a time for cherry blossoms

Last week, Heather (remember her?) and I decided to get together for Saturday brunch. But, on Thursday we changed plans; we decided to drive down to Washington DC instead to check out the annual cherry blossom festival, because Saturday and Sunday were supposed to be the peak glory days for the flowering trees.

I'd say Saturday was a peak day-- not only for the blossoms, but also for the tourists! There were nearly as many people as blooms (and that's not really an exaggeration).

I was giddy about our little trip to DC, because this was my first visit to DC since I was five! Twenty-three Aprils ago, Dad and Mom took all six of us little people on a big trip to Washington DC (or, George Washington DC, as Betsy called it). Brian was three months old, and Aaron was going to be 11 in June.

Grandma went with us, and she and I were subway buddies. The best part of my subway buddy situation? (the undivided Grandma attention, of course, but on top of that)-- the occasional Cert mint from Grandma's purse!

Well- back to our recent Saturday trip:
Heather, Malinda and I managed our way through the crowds and soaked in the sunshine as we walked a few miles worth of steps around a handful of our nation's most famous historic monuments.

did you know the Washington Memorial was recently re-measured...
and it is shorter than previously thought!

World War II memorial

Lincoln Memorial-- still just as many steps as I remember there being when I was five!

oh those blooms!

A new memorial (at least I didn't know about it) to honor MLK

I always find the wording above Lincoln rather interesting and slightly eerie

food trucks galore!

It was so much fun to visit DC with friends and spend the day together enjoying the lovely sunshine and abundant cherry blossoms. I've been dreaming of a trip (okay, multiple trips...) to the District of Columbia ever since I realized how close it is to central Pennsylvania.



PS- One last highlight of our family trip to Washington DC twenty-three years ago:
Fruit Loops and doughnuts for breakfast every single morning of the trip!
...oh the things that make impressions on a five-year-old...