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Washington, DC and cherry blossom trees are the perfect ingredients for a romantic weekend getaway. Spring is finally on its way. After months of waiting for the sun to come out and the temperature to be warmer, it is finally here. Join the hundreds of thousands of other people and welcome spring with the blooming flowers at the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event that commemorates the 1912 gift of Japanese cherry trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC to enhance the relationship between the United States and Japan. To accommodate all the prepared events, the festival has stretched into a 2-week event from March 29 until April 13 this year, scoping three weekends - that gives you three chances to go to Washington, DC and have your romantic weekend getaway while the festival takes place.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in the city, surrounding the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin. One of the first things you might want to do for your romantic weekend getaway is to go for an early morning walk and picnic on the Tidal Basin to avoid the rush of the crowd. You can bring your own breakfast and enjoy each other's company and the beautiful weather. After this, rent out a 2-passenger paddle boat for only $8 per hour and view the Jefferson Memorial and Japanese Cherry Trees from the water. Or, if you want to know more about the history of the cherry blossom trees and the festival, you can have a Cherry Blossom Tour with a National Park Service Ranger for free! If you still have enough time before the scheduled event in the morning commences, take the 3-hour City Scooter Tour to see the memorials and monuments along the Tidal Basin and National Mall.
From the first to the very last day, the National Cherry Blossom Festival has special events for everyone to enjoy. The Opening Day Festivities is a day-long event with dozens of activities, special performances and ceremonial speeches by the city officials and other dignitaries. Other activities include sports competitions, tree planting, art shows, concerts and cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, the Washington Savoyards' rendition of The Mikado, fireworks display on board the Spirit Cruises, marching bands, a Gala Dinner Cruise and more! Whatever weekend you choose to have your romantic getaway, you are both sure to find something interesting for you to do together.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade is the largest event of the year in Washington, DC. It will be a great romantic weekend getaway to actually experience it. The parade consists of decorated floats, huge colorful balloons, clowns, antique vehicles, horses, marching bands from different schools across the nation and celebrity performances or appearances.
Experience a different kind of street party at the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival. It is one of the major events of the National Cherry Blossoms Festival, and the biggest Japanese street gathering in the whole country. Have a look at the one-of-a-kind Japanese gardening display and floral arrangement from the exhibits of Japanese bonsai trees and more. Through this street festival, your romantic weekend getaway will allow you to learn some culinary techniques with a cooking demonstration of Japanese cuisine. Some highlights of the Sakura Matsuri are koto music, classical and folk dances and taiko drums performances, martial arts demonstrations of disciplines that originated or are developed in Japan, Japanese arts and crafts, Japanese Beer Gardens featuring the Kirin Ichiban beer and more.
Of course, romantic weekends are not complete without romantic dining. Enjoy special meals at any of Washington's Cherry Picks, a number of restaurants around Washington, DC that add cherries to their menu and to their recipes during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Then, take your partner for a horse-drawn carriage ride. A lot of couples specifically choose this romantic way to enjoy the cherry blossoms, that is why reservations are highly recommended for this.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an experience to remember. The scent of the cherry blossom trees and all of the other flowers that bloom in springtime are the kind of aroma perfect for a romantic weekend getaway.
