I was up early this morning...but not on purpose, Kyle had practice at 6:30 and so I thought that since I was up, I might as well head for DC and the Cherry Blossom festival. The cold weather has kept the blossoms from fading at the normal pace so despite the fact that they've been blossoming for quite a while, they still look good. I had my parking all planned out; I'd go into town on the Memorial Bridge and turn right by the Lincoln Memorial to get on the Rock Creek Park Trail road, drive to the end of that road which would put me right next to the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin. And..at 6:30 in the morning, who else would be up?!? What I had NOT counted on was that this was THE day of the Cherry Blossom parade and the big vendor gathering. The Rock Creek Trail had been turned into one way...and not the way I wanted. And there were many, many people and CARS! I circled around to Hains Point Park and fortunately, the masses had not yet discovered the parking lots underneath the 14th Street Bridge which are only a couple of hundred yards from the Tidal Basin.

The sun was well past "up" by the time I got to the Basin and although the walkways weren't jammed, there were many, many people. In fact, I found the people more interesting than the cherry blossoms. The weather was perfect, the people were laughing and smiling, and EVERYONE was taking pictures. Me, too.

Cherry Blossom BallerinaCherry Blossom Ballerina

Springtime in the CitySpringtime in the City