With tourists flocking in to see the District’s cherry blossoms in full bloom, visiting the pink and white flowers that surround the Tidal Basin can be overwhelming.
While the Tidal Basin trees are worth seeing for their natural beauty, immersing oneself in another tourist mob in a city already filled with them is like watching “Madame Web” right after “Morbius” — it’s just more of the same, and it wasn’t that good the first time. Rather than standing by Thomas Jefferson or mourning the loss of Stumpy, branch out around D.C. with these cherry blossom-themed activities.
Admire the Blossoms at the Congressional Cemetery
For those who desperately want to frolic beneath idyllic rows of cherry blossom trees but can’t stomach the typical tourist traps, the historic Congressional Cemetery is the ideal place to snap pictures underneath a canopy of blossoms. Home to rows upon rows of governmental leaders from the controversial J. Edgar Hoover to Robert Mills, the architect of the Washington Monument, the cemetery’s paths are lined with a variety of cherry blossom species and are rarely crowded.
1801 E St. SE, Washington, D.C. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Free.
Satisfy Your Cravings at Momo’s Cafe
This Taiwanese-Japanese delicatessen is a mere 10-minute walk from the Mount Vernon Campus and has two delectable items that incorporate floral, fruity sakura — the Japanese word for cherry blossom trees. For a quick pick-me-up before class, try their sakura latte milk foam ($7.5), a creamy drink infused with sakura syrup and topped with baby pink, frothed milk.
For those looking for a reward after a long day at the Eckles Library, start with one of their hearty bento boxes before moving to the true star of their desserts: the sakura monster shaved ice ($15). The dish consists of a pink mound of sakura-infused ice with the consistency of fresh snow, topped with red bean, cookies, pudding and strawberries. The array even comes complete with a set of cones for ears and a face made of small cookies on top of the shaved ice.
4828 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Washington, D.C. Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Pick Up Some Quirky Cherry Blossom Merch
Most cherry blossom-related merch is uninspiring. It doesn’t take a whole lot of creativity to print cherry blossoms on a pink shirt.
But amid the doldrums of Tidal Basin tees, the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s Green Monster Tote Bag ($25) stands out. The bag is drawn in a cartoonish style and depicts a massive, Godzilla-esque monster rampaging around the Tidal Basin while tourists scoot along in duck boats.
Though the goofy green monster probably won’t scare you, it still might’ve terrified the Festival’s “Petal” Gnome ($5). The garden gnome, dressed in pink and white for the season, has an incredibly apprehensive look. Its eyes are looking off to the side, and it has a slight smile, indicating an attempt to remain positive in the face of true horror. For those looking to expand into the coquette style, this anxious-looking gnome embodies the girly aesthetic and will spruce up any drab dorm.
Be Allergy-Conscious at the Pink Torpedoes Exhibit
As beautiful as the cherry blossoms are, they’re no place for people with seasonal allergies, as one might sneeze and cough up enough water particles to make the Tidal Basin overflow. But rather than sitting out the pink-and-white festivities entirely, it’s possible to sneak some cherry blossom action inside via the Pink Torpedoes exhibit at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
The Alexandria-based museum, housed in a building once home to a munitions factory, consists of three floors of open studios for artists. Visitors can see painters, photographers and other artisans work live and then purchase their finished products. Galleries include the Multiple Exposures Gallery, which focuses on photographers from around the District, and the Scope Gallery, which centers on clay.
The Pink Torpedoes display applies this format to cherry blossom-centric art. Beginning Saturday, visitors will be able to interact with a variety of interpretations on the colors and history of the cherry blossoms across the museum’s multimedia forms. This can all be done from the comfort of an air-conditioned, closed-window building, stifling allergy-induced sneezes for another day.
105 N Union St., Alexandria, Virginia. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Exhibit is open March 23 to April 14. Free entry.
