March 31, 2008
Alternative Locations for Your Cherry Blossom Fill
No doubt many of you trekked down to the Tidal Basin this weekend to check out the cherry blossoms during their peak bloom (which is predicted to last until Thursday). As many rightly feel, this area is the height of "D.C. scenic," with the gorgeous trees lining the waterside and the Jefferson and Washington Monuments in view.
Of course, along with the ubiquitous scenic view are thousands and thousands of visitors roaming the Basin area during the weeks of bloom, and maybe some of you would like to enjoy the pink flowers of early spring with a little more quiet reflection and fewer screaming children scrambling over tree limbs. So we were interested to come across this post at the Washington Gardener Magazine blog with a list of local alternatives to view the cherry trees.
The National Arboretum is always a good choice for any kind of plant viewing, but some other locations off-the-beaten path include the Kenwood neighborhood in Bethesda, for what Washington Gardener calls a "stunning display," and Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, where you can stroll around and check out the trees for $8. Be sure to bring your camera and post your favorite shots in our Flickr pool.
Photo of cherry blossoms in Kenwood by sandcastlematt
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Heather,
Thank you for not using "Alternate Locations..."
Love this time of year but also hate it. I'm glad that so many flock to DC to enjoy the rite of spring, however, I have a difficult time containing the inner curmudgeon that emerges when witnessing blatant disregard for common courtesy and the "taking only photographs, leaving only footprints" ideal in basking in the beauty. I did go to Hains Point this past weekend and walked away feeling a bit of ill will towards tourists who insist on breaking off branches from trees, yanking on them from passing tour buses, and generally treating the trees with disrespect. Any way I can be deputized to issue citations for vandalism??
I guess nobody paid attention to all those National Park Service "Condoleeza the Safety Beaver®" signs that told visitors, "Give a pee, don't mutilate the tree!"
Which reminds me, did anyone attend the opening Tea Ceremony/Hedge Trimming/Beaver shaving ceremony? I just missed it, but managed to snag a souvenier satin tour jacket.
And thank you, thank you thank you, for posting a list of alternative spots. I usually avoid looking at the blossoms, precisely because of the obnoxious tourists and their insistence on bringing their even -more- obnoxious hellspawn.
I posted this on Washington Gardener, but Garrett Park Estates in Kensington has several blocks of cherry blossoms, enough to arch over the streets. Just take Strathmore Rd, turn on Flanders, another turn on Waycross I think it is, and just meander. Best part: absolutely NO crowds.
Also National Arboretum in NE has a bunch of trees, and it's a lovely place to visit most of the year too.
Dumbarton Oaks was practically empty Sunday afternoon, and totally gorgeous.
Not nearly as many cherry trees as the tidal basin, but the rest of the gardens more than make up for it.
Don't forget to mention - $8 (EIGHT BUCKS) to walk in the gates of Dunbarton Oaks. Mostly explains why so empty...
The arboretum is a great spot and I believe they also have a bonsai cherry tree.
I went to the basin last Thursday and although it was drizzling a little, there were no crowds. But you couldn't have paid me to go down there this past Saturday.
I'll second the Arboretum. And their bonsai garden does indeed kick ass. Anyone with kids in gradeschool should check this joint out. The only A+ I ever got was for a ginormous leaf collection I assembled for a class project. Loaded with exotic crap, and everything labeled with their Latin names. I lost track of how many times that leaf collection got me laid. Better than an ant farm. Tell a woman you've got an ant farm and a leaf collection in your slammin crib and they go after you like they got a roman candle in their pants. No lie, G.I. Haven't been f***ed like that since gradeschool.
Thanks for the pick-up -- the USNA display is tops on our list as well!
SO with you, cchurches! Want to scream "citizen arrest" and lock up every one of those blossom mutilators. Why do they all think they can do this and that this is okay? No home training.