WASHINGTON 鈥� Despite a late snowstorm that damaged half of the cherry blossoms, thousands of people are taking advantage of the nice weather to check out the annual spectacle.
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鈥淢y daughter is getting her engagement photos,鈥� Paul Reinhardt said. 鈥淏eautiful weather and the cherry blossoms look wonderful.鈥�
The setting was perfect, with couples using it for engagement photos, students and parents using the scenery for graduation photos, and families getting the kids up early for some family photos.
Others used it as an opportunity to reminisce.
鈥淚鈥檓 moving out of D.C. after 15 years, and I had to see the cherry blossoms one last time,鈥� Hannah Marsh said.
She called the cherry blossoms one of the most beautiful sights.
鈥淎bsolutely love the cherry blossoms,鈥� Marsh said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e gorgeous. You can鈥檛 get better than big clouds of pink, honestly.鈥�
But there were concerns about the quality of the bloom.
The warm February had the cherry blossoms blooming a bit earlier than usual, but a March snowstorm and cold snap damaged about half of them.
鈥淚 walked by last week and I wasn鈥檛 entirely sure. But I saw blossoms that were ready to come out, so hope springs eternal,鈥� Marsh said.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 sure what to expect,鈥� Reinhardt said. 鈥淭hey were saying it was going to be a nice day and it turned out maybe a little bit cloudy, but really nice warm and the cherry blossoms look great.鈥�
The good forecast made it easier for Richard Meader and Angela Pitsakis to pin down when they wanted to have their cherry blossom picnic.
鈥淲e actually planned to come today,鈥� Meader said. 鈥淲e were trying to figure out should we go Sunday or should we go today. There was a really slight chance of rain tomorrow we thought Saturday was probably the best.鈥�
So they plotted their spot on some grass near the Tidal Basin.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a brown paper bag here that I鈥檝e ripped open and it鈥檚 like a little place mat,鈥� Meader described, 鈥渁nd on it we put all of our scones, our coffee, our bagels, our souffl茅s and we鈥檝e got out little blanket set up here with some magazines and napkins. We鈥檝e got a lovely view of the Tidal Basin.鈥�
Meader has seen the cherry blossoms almost every year, but this is only the second time his girlfriend checked them out.
鈥淚 do really appreciate flowers in general. I did want to see everything out here in full bloom and I heard this is the best weekend to do it,鈥� Pitsakis said.
Meader was concerned about what the back-and-forth late winter weather would have meant for the bloom.
鈥淲hen the snowstorm hit recently, then I was a little concerned. I didn鈥檛 think there would be a bloom at all.鈥�
He was pleasantly surprised to see the bloom Saturday and all of the people who went down to the Tidal Basin.
For Marsh, it鈥檚 a no-brainer.
鈥淵ou have to come. It鈥檚 beautiful. Where else can you come find big clouds of pink flowers and be showered in petals?鈥�
