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Come springtime in the Washington, DC area, the media is abuzz with Cherry Blossom coverage. "When will they peak?" - "Will a late freeze affect the blossoms?" - "How many hundreds of thousands are expected today?" - and so on. Living so close to DC, sometimes we take for granted all the cool things there are to do in our nation's capital. But not this year!

Last weekend we took a trip up to the Potomac River Basin to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. It had been some six years since I had last been, so it was time to do it again. It's a great thing to do in early April but there are a few things to note if you're thinking of making a trip to the festival:

No need to drive yourself. Take the metro (subway). It's about $6 roundtrip and a parking ticket is generally a minimum of $100; I know from experience!
Wear comfortable shoes, roundtrip to the tidal basin and back to the Smithsonian metro stop is roughly three miles; you'll be glad you're wearing your runners.
Bring a camera, especially if you'll be there during peak week or catching the parade.
Bring a map. If you're not familiar with the city, it can be confusing at times - after all, it was designed to be difficult to navigate.
Take a snack. A nutrition bar or something similar will hold you over until you get back to the other side of Constitution Avenue. There are plenty of places to eat on the way back to the metro - I recommend the Capital City Brewery. Clearly the beer is a plus but their hot soft pretzels dipped in horseradish mustard is what keeps me coming back!

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