The Monuments of Washington, D.C. Under the Cherry Blossoms
The cherry blossoms are in peak bloom in Washington, D.C., and seeing the photos of the delicate white and pink blossoms decorating the rim of the Tidal Basin brings me back to when we visited this beautiful city a few years back. One of our favorite things we did while in Washington, D.C. was visiting the memorials in the National Mall, and it was made even more special by the added beauty of the blooming cherry trees. In 1912, Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo gifted 3,000 Yoshino cherry trees to Washington, D.C. On March 27, 1912, the first two trees were planted on the bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chindda, the wife of the Japanese ambassador. The cherry trees are a symbol of the friendship between the United States and Japan and annually this friendship is celebrated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival . Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms can be almost as elusive as the Northern Lights....