Thursday, April 8, 2010

Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC


I went to the 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC last week to see the cherry trees at peak bloom. Though there are various events and performances during this two-week span, I just walked around taking pictures, though I did participate in some of the free, engaging park ranger tours at the Jefferson and FDR Memorials.

The 3000 cherry trees were originally donated from Japan in 1912 as a gesture of friendship to the United States and quickly became a favorite of Washingtonians in the spring, when they burst into delicate pink and white blossoms. (Actually the first attempted shipment in 1910 had to be burned when it was discovered upon arrival that the trees were infested.)

Some trees are lost each year and replaced, but a few of the originals still stand after 90 years, more than double the usual lifespan for these trees.

Most of the trees are of the Yoshino variety, but there is a small section with a few other types of cherry trees (Usuzumi, Fugenzo, Japanese Weeping, and Akebono).

The Tidal Basin
The cherry trees are planted around the Tidal Basin, an artificial body of water surrounded by reclaimed land formed by dredging the Potomac River in the 1880's. After some debate this land was used to create memorials extending the National Mall, with the most famous being the temple-like Jefferson Memorial.


Interestingly, this site was originally planned as a memorial for President Theodore Roosevelt, but his cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt changed it into an homage to Thomas Jefferson, one of his heroes, and personally oversaw the design and construction between 1938 and 1943. And ironically, FDR's memorial now sits a short distance away.

I didn't know that the Tidal Basin is so named because at high tide, it fills up via an inlet on the Potomac River side, then drains via a lower outlet opening on the other side that flushes out the Washington Channel, reducing the need for dredging.

Photographers Galore
Photographers were everywhere, taking either pictures of the trees or portraits under them. Everyone was trying to get dramatic shots with the Washington Monument or Jefferson Memorial in the background.


I took hundreds of pictures, but most of them fail to convey the beauty of Washington on a perfect spring day with temperatures in the 70's and all of the cherry trees in full bloom. Then as I walked back I took some pictures of the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, World War II Memorial, and Washington Monument.




Getting There
I took the Washington Metro to the Smithsonian stop, which is about a mile away from the Jefferson Memorial, roughly a 20 minute walk. There aren't any closer stations because except for the Jefferson Memorial (where they drove huge pilings into the ground prior to construction), the land around the Tidal Basin is too unstable for tunneling.

The area is bounded by Independence Avenue and 14th Street/I-395 just prior to the bridge across the Potomac. There's limited parking around the Tidal basin, but it's a congested area and Metro is a better option.


During the festival, special cherry blossom tours are given by the Park Service in addition to the regular tours of the memorials. Meeting places are in a visitors' tent behind the Jefferson Memorial, and on the back side of the FDR Memorial.

I won't have time to go back down this weekend, but the Festival will conclude with a parade on Saturday, April 10 and the last performances will be given on Sunday, April 11.






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