Notebook: Washington DC

5:11:53 PM EDT

Well, folks, we've heard all about the Blossoms by now...the tours, the Japanese cinema and sake, the art and cultural performances, and even the marathon. Now, the time is right to put the cameras away, stop the gawking and spring into action! Mother Nature has finally turned up the heat, so lace up the sneaks and head down to the National Mall to get involved.

40th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival Rugby Tournament: April 8-9
One of the country's premier rugby tournaments, this year's event is sponsored by the Washington Rugby Football Club and has over 1,200 participants. All games will be played at the JFK Hockey Fields between 8AM and 5PM.

Fifth Annual National Cherry Blossom Festival Lacrosse Festival: April 22-23
This year's event will bring together middle school athletes and collegiate and post-collegiate club teams to celebrate the game of lacrosse, America's first sport. All games will take place on the sporting fields located around the National Mall.

27th Annual Washington Chapter NFL Alumni Charity Golf Classic: April 17, Lansdowne Resort
Perhaps the most popular sporting event of the festival, this tournament benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. Register your own team and you'll have a chance to play with a celebrity captain who is a former NFL athlete, current player or coach. The wining team qualifies for the NFL Alumni "Super Bowl of Golf."

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1:47:08 PM EDT

In keeping with the Japanese vibe of the Cherry Blossom Festival, there are tons of additional cultural events around the city, a few of which our other dedicated bloggers have mentioned. So I'll just throw a few more out there...

-- 'The Mikado'... The condensed version of the Gilbert and Sullivan musical is perfect for the tourist-on-the-run types.

-- Millennium Stage... The Kennedy Center's free performances on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday feature classical music, dance and taiko drumming, respectively.

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12:04:47 PM EDT

Sure the blossoms are beautiful, but if you want to take it a little farther than looking at the purdy flowers, we recommend understanding the culture the 3,500 trees come from. And we're talking about something a lot more fun than heading to your local library...

Head to the Embassy of Japan to experience Japanese culture through various perspectives. Here are our top picks:

Kawabata: (April 11, 6:30PM) Referred to as the "most talked about violinist in Japan," Kwataba began playing the violin at age ten -- two years after he had lost his sight. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Call 202-238-6900 for more details. This show is a can't miss, however if you can't make it, you can catch the virtuoso elsewhere: April 5 (Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage), April 6 (Union Station, 4:30PM) and April 8 (Tidal Basin, 11:30AM)

Wako Kido: (Through April 14, Mon.-Fri: 9AM-5PM) Another DC area first includes the presentation of this venerated Japanese artist. Stop by and see her brush paintings and folding screens that feature cherry blossom motifs.

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5:43:01 PM EST

How to keep the Japanese theme going after the sun has set on a day of blossom gawking? Try a sake taste test. Not only will you experience different versions of this fine beverage, you will get to sample different flavors of nightlife in the District.

Dragonfly offers space-age design, hot people, cool beats and the Saketini. Their version mixes Level vodka, sake and green tea. They also serve seven different blends of sake in the traditional fashion.

Zengo is Japanese for give and take. I recommend that you give yourself the Blushing Geisha. It's a mixture of Stoli, sake and cherries. Or you could take the ginger sake. It's a blend of brown sugar and orange with the aforementioned spice and, of course, sake.

Sushi-Ko is all about tradition. It was DC's first sushi bar and it is still one of the best places to be. With one of the widest selections of sake in town and a Glover Park location, you will rub elbows with government bigwigs as you sip.

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3:44:30 PM EST

Whether it's classic samurai films or cheesy B-movie yakuza flicks, I can't get enough of Japanese cinema -- old classics and movies fresh from the theaters alike. But next to a Suzuki or a Kurosawa or an Ozu, the name Naruse doesn't command as much attention in the West as it probably should. Just in time for the sprouting blossoms, the Freer Gallery of Art is holding a film series on one of Japan's great filmmakers, "Mikio Naruse: Japanese Master." Screenings -- in glorious black & white -- are every Friday at 7PM and Sunday at 2PM through April 9. But this isn't the only art-related event going on during DC's blossom craze:

-- "Hokusai": A special exhibition at the Freer, featuring work by the Japanese artist who created "The Great Wave." Through May 14.

-- "Hiroshi Sugimoto": The first career survey of one of the most important artists in contemporary Japan, consisting of photographs and installations of Sugimoto's celebrated minimalist work. Through May 14 at the Hirshhorn.

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11:07:11 AM EST

If you're already downtown this Saturday for the festival, stop in at the DC Information Center in the Ronald Reagan Building to celebrate DC Day. There, you can see demonstrations on calligraphy, origami and the art of tea for free from noon-2PM.

Want to do a little more exploring?

Sure there blossoms around the Tidal Basin are jaw-droppers, but you can see more cherry trees that'll be poppin' up throughout the District. The DC Chamber of Commerce will symbolically plant the trees in various locations throughout the city.

While there have already been dedications at the entrance of Anacostia Park (Good Hope Rd.), Adams Elementary School (2020 19th St., NW) and Fort Stevens Recreation Center (13th St. and Van Buren, NW) here are the remaining locations and schedules for you to have a plantin' good time:

- Sat., April 1: Michigan Park (12th St. and Michigan Ave.): 10AM, potluck celebration to follow

- Sun., April 2: Palisades Citizen Association (Sherier Pl. and Galenda Pl., NW): 2PM, celebration to follow

- Sat., April 8: Logan Circle Community Association (TBD): 2PM

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11:48:16 AM EST
Hearing Springsteen: 'Born to Run'

People always want to know what we crazy runner-types think about when we are out pounding the pavement or blazing trails for hours at a time. For me, I take in the scenery and let my imagination go. I get so lost in my head sometimes I don't even remember the last mile. But last year, my sweet imagination came to a crashing halt when this stupid girl on a cell phone called up her honey during the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. Oh yes, she made a cell phone call right around mile five.

Here I am, out of breath and sweating through my layers of winter running gear (it was cold last year for the race), heading up the Rock Creek Parkway after running from the start/finish area at West Potomac Park and going out and back over Memorial Bridge, and she's trotting past a water stop: 'Hey sweetie (gasp). I'm in mile five (gasp). Make sure you have (gasp) my GU Energy Gel (gasp) at mile eight. And my (gasp) lip gloss.'

 

Seriously?

Forget the cheering volunteers and fans. I don't even want Gatorade in a little Dixie cup. All I can think about is how stupid that girl is. I immediately moved in front of her. Ok, I'm over it.

Though the race is full, this is a good spectators' race, as much of the course is duplicated. (That's right lazy bums, you can stand in one place and see the runners go by twice.) Also, this year the blossoms are actually out during the race, which makes it a good excuse to get up early and beat the regular Sunday tourist traffic. Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour before heading out, and get ready to see history when one of the elite women athletes sets a world record at this distance. (It's guaranteed because there is currently no world record at this distance, yet.)

Get ready to cheer for a blur of heavy-breathing runners, yell loud for me (Emily) and leave your cell phones at home.

Check out the course map by visiting the official Web site.

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4:31:42 PM EST

Obviously, the main attraction of the National Cherry Blossom Festival is, well, the cherry blossoms. But don't let the pretty trees hog center stage! Take an hour or two to explore the history and culture behind these symbols of goodwill.

Don't miss the daily performances at noon at the Tidal Basin, for example, featuring jazz shows and a Lantern Lighting Ceremony on April 2. And for the history buffs, there's a celebrated exhibit at the National Geographic Society's Explorers Hall, "From Geisha to Diva: The Kimonos of Ichimaru," bringing to life a real rags-to-riches story through genuine artifacts and, yes, lots of kimonos.

And once you've checked out the history and the culture, go back and enjoy the blossoms some more. They'll appreciate it.

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3:01:23 PM EST

  With the peak bloom range beginning today, the best time to see the famous pink puffs is this weekend. Check out our tips for better blossom-viewing and be sure to send us your snapshots.

Getting to the Tidal Basin

--Take the Metro to L'Enfant Plaza... This stop is not as crowded as Smithsonian so you have a better chance of not getting knocked onto the tracks (we kid).

--Hop on a Circulator Bus... There's a new service along Independence Avenue that picks up/ drops off at the Smithsonian Metro station.

--Ride your bike... The DDOT has introduced valet bike parking at Independence Avenue and 15th Street.

Other Ways to See the Trees

--Cherry Blossom Photo Safaris... At 3PM everyday during the festival, leave from the Visitor Center at the FDR Memorial for a two-and-a-half hour walking tour led by E. David Luria. See the Web site for more info.

--High Tea on a Yacht... This Sunday and on April 9, board an 85-foot yacht at noon for a very civilized high tea that leaves from Washington Marina. See the Web site for more info.

--Blossoms by Bike... Everyday through April 9, meet at 3PM at Bike the Sites by the Old Post Office Pavilion for a guided two-hour tour. Bikes may be rented at the kiosk. See the Web site for more info.

--Dinner Cruise... It might be too dark on the Spirit of Washington to see the blossoms but you'll have a great view of the fireworks on Sunday, leaving at 6:30PM. Or make reservations for the lunchtime cruise on April 5 at 11:30AM.

--Don't go anywhere... We mean it. Just sit right there and flip through our blossom pics: Cherry Blossom Festival Photo Tour

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2:05:15 PM EST

One of the highlights of the Cherry Blossom Festival is, no doubt, the cherry-inspired cuisine that area restaurants cook up throughout its duration (March 25-April 9). When we were invited to the kick-off event for this year's Cherry Picks, we couldn't let you down. It was our duty to stuff our faces and sample everything in sight to let you know which dishes are worth your while. Andy and Kris return with their field report:

Andy: I tried the Blushing Geisha cocktail, courtesy of Zengo, and was blindsided by the unexpected burst of flavor. While the alcohol (vodka and sake) overpowered the cherry puree a bit too much, the combination seemed both natural and appealing.

Kris: It was a little too strong for my tastes, but one dish that had me (literally) licking my fingers was the Cherries from Heaven dessert by Pastry Chef Haroutyoun Sarkees of the Roof Terrace Restaurant. Cherry mousse was layered on top of another green tea mousse. Who knew I even liked green tea? It's a good thing Andy made me move on, because I definitely could have stayed at this station all day.

Andy: Yeah, seriously. The best dish was clearly the handmade duck sausage served up by Via Pacifica Executive Chef Susan Terry. Accented with kiln-dried cherry relish and foie gras mustard, the spicy meat and vaguely sweet garnish complemented each other without fighting for attention.

Kris: I'm going to have to disagree with you, buddy. My favorite by far was Oceanaire Seafood Room Executive Chef Rob Klink's Hawaiian opah with cherry apple chutney. In the beginning it seemed like I was eating tuna, and then the next thing I knew it tasted like apple pie. Very intriguing.

Andy: That's because you're totally biased.

Kris: Well, I did interview him .... Okay, so maybe I am a little.

For a complete listing of participating restaurants click here.

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