National Harbor

Fun On the Fun On the Flight Deck Flight Deck

Left: Enjoy an evening around the firepit and beautiful sunset views at The National Harbor; Baby Oscar

Ihave loved the Flight Deck – officially known as The Flight Deck at the Capital Wheel -since the first day it opened. It was a long time coming but worth the wait if you are into a primo place to sip a beverage, people watch and take in a beautiful sunset on the water. In this day of preferring to be out of doors, the Flight Deck is a good choice. Derek Lovato and his crew have done a great job of making you feel welcome. I was pleasantly surprised to see that our friend Oscar, Jr. (Baby Oscar to me) was behind the bar. His father, Oscar, works at Bond 45 and has been a friend of ours for over 20 years.

It is located at the base of the Capital Wheel and is surrounded by water pretty much on three sides. It is a great location to frequent both during the day and at night. This time of year, the daytime will most likely provide a nice breeze and the evenings provide a nice view of the shoreline of the Virginia side of the Potomac River. As the weather cools off, this is the place to sit by a fire pit and contemplate the upcoming holiday season — which is going to be one for the record books without Christmas on the Potomac at the Gaylord and ICE not returning due to the pandemic. I guess it isn’t going to do any good to brood about that so let’s concentrate on the fun stuff happening now at the Deck.

October is actually “Beertober” at the Flight Deck. They are offering “Beertober” specials all month long. You can enjoy any on-tap beer, including the popular Flight Deck IPA, for just $5 from 4-7pm daily. There is also a package special in conjunction with a spin on the wheel. Brew & View includes one ticket, a beer and a souvenir cup for $20! This is a $10 savings from the going rate. If you are really thirsty, they have $5 refills on select taps.

If beer isn’t your thing, they offer Angry Orchard Hard Cider ($8), White Claw Hard Seltzer ($7), an assortment of wines ($10), Sangria ($9) and several bottled beverages ($3) and bottle water ($2). There isn’t any real food offered at the Deck but they have an assortment of snacks that varies from season to season.

Happy Hour at Flight Deck happens on Fridays (4pm – 7pm), Saturdays and Sundays (12 noon – 4pm). The beers are $5 - $4 for my favorite Coors Light – and wines are reduced to $8. If you are into a little day drinking like myself and 99% of my friends, a Saturday or Sunday afternoon at the Deck should be in your future. Be sure to tell your bartender that Lani and the Old Town Crier sent you!

The last thing I will mention is the people watching. You cannot believe what I have seen in the last couple of years while sitting at the bar with my Coors Light. I seriously believe that some people think that you cannot see into the gondolas as the wheel goes around. I will leave the scenarios up to your imagination!

Capital Wheel Update

With pandemic restrictions still in effect, it was up in the air (pun intended) as to whether or not any Halloween promotions would be offered this year. However, with all social distancing and mask requirements in place, children 10 years old and under who are dressed in costume and accompanied by a paying adult will ride for FREE on the 31st from Noon to 4pm.