Don't let crazy politics keep you away from the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC this spring. Awaken your senses with food and art and see what keeps the city buzzing.
What better way to explore the ethnic diversity of the capital than through your taste buds. For the adventurous, dive into Ethiopian cuisine at Ethiopic, Rasika for Indian, Little Serow for family style Thai, or splurge at one of the epicurean marvels of the infamous chef José Andrés.
If you haven't had sensory overload, start your day with a bloody mary or mimosa at Perry's where the waitstaff is donned in drag, or the Tabard Inn for something more mellow. The hottest seats in the city are at Pearl Oyster Dive Palace and you can hang upstairs at Black Jack while you wait,a given on most nights. And for oenophiles, find your vintage at Proof.
Stimulate your vision at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden where Song 1 | Doug Aitken will transform the outside of the building into liquid architecture. Blending imagery through video projection, the 360 degree panorama explores the idea of pure communication though the form of the song "I Only Have Eyes For You." The installation runs nightly from March 22nd through May 13th. See how the handheld camera has influenced painters at Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard at the Phillips Collection, running through May 6.