Washington Cherry Blossoms

In 1912 the city of Tokyo gave 3000 flowering cherry trees to the city of Washington DC as a sign of the advancing good relations between Japan and the USA. Every year these trees are enjoyed and celebrated during the Cherry Blossom Festival and I was fortunate enough to be in the city during the festival and the peak flowering time of the last few days. Just In time too - strong winds on Thursday are predicted to blow away all the blossoms!

I left the hotel early and made my way down to the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial which is the site where most of the trees were planted. The area can be extremely crowded with people enjoying the beauty of the trees, but it was early enough and chilly enough, so for the most part I avoided the crowds. I stopped to pick up a breakfast sandwich on the way, and had filled up my flask with tea before leaving the hotel, so I was able to enjoy a breakfast picnic under the blossoms while overlooking the water and the memorial. It was a beautiful outing! See Extra photo.