Cherry Blossoms in DC
 

In case anyone was hoping to see the cherry blossoms in bloom, it has been forecasted that they will peak between March 26 and April 2. This isn't set in stone (more accurate forecasts will be available in a few weeks), but maybe it will help anyone hoping to see the trees, which are glorious when in bloom. Cherry Blossom Festival is set to kick off on March 28, culminating in the Cherry Blossom Parade on April 10.

Don't get your heart set on anything though. 2 years ago they came out a week earlier than expected and then 25-mile-an-hour winds promptly whipped them right into the tidal basin. Oh well

Ah but that's why they're so much fun. So unpredictable and gorgeous. As a local, I have my alternate sites! When my kids were little, our pediatrician had an office in the Kenwood part of Bethedsa -- when we moved out to Olney, we found Williamsburg Village, off of Georgia Ave, which has street after street of beautiful blooming canopies. <BR>And of course, a bit later in the Spring there are the fabulous azaleas around Brighton Dam. Boy am I ready for Spring!

My family and I are coming to DC March 26-31. I have heard a lot about this cherry blossom thing. Where do I go when I get there to see these trees? Are they every where or will I be able to run across them while I am there.

My family and I are coming to DC March 26-31. I have heard a lot about this cherry blossom thing. Where do I go when I get there to see these trees? Are they every where or will I be able to run across them while I am there.

Donna, here's the deal: back around the turn of the century, the government of Japan gave the United States several hundred cherry trees. Most of them died, but those that didn't bloomed spectacularly, and the National Park Service took it upon itself to propagate those that survived and find suitable American varieties that could survive Washington's harsh summer. This gift also coincided with the "city beautiful" movement as Washington was clearing the warehouses and wharves that then lined the Potomac. <BR> <BR>The result was (and is today) several thousand cherry trees that bloom spectacularly in the public spaces south of the Mall along the Potomac. One way to appreciate them is to start walking from the Lincoln Memorial at 23rd St. and the Potomac along the north bank of the river, to the Jefferson Memorial at 15th Street. This will take you around the Tidal Basin, which is more or less the heart of cherry blossom territory. <BR> <BR>Then continue east along the river onto Haines Point. At some point, you'll get cherry blossomed out. Return back to the Jefferson Memorial, climb the steps into the rotunda, and then look back onto the Tidal Basin. The view will stay with you forever. <BR> <BR>Caveat: as Ilisa points out, the dates of the peak bloom are subject to variation within a 30-day period, and a couple of days of rain or snow can wreak havoc with the fragile blossoms. Still, it is part and parcel of Washington, and the other annual and perennial plantings by the NPS are glorious. <BR>