It’s not Japan, but–
—the United States has some stunning cherry blossom moments worth packing your bags for. At Studio McGee, we love to travel for great design. It’s not about overlooking architecture or landscape design. One of the nation’s largest flower events takes place each spring, when cherry blossoms bloom from coast to coast, briefly revealing fields of bright pink. There is a lot of chatter among aficionados each year about when the buds show their colors, with people postponing trips or pushing up just to see shades of pink. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite spots (and which design-forward hotels we recommend staying at) for a peek at the season’s bright pink blooms.
Where to Stay | Riggs Washington DC
No.02 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Where to Stay | Hmm.son of mulcherin
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No.01 | Washington DC
The best place to see cherry blossoms outside of Japan is definitely the capital. Because if you know your history, you know that cherry blossoms were actually gifted to America by the Japanese. , then you will know it was destroyed by President William Taft when he arrived sick.It was not until the second shipment was gifted that one pit was seen in which the city’s Tidal Basin was dug. From there, the tree carries a rich and dramatic history filled with political drama, mystery, weather, and the few souls deeply involved in securing a livelihood for the tree. Trees are in bloom along the way, and a big show is taking place at the original planting site that circles the Tidal Basin.
Where to Stay | Riggs Washington DC
Riggs This sophisticated design hotel is located in the former Riggs National Bank, part of DC’s National Register of Historic Places. The Romanesque Revival façade opens to jewel tones and pastels, smooth marble and velvet interiors, and the 23 presidents who banked in the former building in the early 20th century and their I nod to my wives.
No.02 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fairmount Park is Philadelphia’s largest green space, stretching over 2,000 acres along the banks of the Schuylkill River. Inside the sprawling park is another example of a cherry tree gifted from Japan. Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center in the park. Additionally, on the road along Kelly Drive on the east side of the river are his 500 cherry trees, gifted to him by Japanese Americans living in Philadelphia in the 1930s.
Where to Stay | Hmm.son of mulcherin
This unique building was a 19th-century whiskey distillery in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood. Preserving the original industrial brick façade, Hmm.son of mulcherin Named after the family who ran the previous business, it is now the newest boutique hotel in the area and also the smallest hotel in the city with just four rooms. Each of these rooms is uniquely designed, but features original woodwork and vintage accents such as oversized Persian rugs and exposed brick walls.
Photo credit: Matthew Williams
No.03 | San Francisco, California
The city’s 1,000-acre Golden Gate Park is the place to go to see cherry blossoms in full bloom at The City by the Bay.Pink flowers can be seen throughout the park, but the grand event is japanese tea garden, hidden between bridges and pagodas in the garden. The park has a long history, and the garden itself is recognized as the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States.
Where to Stay | Suitable Hotel
In San Francisco’s Midmarket District, this Kelly Wearstler-designed hotel has a Beaux Arts façade, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Patterns and colors, florals and stripes all mix in eclectic interiors, and the weekend cocktail crowd rolls to the nines.
