The West Potomac Park is one of America's national parks and is situated in Washington, D.C., right next to the National Mall, and west of the artificial inlet of the Potomac River, the Tidal Basin shore and the Washington Monument. It includes parkland extending south of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument grounds.
The park is the memorial site of many landmarks such as the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, the D.C. War Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Women's Memorial, George Mason Memorial, besides also being the grounds of the Constitution Gardens, Reflecting Pool and Rainbow Pool. It also has several playing fields but is very famous for its cherry blossoms in the spring.
The West Potomac Park has 1,678 cherry trees which blossom ever spring and is at the heart of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, comprising the Akebono variety with light pink blossoms and the Yoshino variety, which is white in color and appear in fine clusters. Cherry blossoming comprises a two-week long celebration which includes lighting the 300-year-old Japanese Stone Lantern, very near the Kutz Bridge, which was presented to Washington DC in 1954 by the governor of Tokyo. These trees bloom for a little less than two weeks between March 20 and April 17, so if you're planning a visit to Washington DC, try to catch this wonderful sight which look even more beautiful when lit up at night.