Cherry Blossom Festival 2010

I had feared I would miss it this year, but I still have a little tourist left in me! On Thursday, April 1 (the first of the two peak bloom days!) I went down to the tidal basin to take some pictures and revel in the fact that I am not allergic to spring in DC!

Until next year!

First Day of Spring!

After spending four hours in a cold, fluorescent-lit ice rink, followed by a Metro journey that was uncomfortably hot and unnecessarily long, I finally got to enjoy the first day of spring! It feels like it has been a long time coming after this winter. I spent the afternoon with some friends at Great Falls in Maryland. We went to hike the Billy Goat Trail, but it was closed due to flooding. While I would like to go back and try to hike it another time, I can't say I am sorry that my afternoon required slightly less exertion than originally planned. Great Falls is an area between Maryland and Virginia where the Potomac River drops about 60 feet in a series of waterfalls because of the ice age and the flowing water and maybe some silt and possibly plate shifting. Okay, I didn't really read any of the signs, but I took pictures!

Blue Skies

Rocks to Climb

Trees Turning Green

Raging River

Crazy Rapids

 Closed Trails

Cold Water

Waiting for Spring!

It felt like spring was finally on its way to DC over the weekend! I couldn't believe that today was even nicer! I forgot how hard it is to sit in the office all day when the sun is shining outside. Good thing I took an hour+ outdoor lunch today ;)

Can't wait for this year's Cherry Blossoms!
Peak bloom is April 3-8!

White House Easter Egg Roll

Today I had hoped to get good news about visiting the White House when it won't look all cold and snowy like it did the last time I took a stroll in that direction. In February, I applied for tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll that takes place annually on the South Lawn. I had dreams of my nieces coming down from Massachusetts and spending the day rolling eggs in front of the White House while Barack and Michelle and Cabinet secretaries and the Easter Bunny looked on from the balcony. Alas, it is not to be! I received an email this evening saying that my lottery application was unsuccessful. Oh, well...with the winter we have been having it will probably still look like this in April!

They keep hyping snow! Whatever we get will be better than Snowmageddon!