April 2, 2021
It’s pretty cool living so close to the nation’s capitol and what feels like a hub of the world. That’s a wonderful thing about living in Maryland. Within just a few hours drive you can go from the mountains, to the beach and even a few big cities! That being said I rarely go to the last one, but I figured the cherry blossoms in bloom was the perfect time to visit DC.
I didn’t want to venture to the Mall in downtown DC and fight the crowds, especially in a pandemic, so instead I visited the National Arboretum right on the eastern edge of DC.
Of course this park was still busy (since it’s free!) but it is much more spread out.
Once we parked we headed for the first grove of these beautiful trees in bloom and they are just so pretty!!! Up close, far away, full blooms, more wispy... it doesn't matter.
Onward from there to see what else this Arboretum has to offer. Obviously, lots of trees and flowers, but maps were a little harder to come by. After a little aimless walking we decided to look it up on our phones. Ok, there we are.
These are the urban streams that they have made an effort to protect and clean up. I mean, I guess for Washington DC, that’s not so bad. I’d hate to see what they looked like before!! Makes me grateful for the USDA and their work to protect the environment and create this space in the district. (Not gonna lie, felt kinda cool saying "district")
For now, we continued strait ahead, up the road, and into another grove of trees where even more stunning, beautiful blooms awaited!!
Getting our fill of cherry blossoms… or maybe it was the walking and too many people, we decided to figure out where we actually were on the map (because we were wrong before LOL) and find the Capitol Columns.
These 22 Corinthian columns were outside the Capitol Building from 1828-1958 and moved here in 1988. These columns are such a unique juxtaposition from the nature setting they are in. If you can’t tell I had lots of fun taking photos of them!
I especially love the last photo with the yellow blooms in focus and the columns blurred out in background. And the one with the sun shining right behind them!
That completed our circle through just part of the Arboretum. I definitely hope to go back in the summer when everything is blooming!! I'll take a picnic, maybe a frisbee, make a real day of it.
Before heading home, it felt only fitting to drive into the district, past the more iconic cherry blossoms, and along the National Mall. While it was pretty, as I predicted, it was also bustling with traffic and people!
Driving along George Washington Parkway, on the other side of the Potomac, always provides a beautiful view (and bumper-to-bumper traffic!) of the Washington Monument and luckily my friend, who came with, was able to snap this beautiful photo.
Alright, what do you think? Have you gotten a chance to see the cherry blossoms anywhere this year?
