Meandering around Washington D.C.

Authored by Sherman Cahal on April 30, 2009 at American Byways

 

The blooming of thousands of cherry trees around Washington D.C. has come to symbolize the arrival of spring in the nation's capital and the representation of natural flora and beauty. The low slung ornamental Yoshino Cherry trees, most famous for their ring they form with their pink and white blossoms around the Tidal Basin, were a gift from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo, Japan in 1912. The gesture was an effort to enhance the friendship and continue the relationship between the United States and Japan.

 

 

Ever year, thousands flock to Washington to marvel at one of Mother Earth's most brilliant displays of color and beauty. A grand parade accompanies the event, along with the annual Sakura Matsuri, the largest Japanese street festival in the United States. The trail of cherry blossoms connects the Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial together, with additional blossoms at the National Arboretum, a fantastic way to beat the crowds of the Basin. All of this was wrapped up in the name of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

 

I visited Washington D.C. to take in the sights of the budding darlings. It had been years since my last trip to the nation's capital, and that was only to briefly glance at the White House from behind the concrete barricades at night. This time, I had planned out a five mile walking path that would breeze me by most of the major monuments along the Tidal Basin and the National Mall.

 

I visited Washington D.C. to take in the sights of the budding darlings. It had been years since my last trip to the nation's capital, and that was only to briefly glance at the White House from behind the concrete barricades at night. This time, I had planned out a five mile walking path that would breeze me by most of the major monuments along the Tidal Basin and the National Mall.

 

I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Washington D.C. on that rather uneventful, but sunny and windy morning. As we drove in via the scenic George Washington Parkway, traffic was flowing rather quickly with little delay, but as I neared the Arlington Memorial Bridge, I received my first glance at the congestion of pedestrians so early in the morning. Driving to the center of town proved to be more difficult than I had thought.

 

 

After a half-hour of driving, I found a parking structure near the Federal Triangle Metro station and hopped out to walk out on foot, tired of being cramped in an automobile and in serious need of some exercise and relaxation. Driving can put one on edge, especially when dealing with bumper-to-bumper traffic and pedestrians weaving amongst the vehicles.

 

The first stop was along Madison Drive NW, but not for photographs. Rather, there was pedestrian gridlock. Thousands had flocked to the streets in anticipation of catching a glimpse of the annual National Cherry Blossom Parade and of the parade master, Alex Trebek. As I meandered through the crowd, uninterested in the parade because I could not see anything, I managed to somehow find myself in the middle of the roadway, trying to cross ahead of the parade in front of the Smithsonian Institution.

 

After much walking, I came to the Washington Monument, a sand-colored obelisk on the National Mall. Constructed to commemorate George Washington, the first president of the United States, the memorial was constructed of marble, granite and sandstone. It ranks as the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk at 555 feet in height. It also ranks as the tallest structure in Washington D.C.

 

 

Check out my newest blog entry, Meandering around Washington D.C. for the remainder, and for links to even more history and photographs.

 

Besides the blog entry, here is a listing of the new articles: Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, White House, World War II Memorial.

 

Enjoy!

Beautiful photos Sherman...although I'm not diggin' this partial sharing trend in photo threads and redirecting people somewhere else for the rest.  Lame!

Love the trees!

I don't know why anyone would attempt to drive in DC?  Especially during one of the festivals.

I don't mind driving in Chicago and will even drive in Manhattan, but for some reason, I can't stay oriented in DC well enough to get around.  I think navigating all the circles and weird intersections with "state" streets throws me off my game.  I just leave the car in Falls Church or at the Greenbelt Metro and ride public transit.

I don't mind driving in Chicago and will even drive in Manhattan, but for some reason, I can't stay oriented in DC well enough to get around.  I think navigating all the circles and weird intersections with "state" streets throws me off my game.  I just leave the car in Falls Church or at the Greenbelt Metro and ride public transit.

You're insane man!  I wouldn't drive in either of those places.

You drove into DC? For the Cherry Blossom Festival? Good God Man, you got guts. For me, every time I go into DC it's from New Carrollton Station with a SmartTrip Card. I love Metrorail. Transit naysayers need only ride the Metro to find out how awesome transit can be. Anyways, Great photos. I wanted to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival this year, but none of my friends were available to go. Perhaps next year.

very nice job -- i love the dc cherry blossom festival! coming several weeks later the brooklyn fest is great too. both are in such beautiful settings.

This is such a great time to be in DC.

Parking was free at the Largo stop.  Just sayin'

Bah. I wanted to take Metro, but my parents were all about driving in.

Bah. I wanted to take Metro, but my parents were all about driving in.

MaMa's boy!

Get a backbone.  :wink: