Tourists from all over descend upon DC every spring to see the famous cherry blossoms. I imagine it's difficult for out-of-towners to plan ahead and time their visit during peak bloom, which unfortunately only lasts about a week (love this handy guide for reference). As a local, I don't have an excuse for skipping besides pure laziness. But not this year!

When my cousin was in town last weekend, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and schlepped around the city. We walked from Georgetown, followed the path along the river, to the Tidal Basin. As we began to see cherry blossom trees, I wondered out loud, What happened to all the trees? There seems to be less this year, only a scattering here and there. DID THEY DIE?! And where are the mob of tourists? When we reached the Tidal Basin [photos below], everything made sense. This is where the majority of the trees and crowd are, and is the scene used on many postcards.

Looking back, my musings sound ridiculous, and I place the blame squarely on my crappy memory -- remembering cherry blossom trees next to a body of water but confusing the basin with the Potomac River?! LOL @ me. I need to visit more than once every six years. Apparently memory loss runs in the family because my cousin echoed my thoughts instead of doubling over in laughter.
I didn't end up with clear outfit photos from our outing, so here are a couple reshots. I believe the flowers behind me are magnolias though and not cherry blossoms.