Photo courtesy of Flickr user Kevin H.

This past weekend I met up with my new pal Rebecca at the The 44th Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival. We originally planned on protesting the kites but instead attempted to fly some instead. I think the kites had the last laugh as we realized that we weren’t very good at flying kites.

I didn’t connect the dots this past weekend that the kite festival was part of the opening weekend for the Cherry Blossom Festival. For tourists it means a great upcoming weekend where the blossoms will be in peak bloom. For the rest of us it means mayhem as we try and deal with all you tourists around the city. For those that want to find out what’s going on when should check out the festival’s calendar. The Washington Post has a pretty good guide up as well- and stay on the lookout for local businesses holding their own specials around the even, for instance local restaurant Zola and the Spy Museum have teamed-up to offer Cherry Picks, a combination dinner and Spy Night experience.

How are you going to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival this weekend? Hide? Play?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74zpnMwHxM[/youtube]

Now this is why I stay away from the Cherry Blossoms.

It’s that time of year again. Our area’s arguably largest tourist pull, the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Yes, yes, everyone’s covering it, from Express to DCist. I won’t bore you with a rehash.

Actually, I come with a few questions.

My lovely wife and I have been down every year since we relocated here and frankly, I love it not so much for the blossoms (they’re gorgeous), but moreso to watch and photograph the people. I pick up a lot of great observation vignettes for my own writing; it’s like hitting the writer’s lotto.

This year, we’ve got a couple of good friends headed down from New York City. They’ve never been to the District and will only be here the first weekend of April. So naturally, I got them all excited about the Festival. It helps they’re both photogs, too, so if you see four people (three girls ignoring the one guy with them) wandering around with extensive camera gear, that’d be us. Picture-taking is pretty much a given. So is taking Metro.

Thing is, I’m trying to figure out what else to do on that Saturday before we head over to Old Towne for dinner and staking out a nice patch of marina rail for the fireworks. There’s the photo safaris, but those cost money and we’re decent photo people. So I think that’s out.

I was also considering the Edo Master’s collection at the Sackler. Or possibly the Japanese Cultural Fair, which promises a tea ceremony, origami and calligraphy demonstrations.

So what should I do? Any readers attended these in years prior? Or should I shy away from other Festival events and take them to the standard DC sites we always funnel tourists to? If so, what would you suggest?

Frankly, I’m stumped. It’s the first time we’ve had friends visit who could only stay two days; normally, we have practically a week to show them around or point them somewhere – this is a bit harder.

Oh, and even worse? They’re amateur foodies, like us. So figuring out good spots to eat is also on tap – suggestions for lunch would be appreciated, since none of the ladies have my appreciating taste for the curbside vendors and their cuisine. Dinner’s already planned, so fortunately I don’t look like a total incompetant to our jet-setting New York socialites.

So, anyone have some great suggestions to help a guy out?

Tidal Cherries, uploaded by bhrome