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Bloom Watch: What to Expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival


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What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
 

I cannot believe my weekend in DC went by as astronomically fast as it did. To sum it up in one word, I’d say it was boss. I’ve missed S so much, and quite honestly, with all the changes happening at work and at home, I needed an escape. Immediately. My planned vacation couldn’t have come at a better time either, since my gorgeous and talented friend/former sister queen Kate finally got a break from her busy Philadelphia performing schedule and was able to join us for two days! And to make matters even better, another long lost love/pageant friend, Alex, recently relocated to DC for a position as a journalist for the Washington Post, so she and her roommate were able to met us on Saturday for our epic play date in downtown DC for the final weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
 

After a lazy evening post flight at the Salamander Resort in Middleburg, VA, we three chicks were wide-eyed and ready to see some cherry blossoms come morning. We left Sarah’s adorable home in Aldie around 11 and didn’t park until approximately 1:30. Spoiler Alert: Traffic in DC, particularly during the final weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival, is one of the most frustrating vehicular hardships I’ve ever endured. Obviously, we passed the time taking iPhone car selfies and discussing in detail everything we planned to eat that day.

Accordingly, our first order of business was to pick up some famous seasonal Cherry Blossom pop tarts from Ted’s Bulletin on Capital Hill. If the brightly-colored sprinkles aren’t enough of an indication, they were amazing. We took our pop tarts to go and paired them with mimosas at the Chesapeake Room, where we met up with Alex and Catalina, as a pre-lunch appetizer.

What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
 

We literally received over 20 non-related collective compliments on our dresses, which was flattering to say the least. I would say that I was super pleased with the overall hospitality of the city; however, we also witnessed three street fights and one alleged child abuse case materializing before our eyes within a five minute period. We unanimously agreed on the utilization of Uber’s services from that point forward.

What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
 

After a fabulous lunch, sufficient gossip session, and mandatory slurpee pit stop at 7-11, it was National Cherry Blossom Festival time. On the real no lie, I had no idea how big of a deal this event was. Tens of thousands of people came out to celebrate the capital’s unofficial springtime celebration. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t care about the mass quantity of people (not true- I’m not a crowd person regardless); however, S and I ended up losing the rest of the girls for the duration of the afternoon, which was unfortunate. Boo to your mob scene, DC!

What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
 
 

 

After a much needed nap on our tartan blanket, which I debated stealing from S, we ventured to the area overlooking the Washington Monument for a BFF photo op.

 

What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
 

 

To top of the most wonderful day filled with cherry blossoms and thousands of sweaty strangers, we cabbed it back to Capital Hill and stopped back at Ted’s Bulletin for some appetizers and two of their world famous malt milkshakes. Of course S and I chose the same flavor, s’mores, and we literally sucked up every drop.

 

What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
What to expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC

 

Sugar, specifically in milkshake form, makes me one happy little 6-year-old trapped in an adult body. After our inevitable sugar crash, we drove back to S’s manor in Aldie and called it an early night. The Cherry Blossom Festival was literally a sight I will never ever forget. You just don’t get any more gorgeous than light pink cherry blossom petals dropping through the air like flurries, especially when you’re a snow-deprived Floridian.

 

Have you ever been to the Cherry Blossom Festival? If you haven’t, I highly encourage you do so… just beware of the crowd and opt for alternate transportation. The traffic is enough to drive anyone cray. Oh, and to see more of my Washington DC travel adventures, click here and here.

 

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29 thoughts on “Bloom Watch: What to Expect at the National Cherry Blossom Festival”

  14. 2justByou

    Looks like you had a much-needed break and had a great time! Thanks for sharing.
    I haven't visited your lovely blog in a little while, and it looks fabulous. I love your new photo. =0)
    Hope you enjoy the rest of your week,
    Kim
    2justByou

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