Each year, I wait anxiously for the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington quad to bloom.  Winter kept hanging on and I thought spring would never come.  Then, one day, POP!  Cherry blossoms arrived in Seattle!

The UW today reported that the blooms would arrive on April 1st and that’s when I was there.  Aside from the pictures posted here, I also wanted to share some tips for folks who haven’t visited before.

Parking – Unless you are magically blessed, have an extreme amount of patience, or a secret parking deal, I don’t recommend parking on campus.  The bus is a great option and carpooling is definitely recommended.  If you need to drive, you may want to hit the side streets to park.

Respect – Don’t hurt the cherry trees.  They are very old (over 80-years old) and precious and certainly don’t need your ass sitting on a limb, picking flowers, or breaking branches.

Crowds – EVERYBODY wants to see the cherry blossoms.  If you need a shot without other people, you need to get up early in the morning during the week.  I’ve been there at various times and enjoy it either way.

If you don’t want to miss the bloom, follow @uwcherryblossom on Twitter.  Also, a number of news channels regularly report when blooms are at 100%.