Cherry blossom season, which occurs in late March and early April in several nations around the world, has once again come to a close. For those unable to catch one of the most strikingly beautiful and fleeting flowers of nature this year, it is time to start making plans for 2011. Of course, the first question to answer is 'Where to go?'.
If getting to Japan or Washington, DC is problematic or fails to attract your interest due to being located in a large city, why not plan to take in the cherry blossom season in Macon, Georgia USA next year? While located in the general proximity of one of the largest cities in America (Atlanta), Macon offers visitors the opportunity to witness this floridly pink phenomenon in the setting of a relatively small southern town of less than 100,000 people.
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Nicknamed 'The Heart of Georgia', Macon is about an hour and a half from Atlanta by car (85 miles). During cherry blossom season, the average temperature runs a comfortable 70 degrees - a perfect climate to walk around Central City Park and the Ocmulgee River. As a former home of the Creek Indians and Confederate munition factories, Macon has distinct ties to pasts gone but certainly not forgotten. Interestingly, Wesleyan College (1836) was the first institution of higher education to award diplomas to women in the United States, and the school continues to hand out degrees to its female-only graduates today.
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Macon cherry blossoms, which usually appear from mid to late March annually, are supported by an entire festival inclusive of several cultural events, a fashion show, a wide variety of music performances and even a bed race. The main attraction, however, is the stunning 300,000 cherry blossom trees.
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For retirees or anyone seeking a slower pace of life, Macon in March offers visitors a chance to reconnect with nature through the color pink amid southern history, charm and perhaps equally (or more) important - southern fried chicken, mashed potatoes and peach cobbler for dessert.
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Would not 2011 be a great time for Macon' cherry blossoms in the heart of Georgia?
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(Photo: Cherry blossom trees in Macon, Georgia)
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J Roquen