The blustery and cold East Coast winter pretty much guaranteed the cherry blossoms would bloom late this year.
When we returned to the DC-area after Spring Break, the cherry blossoms were approaching the "fluffy white" stage, and forecasters were predicting that peak bloom (when 70 percent of the blossoms are open) would occur when we were out of town that following weekend. We were bummed that we were going to miss seeing the world famous DC cherry blossoms!
The cherry blossoms did peak while we were gone, but they were still magnificent when we got back. While hubby and the boys couldn't miss work and school, my schedule is a bit more flexible. When I saw the news reports on Monday morning, saying it was going to be the last day to view the cherry blossoms this year because the rains were coming in, I headed out the door!
A short metro ride later, and after LOTS of walking (I got off a few metro stops early to avoid the crowds), I found myself at the Tidal Basin. While there are cherry trees all over DC, the Tidal Basin is where the 1,700 prized Yoshino cherry trees are planted, a gift from Japan in the early 1900s.
The iPhone photos don't do it justice, but believe me, it was breathtaking!
while others were turning pink.
Most of the time, I found myself walking underneath a canopy of gorgeous, blossoming branches.
The views of the Jefferson Memorial (above) and the Washington Monument (below) from the Tidal Basin are already gorgeous, but the cherry blossoms made it even more spectacular.
Every now and then there would be a gust of wind that would cause a few cherry blossoms to fall off the trees, gently showering the passersby.
Ava, Thanks for the lovely photos...We missed them a year ago on our cold, rainy, snowy DC Trip...Bobi shared the link with me...Hugs to you and your "boys." Idella
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed them, Idella, and I remember that you guys had unseasonably cold weather on your trip! We've had our share of snow this year, but Spring has finally sprung out here. Woo hoo!
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