I have been very lucky the past couple of years to have family living in the Washington, DC area. Visits have given me the opportunity to explore and learn about a part of my country I had only visited briefly. I recently booked a trip the end of March, hoping the cherry blossoms would bloom early this year, but that was not meant to be. They’ve had a very cold DC winter and, instead of blossoms, I experienced a day and a half of snow, strong winds, and sub-freezing weather. Still, it was a nice visit and I was able to take advantage of smaller crowds and experience a much more leisurely pace, while still covering a lot of territory.
The first day I arrived at the National Mall about 8:15 where it was 27F. I think it warmed up to a “sweltering” 35F later in the day, but the sun was shining and at least the winds were calm. There were a few early signs of spring.
I walked about 8 ½ miles that first day; traveling from the western end of the Mall, around the Tidal Basin, and over to the eastern end to visit the National Gallery. One of my favorite places!
Paris Roads 