The D.C. Cherry Blossom Watch

by | Mar 27, 2016 | District of Columbia, United States | 0 comments

 

I would not be pleased to break my recent streak of weekly travel for the past 8 weeks. Therefore, this weekend I headed to our nation’s capital for the annual cherry blossom festival where the cherry blossoms are at their peak bloom.

After work on a long Saturday, I boarded a 6:30pm Megabus and arrived around 11pm.

Since I had over 40,000 SPG points (that I had acquired by being an American Express SPG cardholder) that were about to expire, I was instructed to keep them alive by getting a free night stay at the St. Regis hotel, a Category 6 Starwood property and one of the nation’s best hotels. Can’t complain if I’m forced to stay here!

 

 

The next morning I walked 30 minutes south from the St. Regis to the Tidal Basin. Here’s where all the action is happening when the cherry blossom trees are at their peak bloom, and you only have 3-4 days to see it every year before the flowers wilt and pass.

The Japanese gifted us with 2 cherry blossom trees as a sign of friendship in 1912. Then 1800 more trees were planted between 1913-1920. Then the annual festival was then established in 1935 with a brief suspension during World War II (for obvious reasons). After 3,800 more Yoshino trees were gifted by the Japanese in 1965, you get the result you see today.

Enjoy elbowing your way through the crowds when you get here!

 

 

Afterwards, celebrate with a drink at POV bar, a rooftop bar at the W hotel overlooking the city!

 

Running into my friend Eugene from ECAASU!

 

After a dinner at Founding Farmers, I then caught up with my fellow social justice warrior Ilana Alazzeh, loyal monsooner Shanika Jayakody, and ECAASU alumnus (who hosted me back when I was in San Diego in 2010!) Eugene Mok over hookah at Nomad for a few hours, before boarding the overnight 11pm Megabus home back to NYC.

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- At time of posting in Washington, D.C., it was 12 °C - Humidity: 27% | Wind Speed: 14km/hr | Cloud Cover: overcast

 

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