All About Destinations - Seacoast Church Ark Encounter

Cherry Blossom Festival/Washington, DC

Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Spring in Washington, DC, the gift of the cherry blossom trees, and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. The Festival produces and coordinates daily events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. One of DC’s largest spectator events, the energy-filled Cherry Blossom Parade that runs along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th streets, NW, and is televised live. Vibrant costumes and blossom-inspired décor create the look of nation’s premier springtime parade. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, and performers burst down Constitution Avenue in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year during the festival. At the heart of any trip to Washington, DC is a visit to the National Mall, a two-mile green expanse from the U.S. Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial. Along the way, visitors see the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. The Smithsonian Institution is sometimes referred to as America’s treasure chest because of the diverse artifacts it houses. Whether you’re interested in American history or Asian art, giant pandas or stamp collecting, there’s a Smithsonian museum for you. By attendance, the most popular Smithsonian museums are the Air and Space Museum, Natural History Museum, and American History Museum. This is a trip you will not want to miss!!

Trip Itinerary

Day 1 (Lunch/Dinner)
Morning motorcoach departure from Elkins, WV (5:00am) (additional pick-up locations are possible) to begin a wonderful two-day tour that offers a unique experience in our nation's capitol. Upon arrival in Washington D.C., we will first take a Spirit Cruises Potomac River Cruise with lunch included. This cruise will offer an opportunity to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom and also The Pentagon, Washington Memorial, Air Force Memorial and much more. Following our lunch cruise, we will stop by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (The White House) for photo opportunities and then visit the White House Visitor's Center. Our group dinner will be at Carmine's Italian Restaurant for authentic Italian cuisine. After a wonderful meal, we will conclude the evening with a nighttime Memorials and Monuments Tour with a licensed Washington, DC tour guide. This is the classic Washington walk. You’ll visit a selection of the city’s famous memorials: National World War II Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial (the Washington Monument and Thomas Jefferson Memorial are seen and discussed from a distance.) There’s something for everyone--neoclassical architecture, modern sculpture, haunting remembrances of war, historical insights, and even funny tales. After a fantastic first day in Washington, DC, we will venture to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Greenbelt to settle in for the night.

Day 2 (Breakfast Buffet - Lunch and Dinner on your own)
A wonderful breakfast buffet at the hotel (check-out) is followed by departure to Washington, DC to view the National Cherry Blossom Parade! This parade is one of DC’s largest spectator events, the high-energy National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade is a vibrant springtime tradition set against the backdrop of DC’s most iconic landmarks along Constitution Avenue. The Parade is rain or shine. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, celebrity entertainers, and performers burst down the Parade route in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year during the Festival.

The afternoon finds you in The National Mall for lunch (on your own) and time to visit several of the Smithsonian Museums. The Smithsonian Museums are world class attractions with a variety of exhibits ranging from a 3.5 billion-year-old fossil to the Apollo lunar landing module. Visitors enjoy examining more than 137 million objects, including many irreplaceable historic artifacts, works of art, scientific specimens and cultural exhibits. Admission to all of the Smithsonian museums is free. With 19 museums and galleries, there truly is something for everyone. The finale of of visit is a tour The United States Capitol. The US Capitol is among the most symbolically important and architecturally impressive buildings in the nation. It has housed the meeting chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate for two centuries. The Capitol, which was started in 1793, has been through many construction phases. It stands today as a monument to the American people and their government.

Following our tour, we will visit Souvenir City for a brief shopping excursion of Washington, DC souvenirs and then depart for home (@7:00pm). Your return trip aboard the motorcoach takes in the beautiful scenery along the way, while you reminisce on two exceptional days of tour and travel to our nation's capitol and the beautiful cherry blossoms! A stop will be made for dinner on your own. Estimated time of return is 11:55pm.