Sip and spin: National Harbor’s Capital Wheel gets new outdoor lounge

The Flight Deck outdoor lounge will serve wine, champagne, cocktails and light bites. (Courtesy National Harbor Capital Wheel)
The Flight Deck outdoor lounge will serve wine, Champagne, cocktails and light bites. (Courtesy National Harbor Capital Wheel)
The Flight Deck lounge is set to open May 25, which is also National Wine Day. (Courtesy National Harbor Capital Wheel)
The Flight Deck lounge is set to open May 25, which also is National Wine Day. (Courtesy National Harbor Capital Wheel)
Staff members get an early peek at the Flight Deck lounge.Visitors who buy an insulated adult sippy cup can take their drinks for a spin on the wheel. (Courtesy National Harbor Capital Wheel)
“The view from The Capital Wheel is stunning any time of day,” says Derek Lovato, vice president and general manager of The Capital Wheel. (Courtesy National Harbor Capital Wheel)
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The Flight Deck outdoor lounge will serve wine, champagne, cocktails and light bites. (Courtesy National Harbor Capital Wheel)
The Flight Deck lounge is set to open May 25, which is also National Wine Day. (Courtesy National Harbor Capital Wheel)

WASHINGTON — National Harbor’s Capital Wheel has added a ground-level lounge that will serve up salads and light bites, and let wheel passengers take a drink along with them to sip and enjoy the view.

The Flight Deck will open to the public May 25, which is also National Wine Day.

“The view from The Capital Wheel is stunning any time of day,” said Derek Lovato, vice president and general manager.

“Now, with the addition of Flight Deck, it’s also a fantastic spot for sunset cocktails, date night or a celebratory event with friends.”

Flight Deck will serve wine, Champagne, cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks. Offerings from two Maryland breweries include Loose Cannon, the flagship beer of Heavy Seas Brewery; and Homestead Hefeweizen from Milkhouse Brewery, which uses hops grown exclusively in Maryland.

Lounge visitors can also buy an insulated adult sippy cup to take their drinks with for a spin on the wheel. Admission to ride the wheel costs $15 for adults.

Flight Deck also will be available for private parties and company events.

The Capital Wheel opened at National Harbor in 2014, with 42 climate-controlled gondolas, each with room for eight passengers. The wheel lights up at night, with more than 11.6 million programmable LED lights.

 

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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