I wanted to do a photo safari tour of the cherry blossoms.

That’s where a photographer leads the group, offers help and hints, and just shares his professional expertise. They advertised sunrise and sunset tours but when I tried to book one I was told they were all filled up. I took the next best thing, a tour called Cherry Blossoms Galore by USA Guided Tours DC.

Turns out they were a bit disorganized in the “back room”. I was told to meet at the Capitol building at 10 am, then when I called to confirm the tour was still on since the cold snap had damaged so many cherry blossoms, they told me to meet outside at the Navel Memorial at 9:30 am. They promised to text me the address. (I never got a text)

So bright and early I headed down to the complimentary breakfast, toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, waffles, fruit, oatmeal, cinnamon loaf bread, cereal and the list goes on.

After breakfast I headed out into the cold and rain. I didn’t know how long it would take to get a train (Metro) on Sunday (in Boston you can wait for an hour) or how far I would have to walk from the station to find the Navel Memorial. Turns out, not far.

The train showed up almost as soon as I got there and when I came out of the Metro station I was looking at the Navel Memorial. It was only a little after 8 am and it was cold. 32 degrees with a wind chill dropping it to 28 degrees and it was a cold, icy rain! The Navel Memorial is an outside memorial. The Navel Museum didn’t open until 9:30 am. I was going to freeze! And my camera was getting wet.

I’d left the camera bag at the hotel because the girl I spoke with said no bags allowed on the tour for security reason. ( Another misdirection.)

All of the streets around the Navel Memorial were closed off. I didn’t know if there was a demonstration ( after all, it is Washington DC) or something else. I could see the police cars blocking the streets. It didn’t make me feel too confident that the tour bus would be able to get to us. Or should I say me. Maybe it was the early hour but I was the only one there.

I decided to do the only sensible thing. I went back into the subway where it was warm and dry to wait for 9:30 to roll around.

By 9:30 I was restless and ready to try my luck again. SO back up the escalator I went.

To Be continued…