Here are some alternative cherry blossom spots that aren't the Tidal Basin

WASHINGTON — No doubt you have heard by now, D.C.'s cherry blossoms have reached peak bloom. The blooms combined with gorgeous weather on Saturday to cause a traffic nightmare around the Tidal Basin. While the Tidal Basin is known as the place to go to see the blooms, it is far from the only place to see them. Here are a few other options.

Hains Point East Potomac Park

Hains Point is where the Potomac River, Washington Channel, and Anacostia River all converge. It's named for the US Army Corps of Engineers' Peter Conover Hains, the engineer who designed the Tidal Basin.

U.S. National Arboretum

There is a wide variety of cherry blossoms to check out around town, and the National Arboretum on New York Avenue Northeast is home to a lot of them. Botanist Stefan Lura explained there is more to the season than peak bloom. 

"There are so many different kinds to see here, and it's probably the longest season of cherries you're going to find in the whole area. We have cherries that start blooming in early February some years, like this year, and they'll extend all the way sometimes almost to the beginning of May," Lura said. 

Congressional Cemetery

The Okame cherry blossom trees at Congressional Cemetery bloom about one to two weeks before the Yoshinos around the Tidal Basin. Then there is a second bloom of Kwansan cherry blossom trees that happens about one to two weeks after Yoshinos.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

The Basilica has about 150 cherry blossom trees and free parking for visitors! It's open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 

Kenwood, Bethesda

A beautiful neighborhood spot outside of D.C. allows for stunning blossom views without the Basin hustle and bustle. 

National Cathedral Bishop's Garden

Terraced into the south side of Mt. St. Alban, the walled Garden is visited by thousands every year. It is the most intensely cultivated of the 57-acre Cathedral Close, land that once was the home and garden of George Washington's registrar of the United States Treasury.

Oak Hill Cemetery

Georgetown's historic Oak Hill Cemetery has plenty of blooms to check out as long as you don't mind walking through a cemetery to see them!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

When spring arrives to Washington, D.C., the famous cherry blossom trees at the National Mall and Memorial Parks decorate the memorials with beautiful flowers.

Dumbarton Oaks

When the cherry trees blossom, Cherry Hill at Dumbarton Oaks becomes one of the garden's most magical spaces. Set on a slope at the bottom of the garden, Cherry Hill is a mixture of cherry species, including Prunus sargentii, Prunus subhirtella, and Prunus x yedoensis.