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riverboat on potomac

Riverboat on the Potomac

301 Beach Terrace, Colonial Beach, VA

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Riverboat on the Potomac

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Enjoy Museum at Colonial Beach by default, the clients' piece of advice is to come to this restaurant as well. Based on the visitors' opinions, waiters offer perfectly cooked ribs , prime rib roast and po' boys here. Good cobbler have a pleasant taste. This place is famous for delicious liqueur or good beer . A lot of visitors order great coffee .

Select between indoor and outdoor seating. Riverboat on the Potomac is recommended for the courteous staff. Most people mark that the service is enjoyable. Pay adequate prices for eating at this place. According to the reviewers' opinions, the decor is spectacular. The exotic atmosphere will be a good addition to nice meals and great location of this spot. But google users haven't given this restaurant a high rating.

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Riverboat on the Potomac is a waterfront restaurant wedding venue in Colonial Beach, Virginia. Situated directly on the Potomac River, this unique venue offers couples and their guests astounding views of the water and beach. Windows line each room, casting beautiful natural light on couples and their loved ones as they celebrate this milestone.

Facilities and Capacity

The property offers couples an elegant upstairs banquet room to host their guests that accommodates over 300 people. This versatile reception area can be transformed into a magical, sophisticated space when decorated, allowing couples to hold the wedding they’ve always dreamed of. Alternatively, for those desiring a more intimate setting on their special day, The Tiki Bar and The Potomac Room are also available. The Tiki Bar can seat up to 85 people, while The Potomac Room can accommodate up to 75. The venue also features a beautiful outdoor deck, ideal for capturing enchanting wedding photographs in the sunset or taking a romantic stroll.

Services Offered

Riverboat on the Potomac strives to assist the happy couple in creating their vision as much as possible. They can provide tables, chairs, china, flatware, and more to make organizing your big day easier. Furthermore, they can take care of setup and cleanup, as well as staff the event with servers and bartenders. Loved ones can get together on the dancefloor after a sumptuous meal provided by the in-house catering team, and enjoy refreshments from the bar afterwards.

In order to make coordinating this special occasion even simpler, the venue has a choice of preferred catering menus for couples to choose from. These include mouthwatering appetizers, as well as homemade favorites such as roast beef and prime rib. The restaurant staff can deliver a fine dining experience in a variety of ways. They are able to organize buffet service, plated service, food stations, and more depending on your vision. Alternatively, you and your partner can work with the experienced staff at the restaurant to come up with a custom menu that suits your tastes.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue, what is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season, what is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season, do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue, what is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season, which of the following are included in starting site fee, which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering, how many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer, describe your venue:, what kind of settings are available, which of the following wedding events does your venue service, what event services do you offer, what catering services do you offer, what bar services do you provide, what event items are available, what food and beverage items are available, what transportation and access is available.

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  • Quality of service 4.5 out of 5 rating 4.5
  • Average response time 4.7 out of 5 rating 4.7
  • Professionalism 4.5 out of 5 rating 4.5
  • Value 4.7 out of 5 rating 4.7
  • Flexibility 4.7 out of 5 rating 4.7

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Riverboat on the Potomac

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Location and Contact

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Delivery No

Payment Credit Cards Accepted

Parking Parking Lot

Good for Kids No

Attire Casual

Alcohol Yes - Full Bar

Reservations Yes

Cuisines: American

Price Point $$ $ - Cheap Eats (Under $10) $$ - Moderate ($11-$25) $$$ - Expensive ($25-$50) $$$$ - Very Pricey (Over $50)

Outdoor Seats Yes

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American

Nearby Restaurants

High Tidez Of The Potomac ($$) Mexican, Seafood Distance: 0.08 miles

Colonial Beach ($$) French, Thai Distance: 0.12 miles

Oomboon Restaurant ($) French Distance: 0.12 miles

Raven's Point ($$) Desserts, Tacos Distance: 0.12 miles

Thai Kitchen and Sushi Bar ($$) Sushi, Thai Distance: 0.12 miles

Menus People Viewed Nearby

Denson's Grocery Staples & Specialties ($$) American, Sandwiches, Subs, Deli

Bowie's Restaurant ($$) American, Burgers, Italian

Dockside Restaurant ($$) American, Bar Food, Burgers, Seafood

Recent Restaurant Reviews

Top's China has been here my whole life, and they always do a good job of cooking good food, even with special clarifications (like No MSG) for l... see review

Pizza is trash 90% of the time. Dough is old and thin, pizza is undercooked. Avoid this place... see review

Quality has suffered greatly. Use to be our favorite place to eat out.... see review

My family shared a meal at this place on July 7th. My son ordered tacos and asked to add an extra taco. Total of 3 tacos. When the order arrived there... see review

It was just ok. The deck was messy with leftover food particles and used napkin pieces. The food was ordinary.... see review

Recent Votes

... see review

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Potomac Riverboat Company

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Potomac Riverboat Company - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Riverboat on the Potomac

Ratings and reviews, location and contact.

We were looking for a nice meal and there are not a lot of choices on the beach. We flipped a coin and landed here. Let's say up front that our server Heather was as cute as she could be. She was flying around and... waiting on several tables and tried her best. Signs on the table announced that they were short staffed and be patient, and we were. I ordered the large prime rib, salad and the small baked potatoes. The prime rib was huge, tasty and perfectly cooked. My salad was good but I was not told it was an upcharge to replace a side with it. The potatoes came with melted butter which was melted margarine and not good. She had the crab stuffed shrimp, hush puppies and fries. The shrimp were not great and the rest were good. An uneven performance at best but one of the few places to get a meal that doesn't involve a diner. We did have a nice view of the water. More

They call themselves a casino because they have keno and horse bets. If you are thinking slots or cards you are way off base. Most people there are over 60 ish and look to be regulars. Great bloody marys but not so great food. Nothing... to do there but watch a bunch of keno and horse races on tv. More

Hi wyattdeb, We consider ourselves to be a casino because we have a public room where gambling occurs, which is the definition of a casino or gambling house. We agree the Bloody Marys are delicious! We hope to see you again soon for a game... More

We probably go to Riverboat for lunch every 2 months. You can't beat the view from the porch overlooking the Potomac. They are always understaffed so service is hit or miss and there seems to be a lot of turn over. We rarely see the... same waiter or waitress a second time. The food is so-so, not bad, not great. I find that it is inconsistent also. Like the wait staff I suspect the kitchen staff turns over frequently since things are often prepared and presented differently from visit to visit. If you want ok food and nice view and are not in a hurry...give it a try. More

Very Disappointed with service and food today. Drove from Fredericksburg to come enjoy a nice meal only to be charged $20 for just a child to eat. Ordered hush puppies and a dozen chicken wings as our appetizer. The butter was rock hard. Asked for... melted butter which never came as well as a refill that never came. The chicken wings where cold in the middle. When our food arrived the crab stuffed flounder wasn’t even room temperature and the crab stuffed shrimp was lukewarm. When the chicken wings came out cold I initially thought it was the cook’s fault. But as the evening went by our waitress mentioned our food was ready but it didn’t bring our food out for several minutes. I also watched a cook bring food out and set it on the bar only for the waitress to take several minutes to take it to the table. Have to say not pleased about driving from Fredericksburg to Colonial Beach to spend $20 on 3 drinks, an order of hush puppies, Kraft Mac and cheese and a bun less hot dog. More

I have found the food to be small portions and overpriced. Service is slow, and service is worse; only because they only have two girls working the dining room, bar and etc. for about 100 people. Recently had the wings, growly overcooked and difficult to... chew. I had to send them back as they were that bad. The nacho platter was good. They did away, to steam line the menu with the shrimp basket, which was excellent. More

This place is unique. Enter the building in Virginia, take ten steps and you are over the water and in Maryland. You can bet the ponies and play Keno in the Maryland side. The Virginia entrance has but one Virginia scratch off machine. I know... they tried to get slots installed but locals voted it down. ‘Tis a shame. We went for the food over the water and it was fantastic. Both of us got grilled scallops with cheese and they were great. Highly recommend this place for the food for sure. More

riverboat on potomac

We just spent Friday and Saturday, Dec. 29 and 30, eating lunch and dinner at the new Riverboat. My parents came to visit form Shelby,NC and we all had a grand time. It took a long time to rebuild "THE BOAT" but it came back... better then ever! Thank you to all the owner, employees and just what a great time. Shirley and Catfish Lee More

I went to the Riverboat last night with my friends to celebrate my birthday early so everyone could come. We sat at the bar and had a great time. They had a good amount draft beers and a couple different ones I've never had before... like Goose IPA. The bartender was courteous, speedy and knew her stuff. We order a bunch of the finger foods and they were delicious. As we were leaving we grabbed a couple handles of whiskey and bourbon from there in-restaurant liquor store. It was a great way to spend a birthday. More

Went to the High Tides 100 yards away first but was invisible to them. So we went to the Riverboat where we sat at the bar , ate chicken tenders that were great. The bar maid was great. Music on the tv in front of... us (instead of sports.) Glad the High Tides didn't want to wait us. More

Waited at least 20 minutes for a waitress to come over to us, even though there was only one other table occupied. The crab balls had so much old bay seasoning on them that I sent them back. My daughter's fish was also way overseasoned,... as was her shrimp. Way over priced and just plain bad food and service!!!! More

Food was overpriced, limited selection, not prepared as ordered or in accordance with the menu, filet mignon was tough and had a toothpick hidden in it and service was slow. I tried the place because I purchased a coupon for it. The coupon was supposed... to be same as cash yet they put restrictions on it. Atmosphere leaves much to be desired, it is definitively tailored more to gambling than dining. More

Hi Jason. Thank you for taking the time to join us and leave your feedback. I am sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your time with us. That said, I do appreciate you bringing these issues to our attention. We will take them into... More

While it might be a good idea to have OTB, this place needs help. We couldn't bring ourselves to give them our dinner business. The servers are rude and don't seem to know which one is waiting on which table leading to confusion and lots... of interruptions. Our waitress had no idea what kind of beers they had on tap. Training needed More

We are very sorry to hear about your experience in our restaurant. Our customers are our number one priority. The behavior you observed is not typical of the experience at Riverboat and most certainly not what we teach our staff. We will use this opportunity... More

We went to see the comedy show and it was excellent ! However, we didn't eat before we came because we were going to have dinner there - BIG MISTAKE! My husband ordered a drink in the bar area while we chatted with the comedians... and I didn't order anything because I was going to wait until we went in and sat down. We were sitting in there for about 45 minutes and no one took our order so I got up and went to get a menu . Still no one came over .The 3 servers walked around us , beside us, and in between but NEVER took our order! We were there for 2 1/2 hours!!!! No one ever asked if we wanted anything! Had it not been for the comedians we would have left after 1/2 hour of the lack of service. We have been to alot of shows around the country and have never had this happen.My suggestion would to be get a wait staff that is good for business not what you had last night ! We will not be coming back.Very disappointed ! More

Hi Usandthebeach, We are very sorry to hear about your negative experience. We will address this issue with our wait staff. Thank you for providing us with your feedback. Best, Penny F., Owner

So I went there today, and the view is great however, there's no staff at the door to assist with seating. I actually had to ask. So once I sat down it took forever for a server to notice. I ordered a pasta special and... waited 30 minutes for it. What came out was a pasta that had clearly been sitting for a while, was reheated and not even fresh. Even worse it looked like it was made and mixed with the sauce. The presentation of the meal was terrible I will submit a picture of it. For a 30 minute wait on pasta I expect some sort of a presentation and a fresh meal. Anyways the manager came by and gave it to me for half price because quite frankly I was afraid to order anything else for fear of receiving something that was just as bad or not fresh. How hard is it to mess up pasta? The place is in dire need of remodeling the carpet is dirty and the overall decor a drab, only the view saves it. More

riverboat on potomac

What kind of person puts that much money into a business, but cares less about what would make their customers have a better dining experience. Customers walk into this huge building with no person to greet them and show them their dining options. They have... no sweet tea, though so many customers want it. They offer no drink specials on holidays that most bars partake in, Penny, the owner, cares only about the gamblers, and the gamblers alone. She is not open to new ideas that would increase her business and sales. She has the food there because you need to sell a certain about of food in order to sell the alcohol. Nor, does she want decent staff. If you are not sitting at the bar in your work unniform after you clock out, then you do not fit in. , NO CLASS!! More

RIVERBOAT ON THE POTOMAC, Colonial Beach - Restaurant Reviews, Phone Number & Photos - Tripadvisor

  • Service: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 3.5
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National park service prepares for $113 million multi-year repair to tidal basin and west potomac seawalls.

Side by side pictures of a body of water, one a photo with crumbling, the other a drawing of the reapaired seawall

Contact: Mike Litterst

  • removing and reconstructing the existing stone masonry seawalls to include a pile-supported platform foundation that will prevent the seawalls from settling, and support height extensions of the walls if needed due to future rising sea levels or increasing storm surge,   
  • salvaging and reusing stones from the historic wall in the rehabilitated seawalls, when possible, 
  • repairing, or replacing, and widening walkways around the Tidal Basin to provide smoother, more accessible connections to other pathways, and 
  • regrading landscaping adjacent to the seawalls as necessary to provide proper drainage. 

Last updated: March 19, 2024

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Some of D.C.'s famous cherry trees will be removed to repair a crumbling sea wall

Jacob Fenston

Washington, D.C.'s famous cherry blossoms hit peak bloom on Sunday. For about 150 of the famous flowering trees, this will be their last season — they'll soon be cut down to adjust to sea-level rise.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Here in Washington, the famous cherry blossoms hit peak bloom on Sunday, blanketing parts of the capital with pink and white flowers. And there was a crowd. According to Instagram, our own Ari Shapiro was among the tourists. I had to take somebody to the airport, and the fastest route circled around the masses who were taking in the scene, getting one last chance to see the blossoms as they have been - because, of the thousands of cherry trees, more than 100 will soon be cut down to adapt to rising sea levels. Jacob Fenston has the story.

JACOB FENSTON, BYLINE: Amit Gandhi is visiting D.C. from Florida with his family. Like any good tourists, they stop and take selfies at the Tidal Basin. It's an inlet in the Potomac River surrounded by blossoming cherry trees. But the bench they're sitting on isn't next to the water. It's actually in the water.

AMIT GANDHI: It's kind of sad. I mean, we are taking pictures here, you know, because it seems interesting, because, you know, there are benches in the middle of the water.

FENSTON: The Gandhis are holding their feet up, and there are ducks swimming around the bench. This is not some freak flood. In fact, it happens every day. Mike Litterst is a spokesperson for the National Park Service.

MIKE LITTERST: During high tide, every day, twice a day, that sidewalk, that walkway go underwater.

FENSTON: There are two forces working together to undermine the Tidal Basin and the trees and monuments around it. First, the land has been sinking. It was built using mud dredged up from the Potomac River bottom, and it's settled by about five feet over the past century. At the same time, the water level has gone up by more than a foot because of climate change.

LITTERST: Combining those two factors, you now have water six feet above where the seawall was originally designed to keep it out from.

FENSTON: Later this spring, the park service will break ground on a project to raise portions of the walkway around the basin. Officials project it will be high enough to withstand about a century of future sea-level rise, and it's engineered so they can build on top of it if needed. But it will require cutting down about 140 of the iconic cherry blossom trees, including the most famous one, Stumpy.

DEBBY SWOPE: I just fell in love with Stumpy. I saw him, and I looked him up two years ago and found out he has a Facebook page.

FENSTON: Debby Swope is an eighth grade history teacher visiting from Oregon. Stumpy is a survivor. At high tide, the tree's trunk is submerged in water, and much of it's rotted out. But each spring, the tree's three or four branches burst into flower. Stumpy and the other low-lying trees will be torn out to make way for construction equipment, but clippings from the famous tree will be sent to the National Arboretum to propagate new trees. Stumpy will be mulch, but the tree's memory and scrappy genetics will live on.

For NPR News, I'm Jacob Fenston.

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Some of Washington’s Iconic Cherry Trees Are About to Disappear

The National Park Service plans to chop down 140 of the trees as it builds a new sea wall to protect the area around the Jefferson Memorial.

A gnarled cherry tree next to the Tidal Basin, with the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial in the background.

By Minho Kim

Reporting from Washington

Around 140 cherry trees that form part of Washington’s iconic spring attraction will be chopped down this year to make way for the construction of new, taller sea walls to protect the area around the Jefferson Memorial.

The National Park Service, which is overseeing the project, said on Wednesday that it had tried to minimize the loss of the trees, which erupt each year in a burst of pink and white splendor that draws more than 1.5 million visitors. But the age of the existing barriers, rising sea levels and poor drainage forced its hand.

The current sea walls have sunk as much as five feet since their construction in the late 1800s and are no longer an effective bulwark against tidal waves and storm surges. Tides submerge parts of the walls twice a day, the Park Service said.

“Despite various repairs over the decades, the sea walls are no longer structurally sound and threaten visitor safety and the historic setting, including the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin,” the Park Service said in a statement.

Blossom lovers still have one chance to experience the blooms in their full glory. Construction will not start until late May, after the conclusion of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from late March to mid-April.

The trees to be removed are only a small portion of the 3,800 cherry trees around the Tidal Basin, a serene pool wedged between the National Mall and the Potomac River, and in the adjoining West Potomac Park. But one of the most famous trees will be among the casualties: Stumpy, a small, twisted cherry tree that went viral on social media in 2020. The tree, standing only a few feet from the crumbling sea wall, has survived for many years despite constant inundation from high tides and rainstorms.

Some Stumpy fans were already making pilgrimages on Wednesday after word spread of its impending demise. Wallace Boyd, an artist from the Washington suburb Silver Spring, Md., who goes by the name Mahet, recorded a video of Stumpy while he recited a poem dedicated to the tree.

The Park Service will take clippings from Stumpy to create a baby tree in the same location where the famous cherry tree now stands, said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the Park Service. The other trees removed for construction will not be so fortunate: They will be turned into mulch that can protect the roots of new trees.

The National Park Service decided against moving Stumpy, as the tree is unlikely to survive a measure that “inadvertently damages” its roots, Mr. Litterst said. Other, healthier cherry trees will not be moved because relocating them is very expensive, he added. All told, however, the Park Service plans to plant more than 270 new cherry trees once new sea walls are completed in 2027.

The cherry trees by the National Mall were first planted in the capital city as a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912. Most of the original trees have died out, since most cherry trees live less than 50 years. Mr. Litterst said it was unclear, but very unlikely, that any original trees remained among those to be removed.

The construction, which will cost $113 million over three years, will create a new structure that can last 100 years against rising sea levels from accelerating climate change, according to the Park Service. The trail around the Tidal Basin will largely remain open during construction.

The funding for the project comes from the Great American Outdoors Act , a bipartisan law passed by Congress in 2020 that provided $9.5 billion to repair infrastructure in America’s nearly 430 national parks.

Kent Nishimura contributed reporting.

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Stumpy's last bloom: Beloved DC cherry tree receives heartfelt goodbye as renovation nears

by Ida Domingo

A Tuesday, March 19, 2024, photo of flowers and a bottle of whiskey left at the base of Stumpy the cherry tree. (Joy Wang/7News)

WASHINGTON (7News) — In the wake of the impending renovation project around the Tidal Basin, where around 300 trees are slated for removal, D.C. residents are preparing to say goodbye to the beloved cherry tree known as "Stumpy."

On Monday, someone left flowers and a bottle of whiskey at the base of Stumpy.

RELATED | 'Stumpy' the cherry tree among 300 others coming down during DC construction, NPS says

Stumpy, named for its resilient spirit despite a history of challenges, has become a symbol of the cherry blossom season in the District.

The National Park Service's (NPD) decision to cut down these trees is part of a three-year, $114 million rehabilitation project aimed at adding seawalls around the Basin and along the Potomac River to West Potomac Park, citing rising sea levels and water flow over the seawalls leaving them structurally unsound.

Last week, Mike Litterst of the NPS told 7News that twice a day, high tides force the water in the Tidal Basin to flow over the existing seawalls and onto the surrounding grounds. He explained how the seawalls have changed over time.

"Since the time they were built, some of them in the late 19th century, they've been settling. We've seen about five feet of settlement in some places. At the same time, the water levels are rising and we are now seeing water that is six feet above where it was originally," Litterst said.

The rising water has also badly damaged many of the surrounding cherry trees.

SEE ALSO | The ultimate guide to the 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC

Trees selected for removal were picked due to their locations and topography, and officials said they tried to minimize the number of trees that would face the axe.

Beginning in late May 2024, about 140 Japanese flowering cherry trees will come down between the Jefferson Memorial and the Roosevelt Memorial, and more are expected to come down as construction continues.

Once construction is complete, NPS intends to plant 455 trees (including 274 cherry trees) in the area, using mulch from the cut-down trees to spread at the base of trees throughout the park. As for Stumpy, NPS said it will take cuttings from the famous tree and create genetic matches that can be replanted.

For now, Stumpy stands tall on the south bank of the Tidal Basin for its last cherry blossom season.

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riverboat on potomac

140 cherry trees being removed for Potomac River seawall construction in DC

W ASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — The National Park Service (NPS) said Wednesday that construction on seawalls guarding areas of the Potomac River will begin in May, forcing the removal of 140 Japanese cherry trees in the area.

NPS said that the cherry trees are among more than 300 trees that crews will remove between the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the FDR Memorial.

Crews will replant 455 trees after the construction is finished in 2027. That includes 274 cherry trees.

NPS said in a statement that it took precautions to minimize the number of trees that had to be removed and considered tree locations and topography.

Construction in 2024 will not affect the National Cherry Blossom Festival, held from March 20 through April 14.

The Tidal Basin trails will remain open throughout construction, but there may be some temporary pedestrian detours.

The trails along the river often fall victim to flooding from seawall damage, prompting closures. Built in the late 1800s to early 1900s, the seawalls have suffered from from rising sea levels and poor drainage. Some portions have settled as much as five feet, according to the statement.

“The seawalls are no longer structurally sound and threaten visitor safety and the historic setting, including the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin,” the statement said.

The three-year plan to revitalize the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park is funded through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), passed in August 2020.

The GAOA website says that the project will expand recreation and public opportunities, improve public safety in areas with high visitation, and reduce the costs of annual operation and emergency repairs.

This project represents an investment of more than $113 million from the GAOA, the bill’s largest project funded in D.C. to date. The National Park Service plans to pour $500 million into the areas surrounding the National Mall before July 2026 in celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.

140 cherry trees being removed for Potomac River seawall construction in DC

WTOP News

IVF ‘not the only option’ for couples struggling to start families

Gigi Barnett | [email protected]

March 18, 2024, 5:00 AM

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Sarah Shafer with her daughters, Evie, 7, and Libby, 3

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For more than eight years, Sarah Shafer tried to get pregnant. She spent thousands of dollars and priceless time undergoing nearly 20 intrauterine insemination (IUI) attempts.

When nothing worked, Shafer switched fertility specialists. And her new doctor gave her some insight.

“Our doctor looked right at me, and he said, ‘Do you know the definition of insanity?'” she said. “He said, ‘Sarah, you need to do IVF. For you to have done that many (IUI attempts) is absolutely insane.’ It was the epiphany I needed.”

Shortly after, her daughter Evie came along. Three years later, Shafer and her husband, Zach, welcomed Libby.

“I just needed a little bit of help getting my body moving in the right direction,” she said. “Just knowing what your options are is so incredibly important.”

Fertility specialists say that’s the first step in the family-building process: knowing the options.

The most common are IUIs and in vitro fertilization, commonly called IVF, said Dr. Kate Devine, the medical director and chief research officer for US Fertility and a practicing reproductive endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility.

“A lot of patients think that if they’re being referred to a fertility specialist, then they’re going straight to IVF, and it’s not the only option,” said Devine. “So, I would encourage patients who are trying to build their families to not be afraid to see a fertility doctor early in the process.”

IUI involves doctors injecting a washed sperm specimen directly into a patient’s uterus. It’s a low-tech, less expensive option that improves the probability of pregnancy each month, Devine told WTOP.

“Think of it as an Uber ride for sperm,” she said. “Sperm aren’t super smart, and the closer we get them to the target, which is the egg, the more of them will get there.”

Then there is IVF, which requires the egg to be fertilized outside of the patient’s body. Doctors either inject the sperm directly inside the egg or place the egg and sperm in a dish and allow them to merge.

IVF is a high-tech alternative that can cost north of $17,000 for a single fertilization cycle, according to Shady Grove Fertility .

It’s a daunting price tag for many patients.

However, researchers at Shady Grove say about 70% of patients have some insurance coverage for fertility treatments, and 90 percent have coverage for the initial consultation.

But after that, much of it can be spent out of pocket.

Shafer, 44, said it was a price she was willing to pay.

She has since started a foundation called Fertility Dreams to help other couples struggling with infertility shoulder the costs. Her foundation recently raised more than $30,000 to help a family with a full IVF round. The donation led to the family welcoming a baby in December.

“It’s incredible,” Shafer said. “We’re raising awareness. The more we can get people involved and talking about it and knowing that they’re not alone. A lot of people need help getting into the door.”

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here .

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Gigi Barnett is an anchor at WTOP. She has worked in the media for more than 20 years. Before joining WTOP, she was an anchor at WJZ-TV in Baltimore, KXAN-TV in Austin, Texas, and a staff reporter at The Miami Herald. She’s a Navy wife and mom of three.

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