I am going to try to get to DC for the cherry blossom bloom this year, middle of March. Any advice from those of you who live near or who have seen it? Is it an overcrowded mess of people and traffic? I hate crowds but I’ve always wanted to see all the pink blooms around the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin.
Suggestions for making this more enjoyable are appreciated.
Just go. Yes, it’s crowded. But i was lucky to see these in bloom…and it is fabulous. It will be a slow drive around the tidal Basin but well worth it. You can also park them and walk around if it’s nice. Honestly…worth battling the crowds!
Very early morning!
(I’m going to PM you.)
I was planning on walking around the cherry trees after parking in a public garage. I don’t mind a long walk.
It is a crowded time of year. Spring break, school trips, & people who just want to see them. We will be there this year, visiting D1 over D2’s spring break (grad school means 6 more years of vacationing on a school schedule!)
S17 and I went to DC three years ago as a special treat. We didn’t even realize it was cherry blossom time. We bought tickets on one of those on and off tour buses and did just that. We had a great day and saw plenty of blossoms. We also saw a bunch of monuments, including FDR, MLK and Viet Nam. Being able to get off the bus, walk a bit and then get back on was really helpful. We stayed at a hotel in Maryland at the end of one of the train lines to save money. It had a shuttle bus to the Metro.
Little known fact: the biggest collection of cherry trees in the US is in Branch Brook Park, in Newark NJ. And it is spectacular. So if you can’t get to DC or don’t want to fight the insane crowds, it’s the place to be.
We saw nice cherry blossoms in South Korea and my sister saw a nice display while touring Japan. We lucked upon a nice display of cherry blossoms when there was a cold snap when I was in Washington DC several years ago. It was lovely and there were no crowds as it was earlier than the blossoms were supposed to appear.
https://cherryblossomwatch.com/cherry-blossom-photography-tips-avoiding-crowds/
I recommend going early morning and watching the sunrise.
https://cherryblossomwatch.com/peak-bloom-forecast/amp/ We found Sunday morning to be the best time. As others have said, go early.
Make sure to try out the Cherry Blossom Popup Bar.
https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/03/01/dc-cherry-blossom-pop-up-bar-2018/
We go before the tour buses arrive (which is generally around 10 am). Going at sunset is also nice and a bit less crowded. Expect to park at a distance (or take Metro) and walk a number of blocks. Circumference of the tidal basin is about 1.75 miles; by the time we get to the car and back, my fitbit tells me I’ve walked three.
The FDR, MLK and Jefferson Memorials are also along the basin, so it’s a nice historical walk as well.
Tour buses, yuck. Yes, I will try and get there very early. Thanks for letting me know the mileage. The distance is not bad at all.
I thought it was great 30 plus years ago. Truthfully the last few times I’ve been there it has been wall to wall people. I love the city of DC and it’s many attractions, but IMO the cherry blossoms are the most overrated thing here.