Exactly a week ago I bundled up and headed down to the tidal basin to hear a National Park Service talk about the history of the DC Cherry Blossoms. The talk was interesting, the story's ups and downs was fascinating, but the lack of blooms was disappointing. I ended up hanging around for a tour of the Jefferson Memorial which I wrote about here. I promised myself that I would return when the blossoms eventually made their appearance, but to be honest it was starting to feel like it would never happen.
It turns out that a lot can happen in a week. Nearly overnight winter morphed into summer, jackets were replaced with flip flops, weather records were set, and the cherry blossoms burst onto stage.
I wasn't the only one who had been eagerly awaiting their arrival. There were plenty of tour groups, a plethora of photographers, and pockets of impromptu picnics which led me to alternate between cherry bliss and grumpy annoyance about sharing this experience with so many others. I am glad I made the spontaneous decision to head down there early this morning and not to attempt it later in the day or on the weekends when the festival events are happening.
My favorite spot for sakura viewing was near the Martin Luther King Memorial. The older trees with their gnarled branches form a pink canopy that would occasionally shift with a breeze and send petals raining down like shooting stars...a magical reminder to savor the moment even if it is done with hundreds of strangers who have also been lured out of their normal routines to see these flowering gifts from Japan.
So pretty. It would be strange for me to be around so many people like that again. How wonderful they were all out connecting to nature in their own way!
Beautiful!
Glad you got there and on a day that wasn't so crowded. Beautiful time of year!
So, so pretty! This was my favorite part of living in DC, minus the tourists :)
Ahhh...love the cherry blossoms, and love seeing them from the perspective of others around the country/world. We are certainly enjoying them here in Seattle.
Absolutely beautiful! I love when the cherry blossoms bloom and there's nowhere else that puts on quite a show than DC. One of these days I'll make it there to see this. For now, thanks for virtually taking me there.
I had no idea there were cherry blossoms in DC. Gorgeous pictures.
The first time I ever saw the cherry blossoms, I shot two full 36-exposure rolls of film... which the developing company promptly lost, never to be seen again. I also remember being absolutely shocked by the sheer volume of humanity sharing the sights; your comment about the intermittent grumpiness hits the mark! I've only been in DC to see the blossoms once twice in the intervening years, but the beauty always makes it worth the crush. Now if we could just figure out what season we're having, eh...? :-)
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