Travelogue: Celebrate spring with the blossoming of Japanese cherry trees
American Tourist
What: The National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 29 to April 12
Where: Washington, D.C., Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park
What is it/history: The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring celebration in Washington, D.C., commemorating the March 27, 1912, gift of Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo. Ozaki donated the trees in an effort to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan. In 1965, 3,800 more trees were accepted by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson for the park. The first Cherry Blossom Festival was held in 1935, and in 1994, it was expanded to two weeks to accommodate the many activities that happen during the blooming. More than 700,000 people visit Washington each year to admire the blossoming cherry trees.
Activities: The festival is kicked off with an opening ceremony, followed by an array of activities and cultural events. Every day there is a sushi/sake celebration, classes about cherry blossoms and a bike tour of the Tidal Basin. Other events include art exhibits (photography, sculpture, animation), cultural performances, rakugo, kimono fashion shows, dance, singing, martial arts, merchant-sponsored events and a rugby union tournament. The Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run is held as part of the festival on the first Sunday in April. On the last Saturday of the festival, there is the Parade of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, followed by the Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival, a celebration of Japan presented by the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C.
See it first:
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-569618625076403281&q=cherry+blossom&pl=true (41-minute video)
- http://dcguide.com/attractions/festivals-and-parades/cherry-blossom-festival.html (short video)
- http://www.dcphototour.com/WashingtonDCEventsPhotoTour/WashingtonDCCherryBlossomFestival-06.shtml (photos)
- http://xiongate.smugmug.com/gallery/1338573#63153518 (photos)
More info: 877-44BLOOM, http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org, www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/national-cherry-blossom-page.htm, http://dcpages.com/Tourism/Cherry_Blossoms
Sources: http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org, Wikipedia.org
Travel Tales
Note to people who might decide to take a spur-of-the-moment vacation: at least lock the doors and let your family know what you're doing. A couple in Australia did just about everything wrong when they up and left for a vacation - they didn't tell their grown daughter they were leaving, the front door was unlocked and the dog was home alone. The daughter came upon the scene and feared her parents were abducted, so she called police. The truth came to light while police were holding a news conference at the couple's home asking for tips about the disappearance - the pair arrived home in their "missing" car.
Good to Know
Does your family need more SpongeBob SquarePants in your lives? If so, then if you're traveling through the Midwest this year, you might want to stop at the Mall of America near the Twin Cities. The mall - which already features several kid-friendly attractions and scores of stores - will open an indoor Nickelodeon theme park on March 15. According to the Mall of America, there will be 18 rides in The Park, including a SpongeBob roller coaster ride. For more information, check out www.theparkatmoa.com or www.mallofamerica.com.
Your Opinion Wanted
TravelandLeisure.com is holding an online survey for its annual America's Favorite Cities contest. The survey asks questions such as "Where would you go for a romantic escape?" and "Which city has the best ethnic eats?" To take the survey, go to www.travelandleisure.com/afc/2008/survey/index.cfm.
Fun Facts
- In Bergen, Norway, locals refer to the "seven mountains surrounding the city," but there's no agreement on which mountains these seven really are, as there are in fact nine mountains in the area. - Wikitravel.org
- The sundial in Rose Point Park in Singleton, New South Wales, Australia, is often claimed to be the world's largest in the Southern Hemisphere. - Wikitravel.org
Travel Tip: How to Receive Mail Overseas
If you will be abroad for an extended period, you may want to arrange for the delivery of your mail. Some banks and international credit card companies handle mail for customers at their overseas branches. In addition, post offices in many countries will hold mail for travelers under their General Delivery (Poste Restante) services. U.S. Embassies and Consulates do not handle private mail. Check with the embassy of your destination country to see if that will be possible there. A listing of foreign embassies and consulates in the U.S. is available on the Department of State's Web site at www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/dpl/32122.htm. Foreign embassy and consulate contact information can also be found on the Country Specific Information for each country. (http://travel.state.gov)
Talk Like a Local: In Finland
Good day: Hyvää päivää (HUU-vaa PIGH-vaa)
Hello (informal): Moi (MOI), Hei (HAY), Terve (TEHR-veh)
Goodbye (formal): Näkemiin (NAK-eh-meen)
Goodbye (informal): Hei hei (HAY-hay)
GateHouse News Service