DC’s Tidal Basin is home to over 3,000 cherry trees, all of which originate from a gift from Japan in the 1900s. Every year, the city celebrates the friendship between the two countries with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, timed to coincide with peak bloom (normally late March to early April). To make the most of your visit, take a 2-hour guided bike tour to see the best of the season.

Salem, Oregon, set in the beautiful Willamette Valley, is one of the largest cherry-producing regions in the country. While cherry blossom trees are a different species than those that produce this region’s fruit, the city celebrates both each year, in addition to the history of the local Japanese community. The third Sunday of every March is Cherry Blossom Day at the Oregon State Capitol, where you’ll also be able to witness the trees at night, lit by lanterns, during a Yozakura ceremony.

Macon may seem an unlikely place for an international cherry tree festival. But thanks to the efforts of one man named William Fickling, the small city in central Georgia is home to one of the largest populations of the trees in all of the US—numbering 350,000 in total. Stop by in March for the International Cherry Tree Festival, which celebrates the city’s culture, and often plays host to international dignitaries. Then, head to the Tubman Museum to learn about African American art and culture.

Traverse City is a favorite getaway for residents of Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee. And while it’s popular for the wineries and views around the region, it’s also known as the “Cherry Capital of the World.” Along the Old Mission Peninsula north of the city, drive on state highway M-37, and you'll see private farms full of cherry blossoms, ending at the Old Mission Lighthouse. After taking in the flowers, complete your trip with a visit to the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore.

Get to know the botanical side of Los Angeles with cherry blossoms as your guide, starting at the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, north of Downtown. Then, visit the Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, in the Valley. Finally, drive to UCLA’s expansive campus, where cherry blossoms line the walkways. For another unique view of LA, you can buck the city’s infamous highways by touring via electric bike.

Along the Charles River Esplanade, the cherry blossoms explode every spring just as the city emerges from its seemingly perpetual winter. Take a walk or go for a riverside run, joining locals as they enjoy the blooms, or enjoy the first opportunities to go duck boating on the Charles. Make sure to also visit nearby Beacon Hill, a historic neighborhood of cobblestone streets that at points has excellent views over the river and MIT, across the water in Cambridge.

St. Louis is more than barbecue and the Gateway Arch. Along with one of the largest urban green spaces in the US, Forest Park, it’s home to the Missouri Botanical Garden, where dozens of species of cherry blossoms thrive. Search for the Chinese plum, with double pink flowers, then seek out the “weeping” Higan cherry, which drapes over the edges of the pond in the Japanese Garden section.

After Washington DC, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is one of the most famous places to see cherry blossoms in the US. Here you can witness the colors of over 200 trees that cover the Cherry Esplanade and Walk, where they’re planted in rows, shedding their petals and creating a carpet of pink.

Planted in the 1960s, the cherry trees that line the University of Washington quad are the most famous in this Pacific Northwest city. That’s not the only place they exist, however: if you’re on the south side of town, check out Jefferson Park, where cherries were planted in 2012 to mark the history of Japanese communities in the neighborhood. You could even see the whole city from above on a seaplane tour.

There’s one major place to see the blooms in Newark, and it’s worth the trip: the narrow Branch Brook Park in the north of town transforms every spring (usually early April) into a festive space that overflows with pink and white. The cherry trees even seem to take over, and while walking on some paths, you might have to duck your head. The city also hosts a Bloom Fest, as well as several running and biking races, the proceeds from which benefit the Special Olympics.