport arena can easily transform into a soccer, volleyball, dodge-ball, or inline-hockey court, allowing it to host all manner of team-based events from intramural games to kids' parties. Dasher boards that spent their youth exchanging quick embraces with Washington Capitals players at the former US Airways Arena now comfortably surround Capital Clubhouse's NHL-sized ice arena, which is kept cold year round thanks to 11 miles of underground cooling pipe and a steady diet of popsicles. When not supervising skaters from the comfort of the heated balcony, guests can race lithe mountain goats to the top of the center's 30-foot rock-climbing wall, where five different routes offer challenges for wall walkers of all ages and experience levels.

Rivers are difficult to navigate without a watercraft or a fish tail, which is why the owners of Rivershore Charters launched their 50-foot pontoon boat, the Miss Rivershore, to provide customers an enjoyable way of experiencing the scenic Occoquan River. Accommodating up to 46 passengers, the Miss Rivershore floats down the Occoquan, a river banked by lush, flourishing greenery and stately homes, for private charters, fishing excursions, and bird-watching tours.

During relaxed jaunts downriver, as eagles, ospreys, and herons patrol the skies or trick raccoons into selling their valuables for a song, the ship's captain relates historical anecdotes and intriguing tidbits about landmarks. As fans of the local food scene, crew members also happily ferry passengers to and from riverside eateries and can serve beer and wine onboard.

When Lazy Susan Dinner Theatre's doors open for each evening's performance, guests are greeted and escorted to their tables where they can order cocktails. Then, with thirsts parched and pocket watches swinging, they move onward to a hot buffet of made-from-scratch Pennsylvania Dutch dishes, including breads, roast beef, chicken, fish, and housemade desserts. But sweets aren't the only treat here. After dessert, the curtain opens to family-friendly Broadway-style shows that incite laughter, explore American history, or challenge theatergoers to discern which actors are real ghosts. And to tie the dinner and show together even tighter, the performers are the same people pouring the coffee. DC Metro Theater Arts notes that "the warm ambiance found at The Lazy Susan is indeed half of the fun of going."

The Osprey’s Golf Club at Belmont Bay maintains a splendid, 5,577-yard, par 70 course that fosters fore-hollering fun for golfers of all abilities. Bordered to the east by the flowing waters of the Occoquan River, the Audubon-certified course pleases the senses with cool, riverside breezes, scenic tree lines, and flagsticks that hand out perfume samples. Experienced instructors stalk the Club’s verdant grounds, helping keep swing’s sharp with private and group lessons and imparting advice about golf equipment at the pro shop. Osprey’s Landing awaits golfers looking to unwind after a day at the links or treat high-performing sand wedges to a dinner date with a menu of fresh seafood, sandwiches, and other locally inspired fare.

Since its first tour of local landmarks in District of Columbia, CapitolCity DC Tours, LLC. has chaperoned visitors and the city's own curious residents on motor-coach and walking tours of the city. Dozens of available tours bring to life the history of the notable and little-known local neighborhoods and historic buildings that occupy the Washington DC's celebrated acreage. Licensed tour guides lead outings in seven languages, such as Mandarin, Spanish, and Italian, to make it easier for all to take in the city's breadth of historic, architectural, and municipal themes. Depending on the tour, some stops may include informative jaunts to the White House and the National Mall—places that evoke American ideals and where British tyranny in the form of unjust taxation and irresistible Phil Collins ballads were once publicly denounced.

As the Potomac River flows in the distance, George Mason’s historical Georgian mansion overlooks sprawling gardens, hiking trails, and a 250-year-old boxwood tree. A senior statesman, Mason laid the foundation for this site in 1755, building his new family home just yards away from the site of his grandfather’s house. Though the original 18th-century carriage roads, tree banks, and wide vistas have since disappeared, experts have reconstructed much of the property’s original splendor through archaeological digs; the written memoirs of George’s son, John; and the testimonials of kidnapped time travelers.

Today, trained guides and museum docents lead guests on tours across the grounds, as well as through an exhibit of more than 50 pieces of art and furnishings detailing the life of the politician, his wife Ann, and their family. As guests learn about Mason’s role as the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and as an advocate of freedom of the press and religious tolerance, they walk through opulent halls and rooms designed in French modern, neoclassical, and Chinese styles. In addition to tours, the house and grounds host seasonal events such as an old-fashioned candlelit Christmas celebration, a spring kite festival, and an autumn séance to summon the Great Pumpkin.