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!
You guys deserve it! Enjoy 🙂
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. 😉