Nothing welcomes Spring quite like a quick little visit to the nations capitol for the Cherry Blossom festival. Surrounded by the sweet aroma of fresh buds, the glowing pink trees and the warmth of the summer weather that is soon to come, a weekend trip to D.C.with one of my girlfriends was just what I needed to say “hello”to spring!
D.C. is a lot to tackle, especially during the Cherry Blossom season as along with the stunning flowers comes the not so stunning crowds of people… and when I say crowds, I’m talking Disney world kind of crowds, it was crazy! But don’t let that steer you away from visiting Washington D.C. during the Cherry Blossom festival as there is definitely a way to TO do the blossoms versus voiding them completely.
First and foremost, get there early, and I mean REALLY early (probably 7ish for the least amount of people photo-bombing your views). We were down at the Tidal Basin around 8:30/9 o’clock and the crowds were definitely starting to flow in. As we made our way around the water,the pathway kept becoming more and more tight and narrow as we had to weave our way through the masses of people all while trying not to fall in the water!
Blogger Tip: For those of you trying to take pictures, my advice is to map out your locations and the restrooms that are nearby as well so you don’t get stuck changing behind a tree at the Jefferson Memorial… (yes this happened- haha!). Familiarize yourself with the areas you want to shoot beforehand, look on Google Maps for bathrooms and bring along a bag that will be well suited for quick changes and weaving in and out of people.
And while we’re on the topic of tips, another thing to mention is shoes. If you are planning to do D.C.in two days (or really any amount of days for that matter) bring comfortable shoes!! Regardless of whether or not you plan to do a lot of walking, chances are you are going to be walking a heck of a lot more than you think and having the right shoes from the start will make all the difference. I recommend a pair of classic white sneakers to get the most out of every outfit in your suit case.
While we didn’t make our trip all about the history this time around, as a first timer in D.C., a quick visit to the monuments was necessary. After shooting a few photos in the morning, we headed back to our hotel to drop off our things before heading back down to the National Mall where we took in all the sights and paid tribute to the monuments and memorials. Being my first time in D.C., I really had no idea what to expect, but to my surprise, it actually reminded me a lot of Europe! We didn’t have time this trip, but I would love to go back and have a picnic in between the Washington monument and the Capitol building. Note to self for next time around!
After visiting the sites, we made our way towards 14th Street which is a fun area of the city which caters to locals and tourists alike. Along 14th Street, you’ll find adorable boutiques, restaurants galore and plenty of great spots to sit down and recharge.
Around 3 o’clock (after having walked 10 miles!) we wound up enjoying margaritas accompanied by chips and salsa at the rooftop of El Centro. 10/10 would recommend! After a little afternoon snack, we headed over to Colada Shop to take in the views from their adorable rooftop while sipping on the tastiest spring drink!
Day 2 brought us to Georgetown, and let me tell you… this place is just as quaint and adorable as it looks! Quite honestly, I fell in love with Georgetown and already can’t wait to go back. For those looking to do a little bit of shopping, café hopping and dessert tasting – this is your spot!
We kicked off our morning at Georgetown Café with the tastiest pink latté (festive for the Cherry Blossom festival!) and baked goodies to go alongside with it. The woman who owned the shop along with the rest of the staff were incredibly sweet and so welcoming! With more than just coffee, this is the perfect spot for a little pick me up.
As if Georgetown couldn’t get any cuter, a stop by Greenworks is a must for both your pleasure and the gram – major heart eyes here! We lucked out and didn’t have to wait too long to snap our pics due to it being a Sunday, so I would recommend visiting the shop on a Sunday or after hours to get the best shots of this cute little spot! Also to note, across the street from Greenworks is another fun coffee shop – Saxby’s, which with the right lighting, could also make a great IG backdrop.
Last but not least, one cannot leave without a stop to Georgetown Cupcakes (famous from the show, D.C.cupcakes). While some would like to argue that it’s over-rated, I would beg to differ. Georgetown Cupcakes is a total must and in order to make your experience a breeze I HIGHLY recommend pre-ordering your cakes to go! You can easily do this on their website, just be sure to do it at least a day in advance before 3pm to ensure that your order will be ready when you arrive. By pre-ordering, you will save yourself so much time by not having to stand in line and it will give you that much more time to enjoy your cupcakes and the rest of Georgetown!
As I’m writing this post, I’m already dreaming of my next visit to D.C. With so much to see and do, you really can’t go wrong with whatever you chose to do during your time in this charming city!
Have you been to D.C. or are you planning an upcoming trip? I would love to hear all about your travels (or plans) in the comments below 🙂
Cheers to it finally being spring!
Leave a Reply