Monday, April 7, 2008

Cherry Blossoms and Memorials

For about ten days each April, Washington, DC is pink and frilly enough to be the setting for a debutante ball.

The cherry trees which bloom so sweetly each Spring were a gift from Japan in 1912. The United States reciprocated by giving dogwood trees to the people of Japan in 1915.

While walking around and enjoying the blossoms, we were able to get to several of my favorite monuments.

On this day, someone had left flowers at the Vietnam Women's Memorial.

The facial expressions on the soldiers at the Korean War Memorial are haunting.


It was a wonderful long weekend. My two daughters are students at The George Washington University and took time from studying, socializing and working (not necessarily in that order) to spend time walking around the city with their mom. My son and daughter in law live in Pennsylvania and drove down to spend the weekend with us, too.

We lived in DC when the kids were little, so it was fun exploring with them again--a lot easier now that none of them are in a stroller!

The Korean Memorial and the Vietnam Women's Memorial are two of my favorite memorials but my extra-special #1 favorite is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial--more on that in another post.

But I'll leave you with this, from the FDR memorial.

7 comments:

beckie said...

I just knew you would have great photos of 'cherry blossom time'! I had never heard of that quote before. Is it attributed to Roosevelt? And in enlarging the picture so I could read the quote, I notice a few pink blossoms in with the white ones..? I'm looking forward to more.

Ruth said...

I didn't know the history behind the cherry trees. The city is very beautiful at this time of year.

Larry said...

I love the photo of the cherry blossoms.-Now I know what my co-worker was talking about when she said that she likes to go to Washington DC to see them. Thanks for the history tidbit as well.

Anonymous said...

I hope one day to make it to Washington to see all the cherry blossoms! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...
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Phyllis Hunt McGowan said...

"Men and Nature must work hand in hand..."
How true, and the cherry blossoms in that same photo seem to give the words some extra truth. As always from you, quite wonderful.

Pappy said...

Tell ur momma 'n nem I said hi. And the kids too. Nice composition of pics and commentary.