Walking the Tidal Basin

Part of the appeal of the cherry blossoms is their location around the tidal basin, as well as the variety of monuments that can be found there. Which came first, the monuments or the flowers? Well, you could Google it, but where's the fun in that?



The Jefferson Memorial rivals the Lincoln Memorial in size, yet due to its location on the far side of the Tidal Basin, it has nowhere near as many visitors. That is, until the cherry blossoms start to bloom...



Even in the overcast early morning, we set off to make our way around the Tidal Basin to visit our good friend TJ. If you look close, you'll see him standing between the pillars.



Unlike Lincoln, it's possible to walk all the way around Jefferson's statute. Granted, as with all other people, the back of Jefferson is not as interesting as the front. Hence, visitors tend to congregate in the front.



Apparently it's not just the cherry blossoms that think spring is here. A gaggle of geese came flying through on their way north.



The FDR Memorial also resides along the Tidal Basin. The FDR Memorial is unique in that it is designed to fit in with the scenery as opposed to standing out.



The FDR Memorial includes several interesting statutes, as well as a nice water component. Nothing like a long exposure shot of a waterfall being watched by the cherry blossoms.



And here's the Washington Monument, which is also fairly close to the basin, so we included a shot...too bad we cut off its head. Don't you hate when that happens?

The Bloom

As some of you may know, the centennial celebration of the cherry blossoms is starting up in April. There are a variety of events planned over several weeks, with big stars and big shows. To which Mother Nature said, "Well, if you're not gonna include me on the guest list, then I'll take my flowers and go..." Thus, we had an unusually warm winter, causing the flowers to peak this week, several weeks before the celebration is due to begin.



In 1912, Japan gifted the United States with several thousand cherry blossom trees that we subsequently planted throughout the District of Columbia, many of them along the Tidal Basin.



The blossoms themselves range in color from pink to white. There is even one purple tree in the district, but finding it requires previous knowledge of its location and a map (or so we've heard). We have yet to find it.



The flowers, while beautiful, are extremely delicate. When a flower is plucked from the tree, it never grows back, as if poisoned by human touch. SO DON'T TOUCH!



Today, the best location to view the trees is around the Tidal Basin, located just south of the western edge of the Mall.



Of the original trees planted in 1912, about 100 are still blooming today.



In an attempt to avoid the crowds and capture the blooms in the morning light, we rose before dawn, only to have our plans thwarted by clouds. That's what we get for making plans...



But when Mother Nature gives you lemons...er...poor lighting, sometimes you just have to shoot in black and white. While the vibrant colors are lost in this format, there is a level of complexity added...



In spite of the clouds, we still had an amazing time seeing the cherry blossoms. They truly are one of the most beautiful sights in DC!