Wandering around the moat

The cherry blossoms are officially at their peak!  They are so beautiful in full bloom and we are enjoying every moment we have with them.  Hike it Baby was hosting another hike focused on cherry blossoms, and we decided to join them as the group strolled through the 700 plus trees along the waterfront.  I had such a good time in Kawagoe, I wanted to join another hike before my son headed back to school and this was a great opportunity. 

Last year we walked through the Imperial Palace, but the organized hike took a different route and walked outside the palace moat.  We met the group at 10:30 in front of the entrance to the Nippon Budokan (an indoor arena located on the Imperial Palace grounds).  The area was busy, but not packed.  Luckily though, the group was easy to spot. 

At the entrance, we were able to view the moat with cherry blossoms along the edge. 

After snapping a couple photos, we wandered down the path.  The trees were incredible and I enjoyed the sun kissed light pink flowers. 

I had several nice conversations with other moms in the group as we walked along.  My son walked along, holding another child's hand as they took turns taking photos with her camera.  At one point, he climbed up a rock and snapped a photo.  When he climbed down he told her "I got the picture you wanted."

There were tiny iris planted at the base of the cherry trees.

We walked up the path, past the boat rental, and then turned back.  I guess there is a loop, but it is a bit too far with such small kiddos.  It didn't matter because we enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

Once we made it back, we went into the palace grounds and found a place to put out mats for a picnic in Kitanomaru Park.  Sitting and eating under the sakura is a national past-time.  I tried to get my son to eat, but he was so excited to play with the kids, he only ate a few bites.  Soon he was running around the field, laughing with the other kids.

Several of the kids discovered there were tadpoles in the moat, so my son showed them how to catch them in a plastic cup.  They thought it was so neat.  I saw several of the kids circled around a table, staring at the little black creatures.  It was so fun to see their delight and fascination. 

Soon the weather turned from sunny to cloudy and the dust started blowing around pretty strongly.  It was time for us to head back home. 

I'm so glad we were able to see the sakura in the sunshine.  It never disappoints.