In April 2005, my husband and I spent our first anniversary in Washington D.C. to see the National Cherry Blossom Festival. That year, the sakura trees were in peak bloom, perfectly in time for the festival. We had time to walk around and admire the trees along the street and in the Tidal Basin, visit the National Japanese American World War II Memorial, some of the Smithsonian museums, and do some other site-seeing. The area was so crowded, but we had a great time, enjoyed nice weather, ate some good food, and got to check out some of the Festival activities, including the parade.