My partner, Maya, and I developed a once-a-week-date-night tradition which we started last fall. We take turns hosting the date night. Maya usually finds the local hidden gems for us to wine and dine. Last week was at Maydan, a hideout in Northwest DC which houses a 2-floor tall clay oven and majestic chairs suitable for even queens. On my end, I tend to choose dates involving an activity and a go-with-the-flow “bite to eat” like this week’s date.
Yesterday, I arranged for us to trek over to the other side of the city so to see a spectacle that so many rave about during this time of year. I like to call it Washington, DC’s 5th season. It happens between winter and spring; late March to early April. All because of one type of tree.
Approximately 3,000 cherry trees greet its viewers with pink and white floral fireworks along the 2-mile Tidal Basin Loop Trail. These trees commemorate a gift given to the United States in 1912 by the Mayor of Tokyo. Such a gift draws in tens of thousands of tourists including locals to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. This 2-week long spectacle is an annual celebration of the friendship between the Japanese and North American people.
This year, the full bloom began on the last day of March followed by the peak bloom a few days later. A peak bloom means about 70 percent or more of the clustered cherry trees have blossomed, lasting only a few days. As we walked around the 2-mile Tidal Basin, the cherry trees formed timber-truss flower pathways leading us through the memorials of Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. It felt like a fairy land for photographers, romantics, and little ones who dream of being princesses. This weekend, the blossoms will wean off its branches, becoming mystical swirls of pink, white, and light brown coin-sized petals, ending the 5th season as spring appears.
We topped the night off by heading to Downtown on a whim and into the Capitol City Brewing Co. for some crab cakes and locally brewed drinks. Next year, you should come on out for the 5th season beauties! You won’t regret it.
The Ariel Series 