Every Friday at Real Property Management Regions, we set aside property talk to focus on something bigger: the people and places that make the Virginia Northern Neck, Virginia Middle Peninsula, and Caroline County home. These stories matter because they remind us why we live here, why we invest here, and why community is always at the heart of what we do. Fridays are about connection, tradition, and yes, a little bit of fun.
The Playground on the Potomac
This week, we’re staying right here in Colonial Beach, Virginia, the “Playground on the Potomac.” For more than a century, steamboats carried families from Washington, D.C. to this shoreline for fishing, boardwalk strolls, and unforgettable sunsets. The Potomac River has always been more than water, it’s memory, history, and heritage woven into every ripple.
And today, thanks to Jennell and Gary, it carries something new: Cruisin’ Tikis Colonial Beach, a floating tiki bar experience unlike anything else in Virginia.
From Weekends Away to Building a New Life
Jennell grew up in nearby King George County, with Colonial Beach as part of her childhood. Gary spent years commuting across the Potomac as part of the team building the new Harry Nice Bridge. During Covid, weekends in Colonial Beach became their retreat. By 2021, the couple decided to make this riverside town their home.
Then came the idea that changed everything. One morning, Jennell spotted that Solomons Island, Maryland had launched a tiki cruise. She turned to Gary and said, “Colonial Beach needs this.” They booked a ride, loved every moment, and returned convinced their community deserved the same. Soon after, they brought Virginia’s very first floating tiki bar franchise to life, anchored right here in their new hometown.
A New Chapter in Colonial Beach History
For generations, the Potomac has been about connection, once with steamboats bringing visitors by the hundreds, and now with a tiki boat carrying families, friends, and even pups. What Jennell and Gary created isn’t just a business; it’s a continuation of that story. It’s celebration on the water, laughter under the sky, and memories made in the heart of Colonial Beach.
What to Expect on a Tiki Cruise
- Two-hour cruises, private or public
- Licensed USCG captains
- Bluetooth speaker system for your playlist
- Coolers with ice (BYOB)
- Legendary Monroe Bay sunset cruises
Popular for birthdays, anniversaries, bachelor/bachelorette parties, or just an evening with friends, the tiki has already become one of the top things to do in Colonial Beach, VA. If you’ve never seen a Monroe Bay sunset from the water, it’s an experience you won’t forget.
And who knows, maybe one day we’ll even see a tiki wedding float across Monroe Bay (we’re looking at you, Deborah 👀).
Plan Your Cruise
Why go bar hopping when you can hop on the bar?
Book your tiki adventure at cruisintikis.com/colonial-beach or call 1-877-CB-TIKIS (228-4547).
At Real Property Management Regions, we believe community is the foundation of every great place to live. That’s why every Friday we share stories like this one, not just to highlight history, but to honor the people writing it today. Here’s to Jennell and Gary, to Colonial Beach, and to the next chapter of memories made on the Potomac.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
