5 Things You Need to Know: Cherry Blossoms At University of Washington

One of my Seattle bucket list items has always been to go see the cherry blossoms at full bloom at the University of Washington. Even though it is my alma mater (Go Dawgs!), I actually had never seen them in full bloom. Spring break always fell around the time of their bloom, so I was usually not on campus during that time.

The stars aligned and I was able to make a quick trip with my coworker-friend to the blossoms. I wanted to do a mini-photo shoot to get a new headshot. Mission accomplished. Turned out good, yeah?

I wanted to leave some things you should know, just in case you ever decide to visit the magnificent fantastic beauty of the cherry blossoms during their full bloom.

1. The cherry blossoms have a pretty cool history. 34 trees were a gift from Tokyo’s mayor in 1912 to symbolize the friendship between Japan and the U.S.. The majority of the trees were planted at Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum, but then they got moved to the best school in the West – UW.
2. It will be VERY crowded. Prepare for minimal parking and TONS of tourists lining up to see the blooms. The whole courtyard was swarming, ya know? It is definitely a fun and kid-friendly activity if you want to bring your little ones!
3. Most likely will be cold AF. Prepare yourself, winter is coming here. Seattle is cold, y’all. Even when the calendar is technically spring, the weather is still winter-esque. Leave the spring sundress and bring a coat and umbrella because it could turn rainy at the drop of a hat.
4. Come prepared with a fully charged camera or phone. Charge that thing up, bih. Because of the vast amount of people, you may be there for a while trying to get the perfect shot. People kept on jumping in front of my shots. Not cool, man. Not cool. I brought my DSLR and my Iphone for a mini-shoot and I was so happy I charged my camera beforehand. Check out one of my favorite shots below. Shoutout to my photographer!!!

   

5. Look for parking off campus. There are multiple parking lots on the UW campus, but the best bet for parking is on the streets adjacent to the campus. Then you can wander off to get some delicious grub in the U District. There are so many good places to eat there because of the heavy international population on campus. Go try out the Salvadorian pupusas and tell me that they are not the tastiest things ever!

Have you ever visited the cherry blossoms at UW? Did you love it? Comment below!