Going Out Group

Sunset Cherry Blossom Boat Tour! – 20s & 30s Going Out Group


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*** It’s a great day for a boat ride to see the cherry blossoms. See you there! ***

UPDATE #5: There are still 5 spots left. You may claim a spot by arriving early with exact cash. Also, there are usually 13 no-shows for this event, so you just might be able to join us. Make sure to come early with exact cash. Tickets are $25 each at the “door.”

UPDATE #4: The boat’s upper level is open, and the lower level is enclosed. If you’d like to take advantage of the open air on the upper deck, make sure to dress appropriately for the weather!

UPDATE #3: Don’t forget, we will be leaving out of the Georgetown Washington Harbor. The boarding point is 1/2 block away (you’ll see the waterfront) from the address listed. I’ll be on the pier on the side closest to the Georgetown Waterfront Park (in front of the Fiola Mare restaurant)! Look for the red flag (1 foot x 1 foot in size) with the word “ACK” on it! If it’s crowded, you will need to keep your eyes peeled for the flag, but I will be standing exactly where described (in front of Fiola Mare restaurant on the boardwalk pier). Please see the “Boarding Point” section of the event posting for full details. Please account for Metro, traffic, and parking delays, and please arrive on time! Following the tour, let’s adjourn at Tony & Joe’s, right on the dock, for food and drinks, for anyone who wants to hang out after!

UPDATE #2: The early-bird price has ended and the ticket price is now $25. I look forward to seeing you there!

UPDATE #1: There are fewer than 10 early bird spots left and the price will increase from $20 to $25 when the early bird spots are gone or by Sun. Mar. 24th (whichever comes first). To be fair to those who want to join in and are ready to make payment, I’ll be removing those that haven’t paid by Sun. Mar. 17th. Make payment to lock in the early bird price and your spot (see the “Payment” section of the event posting). If you’ve already made payment, the PayPal email you received is confirmation that we’ve received your payment (no need to message me asking for ticket confirmation). This UPDATE has been emailed to the yes RSVPs. I hope to see you there!

UPDATE #0.5: Due to unforeseen scheduling with other boats on the harbor, please note the boat company just notified me that they will need to push back our start time by 15 minutes. The event posting has been updated accordingly and this UPDATE has also been sent as an email to the yes RSVPs.

Let’s check out the cherry blossoms!

I’ve reserved a 65-foot double-decker yacht for us, and made special arrangements with a captain and crew to take us down the Potomac for a 2 hour tour (compared to 50 minute tours offered elsewhere) that:

  • Highlights the panoramic view of the ~4000 cherry blossom trees surrounding the Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, National Mall, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial!
  • Along the way, we’ll get a great view of Washington DC’s skyline as we pass by famous landmarks to include Watergate, the Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Memorial
  • Sunset is at 8:08pm, so the timing will be perfect for a spectacular view of the flowering trees reflecting off the water. Bring a camera, and make use of your panoramic mode feature!
  • Discounted Cherry Blossom cocktail drinks will also be provided for our group!

(We’re on a boat!)

DC’s cherry blossom collection is one of the largest and most historic in the U.S. Given as a gift from Japan in 1912, they symbolize clouds in Japan due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. We’ll get to see the numerous different types of cherry blossom trees, including the famous Yoshinos, as well as the Kwanzan, Weeping Japanese Cherry (or Higan Cherry), Uussuzumi Cherry, Sargent Cherry, and Snow Goose varieties. Peak bloom over the past 10 years has averaged out to April 1st, which is in line with our charter. =)

(Sunset)

We will check people in at 6:15pm. I’ll be the one with the red flag (1 foot x 1 foot in size) with the word “ACK” on it. Please account for Metro, traffic, and parking delays. The boat will leave PROMPTLY at 6:45pm. Following the charter, we will adjourn at Tony & Joes for food and drinks!

The normal charge for this 2 hour tour is $40. We’ve got an early bird special for this event of $20! The first 100 paid sign-ups, or those who pay before Saturday, March 26th (whichever comes first) get the early bird price! After that it will go up to $25. We have a LIMITED number of spots so make sure to RSVP early AND make payment to secure your spot and get the early bird price! To make payment, please follow the steps in the “Payment” section of the event posting.

Come join us, tell your friends, and let’s have a great evening taking in the Washington DC’s panoramic skyline featuring the lovely DC cherry blossoms!

J.T.

P.S. Please note the boat does not serve food, and does have restrooms.

NOTE: I’ve been getting the following question often lately: “Are you affiliated with Mer and his Guys & Girls (20s & 30s) Going Out Group?” No. I’ve never met or spoken with Mer. My group is the original “20s & 30s Going Out Group” and has always been called that, well before his group existed. HIS group was originally called Guys & Girls Night Out. He then changed his group’s name to Guys & Girls Going Out Group, and then again changed it to Guys & Girls (20s & 30s) Going Out Group. We run our groups and events separate and apart from each other; the groups are not associated with one another in any way. I also run the 30s & 40s Going Out Group, Global Travelers Going Out Group, and the eWheel Going Out Group, all of which are also not associated with any of Mer’s groups. Lastly, with the exception of my international trips, none of my events are “joint” events where multiple (often non-associated) groups are invited to the same event.

BOARDING POINT

We will be leaving out of Georgetown Washington Harbor. The boarding point is 1/2 block away (you’ll see the waterfront) from the address listed. I’ll be on the pier on the side closest to the Georgetown Waterfront Park (in front of the Fiola Mare restaurant)! Look for the red flag (1 foot x 1 foot in size) with the word “ACK” on it! If it’s crowded, you will need to keep your eyes peeled for the flag, but I will be standing exactly where described (in front of Fiola Mare restaurant on the boardwalk pier).

METRO & PARKING

The closest Metro is Foggy Bottom (Orange, Blue, Silver lines), a 15 minute walk. I suggest Metro / cabbing / Uber’ing if you can. I also recommend using wmata.com for travel planning. Don’t forget to account for Metro, traffic, and parking delays. If you are driving, you will need to find street parking or a garage. I recommend using parkopedia.com for garage parking planning.

PAYMENT

PayPal account not required. Please follow the steps below (if payment by smartphone doesn’t work, please try your computer). Your RSVP is not guaranteed without payment, and your email receipt is confirmation that we have received your payment (please check your spam folder and email settings). You can also log into your PayPal or credit card account online to verify payment. Payment at the door will be permitted only should the event not sell out. Our events do sell out, so I recommend you secure your spot online early. If you make payment for less than the current ticketed price displayed without prior correspondence, your RSVP will be removed.

  1. Select “Yes” (checkmark)
  2. Enter the number of guests coming and click “Finish Payment on PayPal”
  3. Verify correct dollar amount for number of people you’re paying for. Modify if appropriate, click “Pay Now” (or “Pay Online Now” button at the top of the event posting)
  4. If you don’t have a PayPal account, enter your payment information
  5. If you have a PayPal account, simply log in, and pay as you normally would via PayPal

EVENT CHECK-IN

Please be on time. If you are late (arrive after the start time of 6pm), you risk the possibility of not being able to join us for some or all of the event. I will have a master list of all those that have paid. It’s not required, but I recommend printing out your payment confirmation email as a backup (if you are not on the list, you will be required to show it). When you check-in, your RSVP will be listed under the name of the PayPal or credit card account used to make payment. Typically, this is your LEGAL name as shown on your driver’s license. Sometimes, it may be under a company name if you set up your PayPal or credit card account that way. If you are not sure what it is, please log into your PayPal account (it will say “Welcome, [your account name]” at the top) or your credit card account to find out. If you are RSVP’d under someone else’s payment, please use that name for check-in.

REFUND POLICY

Since this event is paid for in advance, all sales are final unless the event is canceled or rescheduled. If the event is canceled or rescheduled, an UPDATE will be posted at the top of the event posting, and the UPDATE will also be sent as an email to the yes RSVPs. A full refund will be submitted no later than Wednesday of the following week. For rescheduled events, you must let me know within 3 calendar days of the UPDATE email if you are unable to make the new date… no refunds will be given after that time. Send me a message via my Meetup profile (do NOT comment on the event posting). Thanks for understanding. =)

TICKET RESELL / TRANSFER

Similar to a concert ticket or a football game ticket, you are free to sell / transfer your ticket to someone else if you are unable to attend. I suggest posting in the comment box for the event, that you have a ticket for sale / transfer. Work out any payment between yourselves, and have the seller only send me (the organizer) a message through my Meetup profile (do not comment in the comment box of the event posting) letting me know the first AND last name, and Meetup profile link (if a member) of the person taking your spot (please also copy them on the message). To obtain their Meetup profile link, go to their profile from the mobile website or your computer (not the app), and copy & paste the link from your browser. I host a lot of events and groups, so please let me know the event name and group name the ticket transfer is for. You must let me know by the RSVP close time of 3pm on the day of the event.

EVENT CREDIT

If you are unable to attend an event, unfortunately a credit towards another event is not possible. Many credit requests are made, and it’d be nearly impossible to track which person has how much credit left from what event to be applied towards which upcoming event or events. It’s especially challenging since the ticket price for most of our events vary. You are free to resell or transfer your ticket to someone else (see the “Ticket Resell / Transfer” section for full details).

WEATHER

Should inclement weather (e.g. snow storm, hurricane, etc.) affect our event, we’ll need to reschedule or cancel. If any one of the following is not available for service due to inclement weather, we’ll need to do so: Metrorail is not running to all stops; Uber (X, SUV, etc.) is not running or available at no more than 2x standard rates; venue(s) are not open. I’ll post an UPDATE to the top of the event posting by 3:30pm on the day of our event with the details.

RAIN POLICY

Since the lower level of the boat is enclosed, this event is rain or shine!

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Due to availability, the boat charter is secured very far in advance. We use historical cherry blossom peak data to determine an ideal date to have the event. Forecasts for cherry blossom bloom can often shift unexpectedly due to seasonal weather. As a result, we may or may not see cherry blossom trees in bloom. The event will not be canceled or rescheduled due to the forecasts.

SPECIAL NEEDS

If you have any special needs (e.g. wheelchair, dietary for events with food included, etc.), let me know in advance (a week or more before the event) and I will do my best to accommodate (message me through my Meetup profile, do NOT comment on the event posting). If you let me know the day of the event, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to help. Thank you for understanding and I appreciate the courtesy of a heads up!

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