Cherry Blossoms 2013

When in DC in the spring, go see the cherry blossoms!

So we're really hoping that having a child in the photo in the near future will distract from just how goofy/awkward his father looks.

Baby bump!

Overheard one child ask her parent, "Is that the White House?" 

For those of you who are unfamiliar, that's TJ's house.

Maybe if we keep taking shots he'll eventually remember how to stand normal?

I guess this will have to do...

Beautiful sunset or over-processed photo - you be the judge!

One more baby bump!

"A petal she blows!"

Even as we walked among all the trees of cherry blossoms, it was apparent they were not going to last long. With the wind blowing, the petals seemed to cover as much of the ground in some areas as the trees.



In some places the petals stuck everywhere. Think a six-year-old working on an art project with glitter and glue.



Moving target? Challenge accepted.



Of course, we had to get a shot of the Jefferson Memorial in one of the photos.



In some areas, the petals were so deep, it looked like a late snow. Which got me thinking...



Now it really looks like snow!



It looked like it wasn't just petals in the air. Nothin' like a little spring fever, AKA love.

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!

Trip to DC!

Living in the New England area, we felt the need to take advantage of some of the nearby sites. One of those sites is the blooming of the cherry blossoms in D.C. around the beginning of April.



As it turns out, some of the prettiest flowers were near the Jefferson Memorial around the Tidal Basin. Granted, it also turns out that it's not a very well kept secret, so we were joined by thousands of other people who were also there to see the flowers. Either that, or everyone was excited to go for a jog at the same time now that the weather is finally nice.



To make an event of the trip, we met up with Dilen, Amy and Chuy.



Having both been to D.C. before, we had already been to many of the sites. One of the places that Jessica had not been to was the Arlington National Memorial, so we made some time to pay our respects.



This is a close up shot of the flame burning at the JFK burial site. Seems to be alive, doesn't it?



All and all, we had a great weekend. If you happen to be Facebook friends with Justin, you can see more of his photos posted on his Facebook account. Otherwise, hope these were enough!