If you are visiting Washington DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival, take time to visit the Kenwood neighborhood in Montgomery County in Bethesda, Maryland.
The Kenwood cherry blossoms typically bloom a little after the Tidal Basin cherry blossoms, but they are just as beautiful.
The best spot to park for the Kenwood cherry blossoms is near Capital Crescent Trail. From there, it is a short walk down the trail to enter the neighborhood.
You really can’t go wrong wandering the streets of Montgomery County’s Kenwood neighborhood during cherry blossom season.
Brookside Drive is lined with the cherry blossoms but has more traffic as a main thoroughfare. Kennedy Drive is another popular street for the flowers with a little park where you can picnic or relax and enjoy the beauty of the flowers.
Early in the morning on the weekend is the best time to visit when the sunlight shines through the blossoms and gives them a beautiful glow.
We stayed down in Alexandria and drove up to Bethesda, but you can also stay in Washington DC and drive the 30 minutes or so to the Kenwood neighborhood.