Our Nation's Capital Blooms: The Cherry Blossom Festival and More

When I visited our nation's capital March 31-April 1, after a family vacation and a high school marching band trip to Washington, D.C. several years ago, it was like revisiting an old friend. I had not expected the familiarity of the city to come back so soon. The things I had remembered previously immediately snapped into my head as I spent a beautifully cool day with my boyfriend, Mike, visiting museums and memorials at the start of the city's Cherry Blossom Festival.

The annual festival runs during the peak bloom time of the blossoms. The 2008 festival has already been announced and it will run March 29-April 13. It's an important festival in the city and not just because the cherry blossoms are so beautiful when in full bloom.

The Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the original gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington, D.C. in 1912. These trees symbolize the growing friendship between the United States and Japan. A ceremony was held on March 27, 1912 where first lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. The first Cherry Blossom Festival was held in 1935.

There are many activities to participate in during the festival. A parade is held with giant balloons, marching bands, and various performers. The Japan-America Society of Washington D.C. sponsors a one-day street festival full of Japanese culture. Attendees can watch martial arts performances, sample authentic Japanese cuisine, and purchase Japanese goods and crafts. The street festival takes place right after the parade, so if this is something you'd like to see, then plan your visit over the parade weekend.

Mike and I visited right at the start of the festival. There were still many opportunities to partake in Japanese culture, but we were just interested in seeing the cherry blossoms. The majority of the blossoms reside around the tidal basin, so catching a glimpse of the cherry trees would also afford the chance to see the Jefferson and FDR Memorials, which are truly a must-see.

Inside the circular Jefferson Memorial, the preamble to the Declaration of Independence is written on the wall behind the statue of Jefferson. At night, the lights from inside the monument almost give Jefferson an angelic glow. The FDR Memorial is possibly the most soothing memorial. Waterfalls are everywhere in this sequence of four outdoor rooms, each representing one of FDR's terms of office.

Other monuments and memorials to be seen either at night or during the day are the Vietnam Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the new National World War II Memorial. This last memorial opened in 2004. We missed it on our visit, but it's just a reason to go back to D.C. in the future.

There is so much to do in D.C. that there's always a reason to go back and finish everything if you don't get it all in the first go-round. But it's very easy to try. With everything pretty much within walking distance (bring comfortable shoes) and the Metro system a breeze (and it's clean!), D.C. provides a convenient way for tourists to see every part of our nation's history. Once you get comfortable with the Metro, try taking it to the National Cathedral and the National Zoo, both just a walk away from the same Metro station (Woodley Park/Zoo). Don't forget the Tourmobile bus that takes visitors to Arlington Cemetery, as well as just about anywhere else in the D.C. area.

Speaking of convenience, the museums are all located along one strip called The Mall. There you will find the Smithsonian Castle, designed by James Renwick, Jr., the guy who also did St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Mike and I hit up the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. This modern art museum is circular in shape with a donut hole cut out of the middle. In that space is a fountain with water jets that go higher and higher and higher!

One of my favorites is the National Air and Space Museum, home to airplanes, space craft, and the history of aviation. Because the American History Museum is closed for renovations until summer 2008, the Air and Space Museum set aside an exhibit hall for some of the History Museum's best pieces. These include Dorothy's ruby red slippers, Mr. Rogers' red sweater and the ticking clock used in the intro of 60 Minutes.

If you want a good view of D.C., then take the free elevator ride up to the 315-foot-tall clock tower of the Old Post Office Building. Inside the building is a public area with plenty of seating and places to buy food or other items, such as kites. There were lots of people buying kites that weekend. And flying them in front of the Capitol Building.

And what trip to D.C. would be complete without a photo-op in front of the White House? The White House is hard to miss, well, sort of. It's set far back on a grassy lawn, hidden by foliage behind a tall, black fence. Then, you have to push the crowd out of the way to get to the front of the fence, stick your camera through the black bars and snap away. The only things Mike and I saw that were close to the President were his security guards patrolling the grounds.

Seeing all of D.C. sounds easy enough but finding affordable hotels can be difficult, especially if you try to stay within D.C. Not to worry. Perhaps the best place to stay would be in Crystal City, an unincorporated part of Arlington County, Virginia. Crystal City has a plethora of hotels, is very near a large mall, and has easy D.C. Metro access. Plus, there is the Crystal City Underground, which is connected to a Marriott hotel and a Metro station. Inside the underground there are shops, restaurants (the best being Hamburger Hamlet), among other things. My family and I stayed in the Marriott the first time I visited D.C. and my dad's glasses broke. We were able to go to an eye doctor in the underground and get them fixed same-day.

It's those little things that really make D.C. such a wonderful experience. And when you have a wonderful experience, why wouldn't you continue to go back?