Six Tips to Beat the Crowds at the Cherry Blossom Festival

A few years ago, I posted an open invitation to join me at the Cherry Blossom Festival on my Facebook page.  My friend Jess came, with husband and baby in tow.  We were so excited...until we hit the crowds.  All of a sudden, instead of letting our thoughts drift away with the blossoms on the breeze, most of our attention was focused on simply not losing each other.  As a lovely afternoon in the sun became a chore, we lost our enthusiasm, cut our losses, and vowed to be better prepared next year.

Fast forward, and another friend, Kelly, and I decided to meet at sunrise and commute into the District for an impromptu cherry blossom date.  And it was magical.

Who knew Wednesday morning under the cherry blossoms could be so magical?  Obviously, this well-prepared fairy.

Lesson learned.  Actually, six lessons learned...  

Not for the claustrophobic, or the faint of heart.

1. Don't even bother going on the weekend.
Ladies and gentlemen, the cherry blossoms are beautiful.  You will be trying to soak in their luminescence, but everyone else will be bumping into you as they try to prevent disembodied hats from sneaking into their viewfinders.  In the early morning, though, the crowds are thinner, and by evening, a lot of the day-trippers are exhausted.  Runners jogging at dawn and dusk have some of the prettiest Instagrams out there.

You just know this guy knows that weekday mornings are how to beat the crowds.  Except maybe those that gather to admire his paintings.

2. Just go on a weekday morning.
Talented people make art on weekday mornings.  Strong people run or bike by the river, or row on it.  Lighthearted children frolic.  You too appreciate the beauty in life.  Take the morning and go!

Also, foot traffic is lighter, metro trains are more frequent, metro track work is rare, hotel rates are cheaper, nearby coffee shops are less crowded, and nearly everything else is also open.

Sunny, warm (but not hot) weather makes for blooming trees and comfortable viewing.

3. Go when the flowers are actually in bloom, not when they were first expected to bloom.
The Park Service publishes when its rangers/botanists expect the trees to bloom, but the date frequently shifts according to local weather, and nothing's worse than braving the crowds only to see bare branches.

Locals in the know keep an eye on the website and an ear to the District's radio stations that provide updates with the news...or just watch the trees from their regular commute (395's 14th St Bridge and the Yellow Line are particularly handy).  Because so many out-of-towners book their trips far in advance, years where the peak bloom shifts more than a week can be a godsend for those who have flexibility in their travel plans.

Landmarks are farther away than they appear.  Crowds make everything take longer.

4. Plan out your transportation and meeting spots ahead of time.
The L'Enfant Plaza metro stop is both a major transfer station and one of the closest stops to the Tidal Basin (the Smithsonian station, mid-Mall, is the other).  Expect both to be crowded at all rush hours and on cherry blossom weekends.  They're still a better option than trying to find parking near the Jefferson Memorial or shelling out for the high hourly rates in a garage.

WMATA.com has the location of the Metro's garages in the suburbs, with far more reasonable rates, as well as detailed bus line maps.  Capital Bikeshare has a station on East Basin Drive, but expect low bike availability.  If you ride in, keep the bike with you so you can ride out.  The DC Circulator ($1, every 10 minutes) does a good job of getting you downtown, but the stops are mostly north of the Mall.  If you do drive: there is very limited free parking in East and West Potomac Park, and most of the buildings between the Mall and the Tidal Basin are government buildings without public parking.

DC Rider, Embark DC, and Infomaps Metro Washington DC are solid apps for iPhone, while DC Metro Transit is an Android favorite, with metro maps, schedules, and alerts (the better to avoid weekend track work with, my pretty).  Your train isn't moving?  @WMATA may be answering dissatisfied customers on Twitter about unexpected single-tracking or bus delays.

And if you're lost, the National Cherry Blossom Festival app (also available on iPhone and Android) conveniently includes a map of all the sites, as well as information about tours, exhibits, and other events.  Be warned - with so many people in one area, signal strength and battery life decrease quickly.  Hard copies of information booklets can be found at Festival Welcome Centers at Union Station and near the Tidal Basin paddle boats.

Potomac Park blossoms - two blocks and a world away from the Tidal Basin.

4. Get off the beaten path.
Lots of tourists hit the area around the Washington Monument and the stretch along the Tidal Basin between 15th St. SW and the Jefferson Monument.  It's close to the metro, so it's convenient.  But here's the thing...that is in no way the only place or best place to see the cherry blossoms.  Other places to try: from the Mount Vernon Trail on the Virginia bank of the Potomac, East Potomac Park (also a site for the Marine Corps Marathon), the Arlington Memorial Bridge, FDR Park, and even the rooftop bars of a few downtown hotels.

Artsy picture...possible only because I staked out the area underneath a tree.

5. Bring snacks and water.  Actually, bring a picnic.
Sure, there are refreshment stands along the Mall and near the Jefferson Memorial, but do you really want to wait in line for an overpriced bottle of water and a picked-over selection of candy?  If you throw a blanket down under an interesting tree (especially one about ten feet away from a path), you have an instantly private oasis.  You won't lose your friends when you pause to dodge an amateur photographer, you'll get some artistic, skyward pictures of your own, and you'll be the envy of the hungry and parched.  Just note that the Park Service frowns upon alcoholic beverages (and some other things).

The Smithsonian may be as crowded as the Tidal Basin, and it's a long walk for little ones.  Hit something closer or take the Metro a few stops to a coffee shop that still has an orange mocha frappachino in the refrigerated case.

6. Take the opportunity to tour something else while you're in the area.
Get out of the sun/rain/madding crowd and take shelter in the relatively calm buildings nearby.  The Bureau of Engraving and Printing on 14th St. SW will show you how American cash is printed  (free, weekdays 8:30 am to 7:30 pm), while the Holocaust Memorial Museum next door provides a soberer experience (free, every day 10-5:20, closing an hour late on spring weekdays).  The Smithsonian generally has exhibits tied into the festival (free, various hours).  If you forgot to bring your own snacks, the Mitisam Cafe at the American Indian Museum has some of the best museum food around.  (Seriously.  It has its own cookbook.)  Also, clean bathrooms.


Cherry Blossom Festival veterans - what do you recommend to your rookie friends?