For most of the year, Washington D.C. is either too hot or too cold with unbearable humidity, but nature gives us a reprieve in April and October. It’s cliche, but the two weeks of the Cherry Blossom Festival really are the best time to visit.
The District takes on a surreal hue of bright pinks and vibrant blues. You’re greeted with flowering canopies and streets are perfumed with falling petals. It’s like being in a dream you had as a child.
The festival commemorates the 3,000 cherry trees that the Japanese gifted to Washington in 1912.
Over the years, cuttings were taken from the original trees, so that the entire city and parts of Maryland are decorated with the beautiful blossoms.
This past week, temperatures soared to 90°F/32°C, so the blossoms came and went in a quick blaze of glory.
Most people who visit DC during the festival head straight for the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials because it holds the greatest concentration of trees. While this is true, those who venture into the neighborhoods of Northwest DC will be treated to a sight they won’t find at the Tidal Basin — giant weeping cherry trees:
President Obama has a Magnolia tree in his front yard:
If it gets really hot, you can duck into the National Cathedral for a cool break.
Me, I just wanted to practice using my new fisheye lens.
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