April 1, 2008 - Cherry Blossoms/Wash D.C.

Today was the only sunny day forecast for the week, and the Cherry Blossoms down in Washington D.C. were reportedly at peak, I took the day off from work and Lynnette and I headed down to our nation's capital.  We drove down to the Metro station and took the metro in.  From hard experience, we know there is no parking to be had in D.C.
 
The reports were not wrong.  Lynnette and I have been trying for a number of years without much luck to see the blossoms at their peak and today we finally succeeded. 
 
The pictures do not really do the cherry blossoms justice.
 
It was actually fairly sunny and visibility was outstanding.  It was a little cool and windy, but hey, you can't have everything. 
 
You can see old Thomas Jefferson standing in his monument.
 
I'm not sure how I did this, but I like the way the focus is on the near blossoms. 
 
After walking around the Jefferson monument tidal basin, we headed over to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
 
The big African elephant in the central rotunda area. 
 
Then we headed up the hill. 
 
That's U.S. Grant, accompanied by four lions, in front of the capital, looking down the mall. 
 
We had never been to the Botanical Gardens, just to the left of the Capital. 
 
Lots of orchids like these. 
 
Then it was on to the Library of Congress which is behind the Capital. 
 
We went on a 45 minute tour which was very interesting.  The building is magnificant.  It's hard to imagine something like this being built in this day and age.  They could never agree on who to honor or what the theme would be. 
 
The ceiling of the front area.  We were not allowed to take photos in the main, dome reading room area.  It is even more impressive than this, if you can believe it. 
 
 
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