Tidal Basin

A 107 acre artificial inlet of the Potomac built in the 1880s to flush the Washington Channel, now the setting for the Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr. and Franklin D. Roosevelt memorials. The 3,000 cherry trees along its banks were a gift from Tokyo in 1912; their bloom in late March or early April brings the National Cherry Blossom Festival and around 1.5 million visitors in two weeks. Outside blossom season the 3.4 km loop path is a quiet way to link the three memorials, with paddle boats for rent on the east side. Parts of the seawall are being rebuilt after years of flooding, so expect some detours.