2020 Spring Cherry Blossoms

2020 bloom is March 27-30, 2020.

Tidal Basin

So you’ve heard about how Washington DC has the best cherry blossoms, right?  Washington is filled with thousands of people each year coming from all over the world to see them.  And this doesn’t include the locals!  It’s not for the faint at heart because crowds and traffic can be gridlock, but so worth it.

Tidal Basin

I like to keep an eye on the National Park Service’s Bloom Watch website.  Here you can get up to date information on the blooming period.  The length of the blooming period always depends on the weather.  I have seen snow and freezing rains which have prevented them from blooming at all.  It’s not a pretty sight.  Cool, calm weather extends their life while rains and winds can bring an end to them.  So coming to DC to see them is very tricky as forecasting peak bloom is almost impossible more than 10 days in advance.  Peak has been as early as March 25 and as late as April 10.  Once you’re here, though, you will see why everyone talks about Washington’s cherry blossom season

Come early: This could mean getting to the Tidal Basin before the sun rises. But don’t be afraid because you won’t be alone.

Come late:  Go later in the evening and catch the golden hour of blooms.

Transportation and Parking:  Traffic can be a nightmare and totally can come to a stop which makes getting there hard.  Mid day can be easier on parking but make sure you keep track of your meter.  I use ParkMobile for that.  The “Smithsonian” Metro Station is the closest to the Tidal Basin and that whole area from the Washington Monument and across from the Holocaust Museum are filled with groves of beautiful trees.

Winter Holidays in DC

After Halloween you can bet the city starts to rev up for Thanksgiving and the Christmas Holiday season. So many things to do and so many places to go, the invitations are endless. From visiting the National Christmas Tree, ice skate by the waterfront or at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, shopping holiday markets, dinner and drinks or walking through Zoolights at the National Zoo.

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West Virginia

I had an opportunity to travel to West Virginia this month. We got on a bus at Union Station to somewhere (destination) unknown. We traveled about 3-1/2 hours with a bus full of 40 of us. We arrived in Canaan Valley, West Virginia!

Sponsored by Destination Unknown and the West Virginia Tourism, the next 36 hours were a real treat

We arrived at Caanan Welcome Center Area

We traveled to Blackwater Falls State Park, in Davis Virginia. The centerpiece of the park is Blackwater Falls, a 62-foot cascade where the Blackwater River leaves its leisurely course in Canaan Valley and enters rugged Blackwater Canyon. Blackwater Falls State Park is named for the falls of the Blackwater River, whose amber-colored waters plunge five stories then twist and tumble through an eight-mile long gorge. The "black" water is a result of tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. This area is one of the most photographed sites in West Virginia. You'll find almost heaven at Blackwater Falls. There we hiked down to the falls, took pictures and then had a lovely lunch in the woods all catered by Chef Paul Smith!

That afternoon we took a hike up and down Seneca Rocks. Seneca Rocks is one of the best-known landmarks in West Virginia.  These rocks have long been noted as a scenic attraction and are popular with rock climbers. The rocks are a magnificent formation rising nearly 900 feet above the North Fork River.

Fall in (and around) DC🍂

Autumn in Washington DC is an Instagrammer’s dream, especially when we’ve had so much rain throughout the year. There are lots of places to visit to catch prime foliage. Here are some of my favorites:

Boulder Bridge (located in Rock Creek Park)

Boulder Bridge, Washington, DC

Boulder Bridge, Rock Creek Park

Boulder Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Rock Creek Park—so many others from the park's early years have been washed out in floods and replaced with newer ones. This one, however, was clearly made to last. Built in 1902, it adheres to Romantic ideas that were in vogue with the Park Service at that time, that park fixtures should look "rustic" and take us back to a time and place far away. The bridge indeed does an outstanding job of both standing out architecturally and simultaneously blending in well with its surroundings. Technically, it is a Melan reinforced concrete bridge with a boulder facing; it spans 80 feet and rises 12 feet. The use of the large boulders on the bridge is quite unique

Supposedly the extra large boulders resulted from a misunderstanding by the contractor. The contract called for "man-sized" stone, which meant stone that could be easily handled by a stone mason. Instead, the contractor went and found life-sized boulders. When Beach arrived at the site and discovered the work underway with the large boulders, he liked the way they looked.

U.S. Arboretum (located off New York Avenue, NW)

Just a few miles, the Arboretum grounds are open every day of the year except December 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It encompasses 446 acres with 9.5 miles of winding roadways and can be beautiful on any day, yet my favorite time will always be Autumn.

U.S. National Arboretum

Georgetown, DC

Georgetown was made for autumn photography! I spend a lot of time just walking the streets, visiting coffee shops, and then getting out there and walking some more. Walking down O Street and surrounding residential streets full of grand and beautiful townhouses is a must if you are visiting DC. Click through the pictures below.

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Old Town, Alexandria, VA

You can take a walk around Old Town, Alexandria, VA and run into many homes decorated for the Autumn season, including Halloween.

DC Museums🏛

What can I say about the museums in DC? They are mostly FREE! Certainly that is something, right? Most museum hours are 10AM-5PM but please check their sites for changes.

Here are some of my favorites and the reasons why they are:

National Gallery of Art East Building 4th Street NW, Off Pennsylvania Avenue NW

First off, and straight away, when you walk into the East Building, the security guards are so nice and friendly! I really like that and it’s not just occasionally, it’s all the time.

The first place I go to is downstairs to see Villereal’s Multiverse exhibit. I spend a lot of time here too, going back and forth. Multiverse is one of Villareal’s largest and most complex light sculptures. It is experienced by visitors as they pass through the Concourse walkway between the East and West Buildings. The work features approximately 41,000 computer-programmed LED (light-emitting diode) nodes that run through existing channels along the 200-foot-long space. The programming both instructs the lights and allows for an element of chance, so that it is very unlikely that any pattern will repeat during a viewer's experience.

NGA Leo Villereal’s Multiverse

Hahn/Cock (2013) by Katharina Fritsch

Hahn/Cock (2013) by Katharina Fritsch (German, b. 1956) is installed on the Roof Terrace and a surprisingly site to see! Originally commissioned for the City of London's series of temporary public artworks installed in Trafalgar Square, the 14.5-foot-tall sculpture, made of glass fiber reinforced polyester resin on a stainless steel structure. Hahn/Cock will be on long-term loan courtesy of Glenstone, the museum of contemporary art in Potomac, Maryland, which acquired the work in 2014.

Honestly, who doesn’t like a blue rooster on the roof? It’s fun for little, and big kids alike!

Katharina Frithsch’s Han/Cock

Jazz in the Park (NGA’s Sculpture Garden) 5PM-8:30PM

The Jazz in the Garden Series begins its season in May. The free concert series features jazz artists performing a wide variety of styles—Brazilian Folk Jazz, Alternative Modern, Blues, Reggae, World Steam Punk, Afro Funk, African Fusion Jazz, Cuban Charanga, Django Guitar, New Orleans Jazz, and more—every Friday evening from 5:00 to 8:30 in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.

Hirshhorn Museum 10:00AM-5:30PM Open 364 Days a Year and closed on Christmas
Independence Ave and 7th St
Washington, DC 20560

OK, so let’s get our priorities straight, there is a Dolcezza located inside the Hirshhorn Museum, so plan your visit accordingly. As one of the most visited modern art museums in the U.S., the Hirshhorn seeks to share the transformative power of modern and contemporary art by creating meaningful, personal experiences in which art, artists, audiences and ideas converge.

The exhibit that has had the most impact in my life, for no other reason than jaw-dropping, is the Kusama Exhibit which was featured in 2017. The Museum has bought Yayoi Kusama’s reconfiguration of her very first Infinity Mirror Room, Phalli’s Field. This 2017 version of the original 1965 room appeared in the recent six-city North American touring exhibition organised by the museum, Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors, which drew sell-out crowds in every location and ended on 17 February at the High Museum in Atlanta. Its popularity helped send the Hirshhorn’s visitor numbers in 2017 past the 1 million mark for the first time in nearly 30 years. 

“The exhibition had such an impact on the museum, and we began to think about adding something to the collection,” says Melissa Chiu, the director of the Hirshhorn. The museum already had three Kusama works, the recently-acquired Pumpkin (2016), a painting and an early sculpture. Phalli’s Field, Chiu says, is “art-historically important” and complements the collection’s strength in 1960s works. The museum purchased the installation for an undisclosed sum from Kusama’s Tokyo gallery, Ota Fine Arts. Chiu says the acquisition will go on view at the Hirshhorn in 2020.

The National Building Museum Monday–Saturday, 10 am–5 pmSunday, 11 am–5 pm
401 F St NW, Washington, DC 20001
ADMISSION: varied, depending on special exhibits

Something deep to my heart: Architecture and the Summer Block Series that begin July 4 through Labor Day.

The National Building Museum transforms understanding of the history and impact of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and design. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and special events, we welcome all ages to experience stories about the built world and its power to shape our lives, communities, and futures. The Museum resides in one of the most awe-inspiring places in Washington, D.C., with a soaring Great Hall, colossal 75-foot-tall Corinthian columns, and a 1,200-foot terra cotta frieze.

They have special summer-long exhibits that change each year. Here are some of my favorites, past and present:

2015 Snarkitecture’s The Beach

2017 Studio Gang’s The Hive

2018 Snarkitecture’s The Fun House

2019 LAB at Rockwell Group’s The Lawn

Sunflowers Clear Meadow Farms🌻

Where Are These Sunflowers
Clear Meadow Farms is located in Harford County, just outside of Baltimore and about 1.5 hours from Washington, DC. There are 2 fields, both in different locations as the switch fields every year. Check website for bloom location here.

Norrisville Road, Jarrettsville, MD )

This field is located between Smith Hardware and Keene Dodge and across from the Jarrettsville Pharmacy. There is a large grass field to allow plenty of parking for everyone with a $5 parking entrance fee.

Rt. 146 and Hess Rd

This field is located at the intersection of Hess Road and Rt 146 (Jarrettsville Pike) in Monkton, MD across from the Royal Farms.

When Do They Bloom?

The best part about visiting these sunflower fields is that they bloom September-October when the mosquitoes are gone and the temperatures are comfortable. You may have to drive a bit far outside of DC, but it’s well worth the trip

Sunflowers bloom in September-October

🌸Cherry Blossoms

Spring is a beautiful and popular time in Washington DC because of our cherry blossoms. The Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring celebration, but whether you come for that, or just the pictures, it is a gorgeous and very “pink” time of year. There are the Yoshino Cherry (70% of total) and Kwanzan Cherry (12.6% of total) that now dominate.

The Yoshino produces single white blossoms that create an effect of white clouds around the Tidal Basin and north onto the grounds of the Washington Monument.

The Kwanzan grow primarily in East Potomac Park and comes into bloom two weeks after the Yoshino. It produces clusters of clear pink double blossoms. East Potomac Park also has Fugenzo, which produces rosy pink double blossoms, and Shirofugen, which produces white double blossoms that age to pink.