When the cherry blossoms are in bloom in Washington D.C. it's a sight to behold, with ribbons of pink swaying in the breeze along the Tidal Basin. As USA Today points out, we are once again in the midst of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the gift of thousands of cherry trees from Japan to the United States. While the first 2,000 trees that were given to Washington by Tokyo mayor Yukio Ozaki in 1910 were infested with bugs and had to be destroyed, a second shipment in 1912 of 3,020 trees in 12 varieties were healthy. These trees have provided a colorful springtime backdrop to the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument ever since, becoming one of the defining features of the nation's capital. The festival runs through Sunday, April 15. Guests at the Four Points by Sheraton Washington D.C. Downtown might want to take a stroll along the Tidal Basin to witness this beautiful annual spectacle.
[image via USA Today]
