Each spring, over one million visitors flock to the National Mall’s Tidal Basin in Washington, DC to experience the sea of pink that is the peak bloom of the areas 3,000+ cherry blossom trees. But this year, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and need to enforce social distancing protocol, District officials have shut down the area and access to it. Although we cannot experience the cherry blossoms as we usually do, I’ve compiled a list of ways that we can enjoy them while flattening the curve.
1. Take a Virtual Tour
Even though you cannot experience the blooms in person, you can take a virtual tour. Led by a National Park Service Ranger, the short tour offers fun facts and beautiful shots of the cherry blossoms in peak bloom and is set to upbeat background music. What more could you ask for?
2. Watch them *LIVE* from your couch
The BloomCam offers you a 24/7, real-time, rotating live feed of the Tidal Basin’s resident cherry trees from the comfort of wherever you may be flattening the curve. It also provides the perfect respite from all of the typical work from home duties; because how many times can you refresh your email inbox without going insane?
3. Follow the #stayhomecherryblossomschallenge
D.C. Chef José Andrés created the #StayHomeCherryBlossomsChallenge to discourage district residents and tourists from visiting the Tidal Basin. By following this hashtag on Twitter and Instagram, you can see hundreds of photos of local cherry blossom trees crowdsourced from all over the DMV.
4. Find some blooms in your backyard
If you are a DC local, you are well aware that there are cherry trees all over the area, and that many of them grow in lightly-trafficked parts of the city. So with that in mind, find some blossoms in your neighborhood. Bonus points if you snap a photo and post it using #stayhomecherryblossomschallenge so all of the internet can enjoy your find.
5. Reminisce on past blossoms
Taking some time to scroll through my personal cherry blossom photos and reminisce on memories made during past seasons at the Tidal Basin brought me some peace this morning (I mean, I had my first legal beer at the Cherry Blossom Festival in college, so me and these babies go way back). But seriously, looking at photos of these pretty trees is definitely calming, and if you are looking for the perfectly curated feed, DC Cherry Blossom Watch has you covered.
Bonus: Best sakura spots on Earth
Browse worldwide scenic spots to view cherry blossoms on Google Earth’s Cherry Blossoms around the World Guide. Each location is accompanied by fun facts about the location and the particular population of blossoms, as well as brief commentary from local guides.
Have another pro-tip on experiencing Washington DC’s famous cherry blossoms?
Let me know in a comment!