Typical for us, whenever we plan something the weather decides not to cooperate! It’s rainy in D.C. today and tomorrow of course. Karen’s 2 days off with plans to see the cherry blossoms and monuments for my birthday. But, not in the rain!

So, I’ll start this blog post with a picture of our door wreath – simple, beautiful on our blue door. And hope that we can get out and about soon to catch the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

So, we set our alarms for o’dark thirty and headed to the Tidal Basin in search of cherry blossoms. It was unbelievable all the people that were already there! I guess they were there to catch the sunrise that illuminated the area memorials and the trees that were loaded with peak blossoms! Lots of photo opportunities for families, pets, dating couples, wedding couples and just simply the view across the Tidal Basin and blossoms up close and personal. We were very lucky to get a parking spot nearby (displaying a handicap hanger or license plate will net free parking) and headed towards the MLK Memorial for a path down to the Tidal Basin sidewalk. We were not disappointed as the sun came out, the Basin water was calm and still, making for good reflections of the trees and Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. It was very congested at this level as hundreds of people flocked to take their memorable pictures. Many thousands of dollars were being carried about in cameras, filters, tripods and more. The sun was warming up, the shade still cool. Areas of mud and puddles dotted the sidewalk making for an intersting maze of people and equipment to navigate.

The cherry blossoms were fuller this year than the last time – which was later in the season – when we visited the last time we lived here a few years ago. So glad we were able to find a nice day to check them out this year. Definitely not disappointed!

Trivia Tidbit: “The National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC, and celebrates the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan.” For more information:

About Us – National Cherry Blossom Festivalhttps://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org › about-us

NOTE: All photographs are the property of this blog and taken by KLR Images. They may not be copied or shared without express written permission.

Get off the couch!
Get out of your easy chair!
Get outside and explore your own back yard
for all the wonders it holds.