It’s cherry blossom time again in Washington DC. The cherry blossom trees have now burst into flower and marked the unofficial start of spring. The National Park Service determined that peak bloom was reached on April 9th. One day after peak bloom, on April 10th, Dave and I rushed after work to the Tidal Basin to enjoy the beautiful cherry trees in full blossom.
The average peak bloom date is April 4. This year is a little later than average due to unseasonably cold local weather during March and early April, but last year’s peak bloom date came earlier on March 20, due to the warm weather and the blossoms were blown away by the storm right before the annual cherry blossom parade. We didn’t have a chance to see the spectacular trees in their blossom last year because of that. This year marks the 101st anniversary of the gift of 3,020 cherry blossom trees from Japan in 1912 to celebrate the two nations growing friendship.
The famed cherry trees can be spotted in many different places in DC. The most abundance of cherry trees can be found in three park locations: the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, Hains Point in East Potomac Park, and the Washington Monument grounds. From late March to early April, DC residents and visitors can see over 3,750 cherry trees of different species in their full glory.
It was a beautiful sunny day with the temperature slightly over 90° F. We stopped at the Marina near East Potomac Park, while walking from the metro station to the Tidal Basin. It was almost sunset, so the boats on the river with the pink cherry trees in the background looked lovely. East Potomac Park is a 300+ acre peninsula located between the Washington Channel and the Potomac River on the south side of the Tidal Basin. Hains Point in East Potomac Park is a prime spot to watch planes taking off and landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and it is home to more than 1,600 cherry trees.
A free shuttle bus runs between the East and West Potomac Park, which the visitors can catch at the Hains Point parking lot. We noticed a lot of buses and a lot of people there.
The Tidal Basin was packed with visitors when we approached it. Some of them were comfortably sitting on the grass overlooking the cherry trees like in the pictures below and waiting for sunset to come. The Tidal Basin, a man-made inlet adjacent to the Potomac River in West Potomac Park, is home to a variety of cherry trees including Yoshino, Akebono and Usuzumi. We just walked around to view the trees’ full blossoms and took a lot of pictures.
The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC was built in honor of our third president, Thomas Jefferson. The Memorial is located on the Tidal Basin, surrounded by a grove of trees making it especially beautiful during Cherry Blossom season in the spring. It was really crowded near Jefferson’s Memorial and its surroundings.
We had a chance to witness a beautiful sunset and took more pictures.
More than 350 cherry trees reached their abundance of flowers on the Washington Monument grounds. It is impossible to miss the area, since the Washington Monument is the most prominent structure in the city and can be seen from 30 miles away.
Here is the view of the Washington Monument from the Tidal Basin. The Monument was damaged during the earthquake that hit the Washington region last year. It is under construction now and will be re-open in 1914. The visitors will be able to overlook DC surroundings from the enclosed deck on the very top of the Monument again. Dave and I did it a couple years ago.
Approaching the Washington Monument while walking back to the metro station.
The Monument area is surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms. Here are some pictures of a closer view of the Washington Monument grounds.
