Community Corner
The 5 Best Spots to Photograph Cherry Blossoms in DC
The peak bloom is just days away, and there are five awesome spots in D.C. if you want to photograph them.
WASHINGTON, DC — After a deep chill the past week, it appears the region is finally starting to warm up and make a forceful push into spring -- for good this time, hopefully.
That means the cherry blossoms that survived the surprise snowfall will be blooming in a matter of days, so it's time to grab your camera and head into the city.
Below, we've rounded up the five best places to see (or photograph) the cherry blossoms over the coming weeks.
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Tidal Basin
The Tidal Basin is the most obvious choice. The northeast bank in particular is a good place to view the cherry blossoms, and it's also where there are music performances during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Be prepared for huge crowds, however, as it's where everyone's going to be congregating when the flowers bloom.
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East Potomac Park
If you want to avoid the crowds at the Tidal Basin, you can head southwest down Ohio Drive to East Potomac Park, which has plenty of cherry blossom trees of its own. The park is on a peninsula that sticks out into the Potomac River. The trees also are of a different variety than the ones at the basin and thus bloom a few weeks later.
Washington Monument
Patches of cherry blossoms can be found all around downtown D.C. There are a few bunches near the Washington Monument, so don't forget to stop there during your spring sightseeing.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is an underrated spot to snap pictures of cherry blossom blooms. Nicknamed the Stone of Hope, it is surrounded by 182 new cherry blossom trees that were planted in 2011 when the memorial opened.
National Arboretum
(Image via AgnosticPreachersKid)
The National Arboretum is located far from the hustle and bustle of downtown in Northeast at 3501 New York Avenue, and it's a great place to enjoy the quiet beauty of the pink and white blossoms. They also peak a little bit later than the ones at the Tidal Basin, so if you missed the main festival, this is a good place to get your late cherry blossom fix.
All images (except National Arboretum) via National Park Service
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