After the dreary last weekend in March, with the unexpected snowfall on Sunday, this past weekend finally propelled us forward into Spring, and we celebrated with a nice walk around the National Mall in Washington DC on Saturday.
We started in the Haupt Garden, where the magnolias were already in full bloom, and visited the U.S. Botanic Gardens along the way, because something is always blooming in there!
At the Tidal Basin, it was the best of both worlds: the cherry trees were just starting to bloom, while the rush of sightseers had not yet arrived. Next weekend will be the height of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, with the parade on Saturday and the cherry trees in full bloom, but with visitors in town from around the world, it will be like shopping on Black Friday!
Life with John 
It looks beautiful. Greeat shots!
Thanks! And in just a couple of weeks, they’ll all be gone…
You guys deserve it! Enjoy 🙂
We managed to do at least one hike every week over the winter, but with the arrival of Spring, it won’t seem like work anymore! The weekend after next (19-20 April) is an entrance fee free weekend at all the National Parks, so I foresee a hike in Shenandoah Nation Park coming on… 😀
Your photos are lovely, especially the magnolias, wow. And I always like knowing when the cherry trees are in bloom (but I would also shy away from the crowds of tourists if I lived in your area, yikes). Thanks John.
Thanks, Jet! Just when the cherry trees will bloom each year IS the $64 question, so to speak, since the overseas visitors surely plan their itineraries months in advance. For the local visitors, the Virginia bluebells and azaleas are also in bloom in the April-May timeframe, so there are lots of other attractions that aren’t quite as crowded. 😉
I was wandering around the Tidal Basin in D.C. on the morning of April 6. It was a little chilly. Most of the cherry blossoms were not out yet, and some people (who had traveled from other countries just to see the blossoms) were upset. But you are right, it was not crowded and the walk was refreshing. AND I found a few brave cherry blossoms to photograph. So, it was a great day!
Hey, good for you! It’s kind of funny how people crowd around those few early bloomers. Despite the crowds, I can’t help myself — I scheduled another visit this coming Sunday. 😛 At least it’s not hard to plan for!
I don’t think I will be coming back up. I kind of liked it when it was not crowded…and I don’t know if I want to drive all the way up to Springfield again, to catch the metro to DC. Unfortunately, the metro does not go down as far as Fredericksburg!
Can’t say I blame you! The DC area would have been well served by extending the Yellow Line across the Occoquan to Woodbridge, in order to relieve the I-95 commuter congestion. Unfortunately, catering to the Tyson’s Corner developers won out, so the Silver Line was built to Dulles, duplicating the existing toll road.