We fly into Richmond on March 25 and leave on March 30, 2010. We plan to drive over to the Charlottesville area and perhaps on to Washington D.C. area, if time permits. Are there any cherry blossoms around the Charlottesville or Richmond area or other places in Virginia?

Thanks for your help!

There are in Newport News outside the Canon factory but it wouldn't be worth the trip.

Someone else may know of trees in Richmond but I would be very surprised if they were in bloom by then. We are having a very late spring.

There are beautiful cherry blossom trees in Byrd Park and Maymont (Richmond), but as Birdie said they most likely won't be in bloom by then. Our daffodils are barely beginning to show themselves. We've had a very cold winter and cool spring.

Weeping willows here in Northern Va are just now starting to show that "greenish cast" on them...a few crocus are now up..everything else looks dreary and still dormant.

April 3 is now the projected peak time for the blossoms in DC.

I came back to admit I was wrong. I was driving down 199 in Williamsburg today and saw the cherry trees in full bloom. It is as if someone flicked on the light switch and the blooms came out. I don't know whether it was because of our nice warm weekend we just had.

A six oclock DC news program showed a closeup of the buds and they are ready to open with a few warm days. Our daffodils are blooming here in the Shenandoah Valley but our cherry tree buds have a while to go before opening.

You've had a hard winter, ronkala. I bet you're ready for spring.

I sure am Birdie. We had two 20' and three 5'+ snowfalls this winter plus some very cold days. Even when the temp went up into the seventies a couple of weeks ago, the mountains stayed covered with snow until the heavy rains came through and washed it away.

I used to tell DW, while living on LI, that there is no place like Virginia in April (based on two years living in Chester many, many, years ago) but up here it's in May.

Birdie, we are in Williamsburg tonight. We are on Capitol Landing Road in a Hampton Inn. We plan to drive over to highway 199 tomorrow. We are guessing that the cherry blossoms you mentioned will be found driving toward downtown Williamsburg on #199. We will be driving back to Richmond sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks!

Oh dear, seniortraveler, I didn't know you were coming to Williamsburg. I think there are only two cherry trees left on 199 after they redid the intersection at Jamestown Rd. I just use them as my barometer for bloom. If you see this before you leave you might want to drive into Kingsmill (just tell them at the gate that you are going to the resort to eat). Drive towards the resort on Mounts Bay or Kingsmill Rd, depending on what gate you enter and then out the other to see some pretty blooming trees. I'm trying to think of other trees in Williamsburg but other than trees in friends' yards, I'm drawing a blank. I hope you are enjoying your trip. DD said the DC cherry trees she saw from her train window on Friday were gorgeous.

We did see some blooming cherry blossom trees at the Inn in Williamsburg and a few on 199. I am sorry we didn't have time to go to DC, but it was raining there anyway. We visited President Jefferson, Monroe, Wilson, Tyler, and Harrisons' homes and other places. We are back in Richmond and plan on visiting the city tomorrow and fly out late tomorrow. This was a historic tour.

Thanks for your help~

I hope you enjoyed your trip, seniortraveler. The blooms have been beautiful. I'm glad they opened up for you. I was certainly pessimistic a few weeks ago.