Peak Bloom Bike Ride

After weekly check ins on the National Park Service cherry blossom website we saw that the cherry trees at the tidal basin would reach peak bloom (where 70% of the trees have bloomed) on March 20, a week earlier than originally predicted.  We had planned to go into DC this year but were foiled by the Corona Virus.  Our original plan was to drive into DC and I would get out of the car to check out the blooms if it didn't look too busy (I'm really the only one who cares about seeing them at the Tidal Basin) and Mark, Jared and Lydia would pick me up a bit later.  But too many people went out over the weekend so the mayor of DC closed every access road and exit to the area.  There was no way to get near the Tidal basin.  I think this was a really good idea and we will try again next year.

Lucky for us the second part of our plan was to drive to Kenwood, MD and bike around that neighborhood like we did last year and it worked perfectly. Last year we were a week or so early and this year we nailed it.  It was incredibly beautiful.  It made me so happy.  We drove up on Tuesday which meant there was plenty of parking and very few people out.  We biked around the neighborhood enjoying the blooms and beautiful houses.  Lydia was not the happiest of bikers (too many hills (it was nothing like the neighborhoods in Charlottesville)) but she did admit that the trees were beautiful.  I am so glad we went.  A very kind lady was out walking her dog and she offered to take pictures of us on her phone and then text them to me which was really thoughtful.  We enjoyed our ride and then headed out.

So many of the streets looked like this.  We would ride down a street and think this is amazing and then the next one was just as beautiful or even more full of blooms.

This was my favorite tree in the neighborhood. 

 It was like a cherry blossom weeping willow. 

We stopped at Costco on the way home to grab a pizza to eat in the car (called ahead and then went in to pick it up (just me)).  This Costco, in Manassas, felt way different than our Costco in Charlottesville.  There was a line of people waiting to go in (they were limiting the number of customers in at a time) and this sign by the door.  Our Costco also has a sign but not like this one.  I waited outside for 10 - 12 minutes and grabbed our pizza real quick.  Our next stop was Moo Thru which we all enjoyed.