I traveled to Washington D.C. at the beginning of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. How to know when the festival is to be held? Apparently, there is one mysterious cherry tree of unknown breed that reliably blossoms 7-10 days before the other cherry trees open their blossoms – for this reason, it is referred to as the “indicator tree.”
The National Mall, site for the annual kite festival, provided some interesting photo ops of the city; the festival includes demonstrations and competitions and professional kite flyers attempting to show off their talents to music, not knowing in advance what song would be played. With only the cooperation of a slight breeze, I was amazed that the kites could even take flight (video & photos below). Maybe, it was just that I am a lousy kite flyer, trying to blame it on the lack of wind!
The festival is a week-long family affair, with parades, hands-on activities, art demonstrations, performances celebrating Spring, blossom sightseeing cruises, blossom bike paths, river rides, and lantern parks to celebrate the cherry trees, a gift from japan in 1912.
