I'd always heard the Cherry Blossoms in D.C. were something to see, but when I heard that a bunch of trees brings nearly a million visitors to the area I had to see it for myself. The place to go of course is the Tidal Basin area spanning the Washington Monument to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. In between is the bigger in real life Jefferson Memorial and the gigantic 7 1/2 acre FDR Memorial. These sights are already amazing but with these little white flower trees hugging the waterfront as the sun is setting, one's eyes are treated to a real delight that is only available for a few weeks a year. Normally the time is later and even this year the experts got the time wrong signaling millions to book hotels and airline tickets for next week but there is no doubt the peak bloom is in full swing and its a wonder if the throngs of tourists will get to see it the way it was today.
The original trees are mostly centered on the far side of the Tidal Basin in the FDR and MLK memorial areas with some recently planted trees tucked in between. Folks had their cameras and especially the locals brought blankets to take in the scenery. The area around the Jefferson Memorial is really nice but to get the full effect you definitely need to hike to the other side which can be quite a walk. The total area is 107 acres but its definitely worth the walk and seeing the monuments and memorials is definitely worth the trouble. If you've never seen the trees you will be amazed at just how bright they are. Too bad it only lasts for a short time!
