After a long, gray winter, few things can lift my mood like seeing the first pink cherry blossoms of spring fill the sky.
I'm especially lucky. Some of the best buds on the East Coast bloom near me at Branch Brook Park in Newark (yes, that Newark). More than 5,000 trees create a cotton-candy skyline for a week in early April, banishing all thoughts of bleak winter days.
I'm not the only one who feels the flowers' pull. The Japanese equate sakura, or cherry blossoms, with new beginnings. In early spring, the act of hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, is met with both reverence and celebration in Japan. Multiple generations spend days and evenings at parties, picnics and festivals lauding this fresh, new start.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on The Points Guy Articles.
