a spring weekend in dc

happy cherry blossom szn to all who celebrate

I used to think it was strange how people would spend so much time and energy and money to plan travels around seasonal blooms. How cherry blossom season in Japan, so crowded, was desirable. But living in a four season climate does make one appreciate the seasons a bit more. the signs of spring, the ephemeral visual indications of time passing, valued in their brevity, the scarcity of its beauty

And so I found myself on a spontaneous trip down to DC during a weekend of peak blooms in March. ’

“We have cherry blossoms at home,” a voice in my head said.

“But it’s so much more fun to make it a trip,” the devil on my other shoulder argued. And we love a low stakes local trip.

It’s been years since my last trip to DC, back in early 2019. Pre-pandemic. Trump era. During a government shut down. in the dead of winter. And I must say DC is much more pleasant in the spring, on a nice sunny day when it seemed all of DMV was out to play on the lawns of the Mall.

The day started gloomy and early on a rainy morning in a hopeful effort to beat traffic. Several state lines and a grueling final stretch later, we made it into town.

First stop was brunch at Tatte. Despite the gross weather, the place was packed. Coffee and tea to revive from the long drive and a wonderful pastry spread to welcome us into town with decision paralysis.

The afternoon was spent wandering into some of the Smithsonian museums. Ducking in and out of the drizzly weather.

HOTEL CHECK IN —

We stayed at The Morrow hotel, a fairly new hotel in the Hilton Curio Collection. Located in the up and coming NoMa district a safe distance from downtown, it made for a perfect and comfortable for a quick weekend stay. The hotel also has plenty of amenities, a roof, and easy access to transportation.

Dinner was a highlight of the trip. Maydan came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. The Tawle set menu was enough food to descend into a weekend-long food coma and everything was delicious and delightful, with plenty of flavors, textures, herbs and sauces to customize every bite. We had a table right next to the open kitchen, which made for a mesmerizing show throughout dinner. I was so full by the main course, I barely made it to dessert.

After a leisurely walk around the neighborhood (in a hopeless attempt to walk off some of dinner), we called it an early night.

Thankfully, the next day was sunny and beautiful. Warmer than any day in recent memory, not a cloud in the sky and in full bloom.

But first, breakfast at La Tejana. Specifically breakfast tacos. This sunny, picturesque block of Mount Pleasant was relatively quiet in the morning save for the queue out La Tejana. The line moved quickly though. People (and dogs) hovering around the park tables with hot coffee and tacos under the winter sun.

And then it was straight to the main show: the cherry blossoms. DC really delivered. The bountiful blooms lined the waterfront with a picture perfect backdrop of iconic architecture beyond. The path was packed with tourists all basking in the glory of spring. Along the path were plenty of activities with a little festival, vendors and more.

As the day went on, it warmed up even more. We walked along the water all the way to the Mall, where we were met with an even more idyllic scene: a kite festival. With hundreds of people and kids and dogs running around flying kites and picnicking on the lawn. Picture perfect weekend.

And then one final stop at the National Portrait Gallery. Mostly to see the Obama portraits.

I gotta say, I have a lot of questions about the stylistic choice of some of the other presidential portraits.

And then it was a long haul back up to (a more winter-y) NYC.

Thank you, DC for giving a much needed dose of spring.

a spring weekend in dc

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