Peak bloom is here and so are tourists, traffic and long lines.
While a million and a half people from around the world travel to D.C. for the chance to see the more than 3,700 Yoshino trees that line the Tidal Basin, some locals stay away during peak cherry blossom season.
Parking, crowds and rideshare surge charges are a few of the reasons why those in the area look at alternative viewing opportunities.
One hot spot is in the Kenwood neighborhood of Bethesda, Maryland.
The origin story of the trees in the Montgomery County community dates back to the 1930s and ’40s, when a developer attempted to inspire homebuyers by planting cherry trees.
Fast forward to today, where the 1,200 breathtakingly beautiful trees line every street in the neighborhood, bringing blossom watchers such as Lori Maggin.
“Kenwood is my favorite place,” Maggin said. “I always come here every year, and I bring friends, and I video tape for my family back at home.”
Maggin has lived in the D.C. area for two decades, and visits Kenwood every year, but admits she has not been to the Tidal Basin during cherry blossom season in 10 years.
“I try to avoid the weekends. But because today’s so gloomy and tomorrow is going to be a better day, is going to be a mob scene,” Maggin said.
On that rainy Friday morning, there were a lot of people walking around Dorset and Kenwood Avenues and Kennedy Drive, including Ms. Ellis, who said she was taking a “brain break.”
“We were in the office. I asked my colleagues to come walk,” Ellis said. “We decided to do the cherry blossoms, too.”
Ellis said she was introduced to Kenwood’s yearly visual gift thanks to her time working at Somerset Elementary School.
“The children at that school introduced me to Kenwood,” Ellis said. “They were like, ‘we take our bikes down there. We ride through the neighborhood and see the cherry blossoms.’”
While those in this posh neighborhood seemed not to mind the attention their community gets every year, each house does have a sign in front with a message for the onlookers.
“No parking,” Maggin said with a laugh. “You can’t park.”
“But you can park at Whole Foods. Don’t tell them I told you to do that, but you can park over there and just take a quick little trunk down the street,” Ellis said.
Once you cross Kenwood off your cherry blossom bucket list, you can check out the ones in Maryland at National Harbor and Brookside Gardens; in Virginia at Arlington National Cemetery and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens; and in D.C. at the Lower Senate Park and the U.S. Arboretum.
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