Have you ever been to Washington, D.C. during the famous cherry blossom festival? My father and I took a road trip to go see the beautiful blooms last weekend. It turned out that April 1st (this is not a joke hehe) was peak bloom for the cherry blossoms, so last weekend was the perfect weekend to go!
On Saturday, we were blessed with beautiful sunny warm weather. It was perfect for exploring D.C. We visited a the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Smithsonian.
We had some rain on Sunday, but it cleared shortly and we made the most of the morning. We visited the Capitol, US Botanic Gardens and the National Archives.
Here are some travel tips for your next visit to D.C.:
- Do your research. Find out when peak bloom is and plan your trip accordingly! I planned this trip about a month in advanced after referring to online sources on the festival.
- Book a hotel if you live as far away as we do (4 hours) While it can be done in one day, I highly recommend staying over and relaxing. You now have a place to leave your belongings and explore! I highly recommend the Moxy, it is a really trendy hotel in a great location.
- Use Spothero. This was my first time using this app and I am SO happy with the results! With this app, I was able to purchase a parking spot on the way to D.C. and simply scan my phone for access in/out of the garage. It was super easy, and allows you to select your parking space based on your preferences (cost/overhead garage/timing/location/etc.)
- Charge your camera and phone- you will want to capture these beautiful monuments and blooms!
- I HIGHLY recommend bringing and using allergy medicine if you suffer from seasonal allergies like myself. The pollen levels were extremely high and I barely slept Saturday night from the allergens. I use Allegra-D myself, but consult your doctor for what works best for you. Pack tissues/eye drops just in case too.
- Research good eats! Who does not love a good foodie destination? We all know I had my instagrammable spots ready.
- Plan your outfits for your photos! The Cherry Blossom festival means lots of pink and white blooms, so I wore a cute boho fuchsia dress from Tilly’s! On the agenda for day 2 was the US Botanic Gardens and that means colors and lush scenes! I went with a bright cozy yellow sweater with “honey” written across the front. 🙂
Hope you find these tips helpful! Have you been to the Cherry Blossom Festival?
Becsea 