The National Cherry Blossom Festival 2011 was in full swing today when I took several shots of the Tidal Basin.  Today was peak for the blossoms the weather had been in the 40’s and 50’s and cloudy but today was almost perfect with light wind almost clear sky and lots of sun. There were a few blossoms on the ground but not many.

The Festival packs 100’s of thousands of visitors into the Tidal Basin area each day.  Normally I would not be tempted to go because it is such a hassle to park and deal with the crowds and try and get the shots you want.  But this year I wanted to get these panos to have said I’ve been there.

A couple of weeks ago I visited the area to get a “before the blossoms” shot and got a great treat with a bald eagle who was busy fishing in the tidal basin.  So look for that shot here also and you’ll be able to see the difference a couple of weeks make.

Google “National Cherry Blossom Festival” to get an idea of the numerous events that go on during the Festival. Remember while viewing these take advantage of “Full Screen” and zoom in and look overhead for more blossoms.  Enjoy!