Cherry Blossoms DC 2026: Part II

It's only been about two months since I've experienced the Cherry Blossoms for this year but the weather we have going on this month is making me relive those days, lol. It's funny how you document something and get lost in time before posting. When your ready to do so, life has pretty much moved on but the memories remain. Taking a picture really does last longer and dropping 'em now makes me smile at the thought. If you'd like a recap of the first part click here. In this post we'll rewind to the Stage One taken 08 March.

Soon as the CB watch started I began to think of what to wear but after a brutal Winter; I knew that March into April weather is a toss up. One year it's the perfect clear Spring season where it's warm and the next it's ridiculously windy. The worst experience was the pandemic year where downtown was shutdown. Nonetheless, every year tourists flock to DC to take a trip around the tidal basin and surrounding areas just to frolick in the blooms and brave the crowds.

I knew I wanted to do something different for 2026 and came up with the idea to see them in all of their stages, from buds to full peak. The tricky part was the weather. The peak is always determined by how well temps cooperate. I must say...the first stage is quite boring but I still enjoyed the walk around pre-blossoms and got to envision what the crowds would look like during the peak.

Stage One: Green Buds: Tiny, round green buds emerge from bare branches, marking the end of winter dormancy.

As boring as the visuals might be, I enjoyed the calmness before the storm (crowds) and was able to take it all in without the pressures of rushing and paused to look around and see the empty walkways. Mind you, I was out there by 0700a so fresh off the early morning with coffee in hand; I was in bliss of this quiet zone.

Up next is Stage 3. As much as I attempted to catch EVERY weekend-I didn't. Again, the phases are dictated by the weather so one stage can linger over a week and if we got one good sunny day the buds could escalate into the next phase within a day or two vs a week. Overall, if you are curious; I'd encourage to put it on the list next Spring.