We finally made it downtown for the D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival! Whoop! Honestly it had become that one thing we just didn’t do as residents of the D.C. suburbs (here’s why). But I was dying to go this year, and we made it a big family outing, grandparents, kids, and all! And let me tell you, those cherry blossoms are magnificent!
Thinking about cherry blossoms?
The cherry blossoms during peak blooming are a sight to see for sure. If you’re thinking about going, my best recommendation is to be flexible (if you can) with your timing!
We went this past Sunday afternoon. It was a cold, blustery day, but just two days before the official peak started. Saturday’s weather was warm and sunny, and though I have no data to back up this supposition, I’m guessing that sooo many people opted to trek in to see the cherry blossoms on Saturday instead. That left Sunday a relatively crowd-free day at the tidal basin! Certainly there were plenty of people, but it was not the wall to wall of people that my husband had feared. There was plenty of space for our umbrella stroller to roll, and lots of friendly canines out too! Next time we’ll bring Sandy!
If you’re willing and able, consider picking a less ideal day to venture downtown to see the cherry blossoms. A quick weather forecast glance will tell you temps and weather conditions. Cool weather or even light rain should not be a deterrent! Early spring in D.C. is often still cold, and when dressed appropriately, the cherry blossoms can be enjoyed just as easily, more so even, on a cold day! Confession: I had a cute outfit ready to go and then called my mom to bring warmer clothes! Wear your cute outfit under your coat and shrug it off for photos, but it always better to be warmly dressed than shivering outside. No shame in boots at the cherry blossoms, *wink.*
Cherry blossoms: before, during, or after peak?
As I said, our excursion this weekend was just two days before peak blooms. It was perfect! No doubt the official “peak” days draw incredible crowds, especially on beautiful weather days. And while the cherry blossoms are probably still pretty at the end of their life, think about flowers you have at home. Aren’t they so much prettier when most of the buds are open and a few left to bloom than they are when petals are dropping and flowers wilting?
Bottom line: Best viewing is on a slightly less ideal (weather-wise) day just before peak blossoms. We went on a weekend; I bet if you’re able to visit on a similar day during the week it’s even better!
A few other helpful tips at the cherry blossoms
We parked at the Warf in a parking garage. We had to drive around for awhile looking for a spot inside, and we spent $25 on parking, but it was fairly close to the tidal basin and much more convenient than Metro-ing with littles, a stroller, and all their stuff.
The Warf also has public restrooms available, a huge step up from the portable alternatives along the cherry blossom route, and way easier to navigate with our 3 year old. It was very helpful benefit, and this alone was worth the cost of parking!
And a final benefit of Warf-ing it: ice cream! Actually there were a number of places to eat, from frozen treats and donuts to sit down restaurants. Obviously, we opted for ice cream even though it was cold.
Also, don’t forget to check out the extra things happening during the cherry blossom festival! One year we happened accidentally upon the kite festival, which was really cool. This year we intentionally went on the day they were featuring the Japanese drummers which was excellent too. Lots of fun activities focused around the cherry blossoms during those couple of weeks.
One last tip for you involving the Jefferson Memorial. Well, two actually. First, you would be remiss if you didn’t take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the monument from the far side of the tidal basin; it’s stunning, especially when surrounded by cherry blossoms. And second, if you make your way around the basin to the back of the Jefferson, there’s a small but mostly contained grassy area that’s perfect to let kids run around and get their wiggles out after they (presumably) were so well behaved and staying with you on your trek around the cherry blossoms. It’s a great place to pause, have a snack, and run before heading back around the basin.
And there you have it folks. Embrace the crowd, scope out your plans ahead of time, be flexible, and enjoy the cherry blossoms! And welcome to D.C.!
I do miss the Cherry blossoms! We’re gonna have to make it down sometime.
There’s still time this year! This week is peak blooming! 😛