It was a great run for the cherry blossoms, but the tail end of their peak bloom and the weekend rains saw many of their distinctive pink and white petals fall to the ground. more ›

The weekend couldn't have been better for the city's roving photographers—the temperatures were warm, the skies blue and the cherry blossoms in bloom. more ›

The centennial of the planting of Japanese cherry trees on the Tidal Basin will be marked with a celebration of the trees' origin, as well as remembrances of the earthquake and tsunami last year that ravaged Japan. more ›

First, a buck got his antlers caught in a fence in Mount Pleasant this morning. Then, another buck actually fell into the Tidal Basin and had to be rescued by the U.S. Park Police. What's next? more ›

The drivers of two tour buses were seriously injured in a collision on Ohio Drive SW this morning, near the Tidal Basin. The accident took place at 10:30 a.m. It looks like one of the buses was parked when the second bus crashed into it head-on, according to D.C. Fire/EMS spokesperson Pete Piringer. There were no passengers on board either bus, but one of the drivers was trapped and emergency crews were working to cut open the bus in order to free him. Both men appear to have sustained life-threatening injuries. more ›

The National Park Service's chief cherry blossom prognosticator, horticulturalist Rob DeFeo, has at last delivered the goods: he announced this morning that the estimated peak bloom period for Washington's famous cherry trees will run from April 3-8, while the overall bloom period will last from March 31 to April 11. more ›

WTOP reports that a number of cherry trees around the Tidal Basin were damaged by heavy snowfall this month.

"A number of branches have been split, and there have been a couple of trees that have had the canopies taken off," National Park Service spokesman Bill Line tells WTOP after he toured the area. more ›

If you’ve been down to the Tidal Basin to see the Cherry Blossoms, then you’ve probably already revisited the Jefferson Memorial. more ›

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. more ›

Both the Post and WTOP have stories this morning announcing the National Park Service's decision to close the tiny Tidal Basin parking lot during the National Cherry Blossom Festival this year. Talk about overdue ideas. Anyone who's been down to see the blossoms at peak hours over the last decade can tell you that the additional traffic caused by the yahoos who seem to think they'll be able to snag a spot in the lot, which has only 180 parking spaces, is a nuisance that should have been done away with long ago. more ›

Good morning, Washington. With a new year less than 24 hours away and an improbable playoff berth for the Redskins suddenly a reality, we frankly expect you to have been skipping in to your offices today, in a total and joyous rapture. Even if you've had to work straight through the holidays this year, we will tolerate no whining on this, or really any other matter, on this particular New Year's Eve. There will be only good cheer and winning humor today. Got that, D.C.? That is all. more ›

>> A non-rolling tennis ball catches a lot of parking tickets on Cliffbourne Place. [Marc Fisher] >> D.C. police are trying to identify a body found in the Tidal Basin. [NBC4] >> "A DC Team is in the Super Bowl again. The Beacon House Falcons are in Pop Warner Football’s Pee Wee Division Super Bowl on Saturday, December 8th at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex." [Notions Capital] >> The District government expects to... more ›

We've already received a few submissions to our August Touch Up D.C. photo editing extravaganza, so here's our very first selection, by Flickr user htlvhwy, titled "Tessie, the Tidal Basin Monster." The serene paddle boaters are a particularly nice touch to this mashup of Scottish folklore and American tourism. Well played, htlvhwy! more ›

Last Chance for A.V. Sad, we know. Get it before it becomes a half-empty office building. Restaurant Week Starts August 6 There are a few good things about Washington in August. First, it's so damned hot and soupy that there are about 100 times fewer tourists. Second, Congress leaves town and tons of governmental types take vacation, so town slows down considerably, leaving rush hour slightly less enraging. Third, it's when the summer version of... more ›

One more fireworks photo should round out the week nicely. With so many it's tough for a single shot to make you go, "ooooooooooooo," but this one definitely succeeded. Flickr user Andrei took this colorful reflection from across the Tidal Basin. EXIF.... more ›

Preservation of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is something we've discussed on DCist a number of times before -- usually in reference to the library and street that share his name. One thing the city's still missing is a memorial to the civil rights hero. The memorial's design was approved in 2005, with the remaining hurdle that plagues so many projects of this nature: money. Fundraisers have been hard at work... more ›

Hey there, District. We'll admit, we woke up a little on the grumpy side this morning when we looked out the window and remembered we're supposed to have thunderstorms and sporadic showers for the next 72 hours. But those frowns turned upside down when we took a look at the ten-day forecast and realized that what the weather gods aren't asking for much patience -- after today, we can expect average to above-average temperatures... more ›

As we mentioned earlier this week, sometimes we don't envy Washington's urban planners. Their challenges often encompass issues as varied and complicated as economic development, land use planning, sustainability, design and social justice. Add to that the design politics associated with the symbolism invested in the nation's capital, and planning for D.C. becomes a unique urban problem to tackle. Not that it stops us from trying. Yesterday, the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission... more ›

No offense to Mary Steingesser, the artist who attempted to capture the spirit of the District of Columbia for our official 2007 "State Easter Egg" this year. It's a perfectly lovely rendering of the White House on an egg, we suppose. But we just wouldn't be us if we didn't take a moment to point out that a) Using the White House as the symbol for D.C. is so 2004 (2005's egg was the Washington... more ›

The National Mall is, as we're sure the Park Service will tell you, a national treasure, a constantly evolving piece of L'Enfant's vision of Washington. (It is not, however, a place for careful editing, unless "relfecting" is a colonial word meaning "to walk about in knee-high tube socks and bermuda shorts upon gravel pathways".) The key word, though, is evolving. The moment ground is broken on one monument, the lobbying begins for the next one.... more ›

Post 'em if you got 'em, Washington. According to WJLA, today is the smack-dab middle of cherry blossom season. We hope you got your photos already. With rain in the morning, a cold snap beginning in the afternoon and winds that are likely to pull off blossoms, this year's best days for walking around the Tidal Basin seem to already be over. Rats. D.C. Council Provisionally Mandates HPV Vaccine: The debate over the Gardasil... more ›

>> As you can see in this photo submitted to the DCist Photo Pool, the building that houses Ruff N' Ready Furnishings, 1908 14th Street NW, has been condemned by city inspectors. The building was old and certainly not in great shape, though we've also heard rumors that the 911 call which prompted police and fire trucks to show up was reportedly made by a man well-known to the building's residents as a habitual drug... more ›

>> If "gorgeous weather" isn't enough of a reason to get you outside, this weekend's kick-off for the National Cherry Blossom Festival should get you to shake off that winter gloom. Head over to the National Building Museum tomorrow to kick-off the celebration with Family Day events from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the opening ceremony from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lots of hands-on art activities, like oragami and fruit carving, will keep... more ›

Good morning, D.C. Thanks to all of you who came out to the Voting Rights Happy Hour last night. We had a great time meeting everyone and chatting about the future of full voting rights for D.C. Our friends and co-hosts at DC Vote were thrilled to be able to sign up so many new interested members and volunteers for their upcoming Voting Rights March on April 16, so thanks to them for coming out... more ›

How's that Congress-is-back-in-session traffic treating you this morning, Washington? Seems like everyone and their step-cousin is on their way to the Hill this morning to witness what new Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised will be "the most ethical Congress ever." So we sure hope all you staffers cleaned out your bosses' freezers last night, because this morning will have been too late. In all seriousness, we're definitely looking forward to following the goings on during... more ›

Taking someone you love to a Holiday Concert is a great December tradition, but how do you know what you will like? Are there really that many choices? We dealt with Messiah performances earlier this week, but here are the season's best and not so best, all around Washington. Use the comments section if we've missed something. INTERESTING: >> The Folger Consort gives the best Christmas concert in Washington, with excellent performances of unusual repertory.... more ›

>> The President has granted his annual Thanksgiving Pardon today to two lucky birds from Missouri named Flyer and Fryer. Though some animal rights groups are reportedly upset that Bush plans to send them both to Disneyland, which is apparently not the happiest place on Earth for turkeys — last year's turkey only lived for a few months after arriving in the Magic Kingdom. The rest of you Turkeys still hoping for a reprieve, try... more ›