It's looking like 2024 is a good time to travel to Europe, especially if you want to avoid extra paperwork and fees.
01.04.2024 - 20:17 / insider.com
Washington, DC, is one of the best places in the US to see cherry blossoms in the spring.
Every year, more than 1.5 million tourists travel to DC for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. And, although fun, popular free events like the Blossom Kite Festival and Petalpalooza tend to be swarming with crowds.
As a DC-area native who's gone to see the blooms for years (and just went this past weekend), I've learned how to dodge the chaos.
Here are my recommendations for the best ways to skip the crowds and tips to maximize your spring trip.
The Tidal Basin is one of the most popular cherry-blossom-viewing spots in DC. The pretty waterfront space is filled with blooms, but there are lesser-known sites to visit if you don't feel like fighting for selfie space.
Some of my top picks include Georgetown's Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, Stanton Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
I took my mother to the Basilica over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised to find we had the grounds all to ourselves.
With roughly 150 cherry trees adorning the property of North America's largest Roman Catholic church, it's truly a sight for sore eyes.
Switch up your perspective by embarking on a cruise to see the vibrant pink blooms from the water.
City Cruises offers a variety of options for different budgets and preferences, including brunch, lunch, or dinner cruises and sightseeing tours. Every voyage guarantees breathtaking views of the blossoms sans the crowds.
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My mother and I went on the lunch cruise during our recent cherry-blossom outing and loved it. It was nice to see tons of trees in beautiful locations while sipping blossom-themed cocktails.
Embark on a cherry-blossom adventure like no other at Artechouse DC's latest exhibit — "Isekai: Blooming Parallel Worlds."
This spring, the studio infuses Anime magic into the blossoms, creating a mesmerizing universe of digital art . Although it's popular this time of year, the exhibition requires advanced reservations that means you'll be guaranteed a spot and it doesn't get overly crowded.
Artechouse is also a great option for a rainy day in DC because it's an indoor experience.
Escape the bustling crowds and immerse yourself in cherry-blossom bliss at Hains Point loop trail.
This hidden gem offers a serene 4.1-mile stroll amidst a diverse array of cherry-tree species, along with breathtaking vistas of the Potomac River, Anacostia River, and the Washington Channel.
While you're on Hains Point Island, check out East Potomac Golf Links. With several golf courses to choose from, you can swing away while surrounded by incredible blooms and waterfront views.
The Willard
It's looking like 2024 is a good time to travel to Europe, especially if you want to avoid extra paperwork and fees.
The United States' 63 national parks draw huge crowds.
Lovers of sand, surf and theme parks will findno shortage of fun things to do in Florida. From bustling metropolises that are havens for foodies and party people to tranquil beaches and stunning national parks, the Sunshine State offers thrills aplenty, and Florida's dazzling selection of theme parks pushes the state to the top of the fun scale.
I spent the first few years of my life in Greece and then moved to the US.
Mainland Europe’s first total solar eclipse since 1999 is just 850 days away. Where will you be? As excitement dies down from the “Great American Eclipse,” eclipse chasers are turning their attention to Wednesday, August 12, 2026, when a 183-190-mile-wide moon shadow moves across remote Siberia, Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
Over the past 100 years of shuttling people around the globe in metal flying machines, the world's aviation network has grown into a vast web of intersecting routes that connect nearly every corner of the globe.
It'll be two decades before the next total solar eclipse hits the US.
Luxury hotels are great. Some have incredible spas where you can revive your skin and spirit, while others offer rooftop infinity pools with sweeping vistas for miles and miles.
There's never a bad time to visit Washington, DC. Not only do brilliant events take place almost every day, but the district also undergoes breathtakingly beautiful transformations as the seasons change.
For big adventures this year, consider expedition cruising to discover engaging and enlivening destinations across the globe. Wilderness Travel has a curated line-up for 2024—2025, which includes tours to the world’s last frontier—Antarctica; journeys to the far north in the Arctic; exclusive once-a-year odyssey cruises to multiple locales around the planet like the coast of West Africa, northern Europe, and Asia; and dynamic river cruises on the planet’s most well-loved rivers—the Danube, Mekong, Amazon, Magdalena, and Rhine. Keep reading to plan out your next voyage.
As millions of Americans get ready to watch the total solar eclipse on Monday — an event NASA has described as rare and "spectacular" — the phenomenon also stands to lift local economies.
A total solar eclipse is coming to the U.S.—but not everyone is invited. On Monday, April 8, the moon will be close enough to Earth to appear just larger than the sun as it crosses its disk, casting a shadow that will move across the planet at about 1,500 mph.