This morning we took a spontaneous trip to Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival. I must say I am pleased to have tackled the trip by myself, metro and all, with my two muchkins during one of the busiest times of the year. I am equally as glad I took everyone's advice and DID NOT drive to the Tidal Basin. The hoards of pedestrians in the crosswalks alone would have been enough to drive me crazy. Needless to say, as I type this, I am EXHAUSTED....and so are you by the looks of the heavy eyes on the couch across the room.
Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The gift and annual celebration honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and the continued close relationship between the two countries. Over the years, gifts have been exchanged between the two countries. In 1915, the United States Government reciprocated with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan. In 1981, the cycle of giving came full circle
Here are the Cherry Blossoms...minus a few blossoms. They had estimated the peak of the blossoms to be this weekend, but unfortunately, some not so normal cold days over the past week have pushed that date out. Being that it was our only free weekend, we had to take what we could get!
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| Caleb and Sydney April 7, 2013 |
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| Washington Monument view from the Tidal Basin |
So you guys may think that just because you are little, that you can't be a part of history just yet. But I beg to differ. The following photo proves otherwise.
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| Caleb and Syd hitting the National Mall |
For your history lesson today, you are standing in front of the Washington Monument. By the time you look back on this blog, you will more than likely have seen it a hundred times, either through trips with me or in school. If you notice in this picture, it is being repaired. On August 23rd, 2011, an earthquake in nearby Virginia shook Washington D.C. and we felt it as far up as our hometown in Shippensburg. This earthquake damaged the monument structurally, and it has been closed to the public ever since. Hopefully someday you will get a chance to climb to the top!
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| Jefferson Memorial |
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| John Paul Jones Memorial |
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| My Favorite Badger |
Today, you also participated in a tiny piece of history that will be seen across the world. Both of my budding artists left their mark on the Children's Mural that will be sent back to Japan in honor of the celebration.
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| Syd's Yellow Flower |
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| My Mini Picasso's |
One our way back home, I asked you what your favorite part of the day was. I should have anticipated the response...the METRO. It's funny since I quite enjoy the metro myself. As always Caleb analyzed every aspect of the inner workings of the rail system.
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| Big guy insisted on standing |
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| Pretty in Metro Pink |
So this was a very short trip to your Nation's Capitol, but just the first of many. This area is full of noteable pride. Unfortunately, our government is a mess at the moment and it is affecting many Americans. My only hope is that someday you will look at it with just as much pride as I used to and that it will still stand for what it was founded on. But it all comes down to the fact that this was just a great day to have with you! I will leave you with one last photo of the day.
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| Too Much Fun For One Day! |
