Bike the Sites Blog

"'Twas the week before the Cherry Blossom Festival
and all throughout the city,
The cherry trees were ready to bloom,
all white, pink, and pretty..."

It's almost here, everybody! We've been talking, preparing, and amping things up for weeks now-- readying ourselves for the wonderful, whimsical mayhem that is the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

In case any of you have forgotten (as if you have!), Bike and Roll will be offering our Blossoms by Bike tour from National Mall and Union Station, and our longer Blossoms by Bike River Ride from our Alexandria location.

And, don't forget to pick up your Petal Pass this year from a participating Capital One Bank branch. (Petal Passes will be accepted at all three of our locations!) Also, make sure to check out all things National Cherry Blossom Festival by downloading the official Cherry Blossom App (available through iTunes and Google Play.)

Looking forward to seeing the city, and it's denizens, all in bloom!

Just because the National Cherry Blossom Festival technically takes place here in the District, does not mean celebration can't be had all over! Especially in the beautiful Alexandria, where "Spring Blossoms" events are sure to be a big hit this year! Centrally located and chock full of its own brand of charm, Alexandria is hosting a plethora of possibilities to view and enjoy this year's blossoms!

As most of you know, Bike and Roll has a pretty stellar location right in Old Town Alexandria, and has been highlighted (insert link) for our spectacular "Blossoms by Bike River Ride" guided tour. This ride follows the Mount Vernon trail, providing a unique vista of the blossoms from across the river, then takes the lucky riders into our nation's capital and around the Tidal Basin. There you will be able to get a close up look at the beauty of the cherry blossoms and learn more about the history of the trees and the festival itself. We're extremely excited that this ride, along with our more DC-centric "Blossoms by Bike" tour, has been featured by Alexandria this year!

Also noted is the "Blossoms by Water" tour offered by the Potomac Riverboat Company, and the 80th Annual Historic Garden Tour, both which sound lovely to us!

No matter which method of transport you prefer, we hope you all make it out to see the festival this year, as it's sure to be the best one yet!

National Park Serviec chief horticulturalist Rob DeFeo announced his predictions for Peak Bloom at the National Cherry Blossom Festival press conference held yesterday at the Newseum. Though the dates are not definite, peak bloom is expected to occur between March 24th and March 31st. The blossom are considered at their peak when 70% of blossoms have appeared. The average peak bloom generally falls around April 4th, but the unseasonably warm weather is predicted to contribute to an early bloom. 

At Bike and Roll Washington DC we have adjusted our Blossoms by Bike tour dates to better coincide with the predicted bloom. Blossoms by Bike and the Blossoms by Bike River Ride Tours will now run March 20th through April 8th, with the possibility of extending depending on the bloom period. If you miss the window to jump on a blossoms tour, we are adding plenty of additional Monuments tours throughout the Cherry Blossom Festival.