During the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Cole and I paddled near the Jefferson Memorial.

Last Sunday, Cole and I traveled into Washington D.C. to experience the National Cherry Blossom Festival. We definitely were not the only ones who had this great idea. The city was buzzing and the metro was packed. Once we finally made it to the blossoms, we ran straight to the Tidal Basin Paddle Boats. Luckily I had scheduled a boat for noon, so we didn't have to wait in a long line. We walked right up to the front and hopped in a boat.

Once we were on the paddle boat, we had some work ahead of us. Cole did most of the paddling to be honest, but I tried. After an hour of boating around the basin to see the Jefferson Memorial, cherry blossoms, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Washington Memorial and lots of water, we headed back to land.

Next we got a closer look at the blossoms by walking all the way around the basin. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty. (Even if it wasn't quite the peak season yet.) If you can ever make it to DC during the cherry blossom festival, I think it is worth it. You can look at our photos and judge for yourself.

Cole takes a paddle break to pose with the Jefferson Memorial.

I tried my hardest to paddle across the Tidal Basin.

So, my life jacket didn't fit quite as well.

On our adventure, Cole thought we needed to pick up this piece of wood.

Before we went back to dock, I made Cole throw it back.

Cole examines some cherry blossoms.

Cherry blossoms all start to open near the Jefferson Memorial.

Crowds gather to see the cherry blossoms.

A nice man took our photo by the Jefferson Memorial. When someone else holds the camera, you get more than just our heads. Thanks, sir, whoever you are.

Cole encompassed by blossoms.

There were just so many.

Oh, hi.

After all the blossoms, we stopped at the National Academy of Science to see the Albert Einstein Memorial and went inside the National Museum of American History.

Cole sits on Albert Einstein's lap.

We walked around the corner and happened to see this piece on Gabrielle Douglas. It has an old leotard of hers, some Olympic passes and her grips from the Olympics.

She even left a little note.

See more photos from our adventures in my Cherry Blossom Festival 2013 album.