This week, we're launching Gothamist's travel content, Gothamist Getaways. Four times a year, we'll have a week of posts featuring looks at travel, food, products and tips, near and far, for making your trips more pleasurable. So enjoy and let us know if you have any hints for us—email [email protected].
With spring arriving, the city is becoming more colorful. Leaves are budding and very soon cherry blossoms will bloom. You can take the subway to Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see cherry blossoms blooming, but if you want to see a city covered in the flowers, plan a last-minute trip to the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., which ends on April 13th.
Enjoy D.C. in its flower-powered glory with the many cherry blossom themed events taking place from Cherry Blossom Grand Ball on April 11th to the famed Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on April 12th. Also, did you realize there's a Cherry Blossom Cam?
Cherry Blossom Tea at the Willard InterContinental
To celebrate, Washington’s Willard InterContinental is hosting a Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea until April 13th. The tea happens daily from 1:00pm-3:00pm with a menu of sandwiches (like tarragon chicken salad with dried cherries), scones (including cherry scones) and tea pastries including Japanese moon cake and a brandied cherry short cake. Sip tea in Peacock Alley decorated with freshly picked cherry blossoms, while listening to sounds of Koto. The tea is $48 for adults, $22 for kids and if you want to add some champagne to the menu, $59.
Besides the allure of posting Instagram pics of these gorgeous flowers and your afternoon tea, DC’s appeal is that it’s both affordable and close. A ride on a fancy Boltbus with free Wi-Fi and lots of legroom clocks in at just a 4 hours. So for those of you, who are looking to for an inexpensive and spontaneous spring getaway, have fun in DC. Your founding forefathers would be proud.
GETTING THERE
No car is needed in DC, and parking can be a pain—so unless you already have a car, we highly recommend taking the Bolt Bus or its competitor the Megabus. If the Bolt Bus is sold out, there's also Amtrak as an option, and flying.
GETTING AROUND
DC's Metro ain't too shabby, plus, its cabs are relatively affordable. As a New Yorker, you'll be fine here—don't worry about not having a car. There's also the very popular Capital Bikeshare.
WHERE TO STAY
There is an abundance of great hotels in the DC area. The National Cherry Blossom Festival has a list of hotels with Cherry Blossom packages enabling you to stay near the action. Rates range from $80/night to $295/night.
And when you need a break from the cherry blossoms, there's someone very cute you should meet.
