DC Girl on the Go: Bike to the blossoms

Despite the over night snow, I decided to hop on my bike and ride into DC to see the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin. The weather was in the 30's when I left my place which definitely helped keep the tourists away (Yeeeeees!). Usually there are so many people it's near impossible to really enjoy the simple beauty of the trees at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

The bike ride was 4 miles from Arlington to the Tidal Basin. Using the W&OD Trail, Custis Trail and the Mt. Vernon Trail, I pieced my way along the Potomac quite easily to my destination. On the way back, I went along the Mall and Constitution Ave, through Georgetown, went on the C&O Canal path and then back over the river via the Key Bridge. DC is super easy to bike to from Northern Virginia. Check out the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) site for great information and trail maps.

Some background on Washington, DC's famed cherry trees: In 1912, Japan sent 3,020 cherry trees to the United States as a gesture of friendship. First Lady Taft and the wife of the Japanese ambassador planted the first two trees on the Northern end of the Tidal Basin. Each year the National Cherry Blossom Festival is held around peak bloom which can vary from early March to early April. Predictions from the Chief Horticulturist often help determine when the festival will be held.