In 1912, Japan sent Washington D.C. 3,000 cherry trees as a gift. Two years ago, it sent 250 more, one for every year of the American experiment. Those trees are in the ground now as part of a long-overdue Tidal Basin renovation that also brought wider walkways and a repaired seawall. They will bloom for the first time this month.

Every spring, the urge hits to be somewhere alive with color after months of gray. Flower festivals scratch that itch in a way few travel experiences match. They're time-sensitive, they're photogenic, and they tap into something primal about the turning of seasons. The U.S. flower festival circuit is richer than most Americans realize, and rivals anything Europe has to offer without requiring a passport.