Let’s start with the cherry capital of the world. Traverse City produces over three-quarters of the world’s tart cherries and has about 2 million trees. “While the blossom show is visually stunning, I like to remind people to get into an orchard and take deep breaths,” says Mike Kent, public relations manager for Traverse City Tourism. “Taking in the smell of the blossoms is half the joy.”

Photo courtesy of Traverse City Tourism

Portland turns pink with blooms in late winter. The city’s best places to see cherry blossoms are the Portland Japanese Garden and Waterfront Park. The garden was founded in 1963 and is one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside Japan. The Akebono cherry blossom trees at the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Waterfront Park honor the Japanese Americans interned during World War II.

Photo by Jon Kraft

The U.S. capital is perhaps the country’s most famous place to see cherry blossoms every year. Arlington National Cemetery, which is also a memorial arboretum, has over 400 cherry blossom trees. It’s an especially peaceful place to admire the blooms and contemplate impermanence.

Photo courtesy of Arlington National Cemetery

How about a side of art with your cherries? In Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood, spot cherry blossoms from Wade Lagoon in front of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Photo by Matt Shiffler

Inside the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, the Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden is a gorgeous place to view cherry blossoms. The location boasts a cherry tree promenade and the Zig-Zag Bridge. You’ll want your best camera for these blooms.

Photo courtesy of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Huntington Beach, aka Surf City, is a sister city to Anjo, Japan. It celebrates this relationship every spring with the Orange County Cherry Blossom Festival. People enjoy learning about Japanese culture with classical dance, origami, ikebana, taiko drumming, and lots of other fun activities. Don’t forget your surfboard for catching some post-fest waves.

Photo courtesy of Orange County Cherry Blossom Festival

The cherry orchards bloom a little later in chilly Montana than in many other places. In early to mid-May, look for abundant blooms near Flathead Lake just south of Kalispell.

Photo by Jesse Allen, courtesy of Discover Kalispell

More than 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees bloom in Macon, Georgia every spring. The Southern city calls itself the cherry blossom capital of the world and holds an annual International Cherry Blossom Festival. The whole town goes pink, from water fountains to garbage cans. Lace up your sneakers and walk the city’s Cherry Blossom Trail.

Photo courtesy of Visit Macon

The gardens of Reynolda estate, designed in 1917, put on the biggest display of cherry blossom trees in the Carolinas. This gorgeous garden features weeping cherries.

Photo by Lauren Ollinger for Reynolda Gardens

At Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, you can see cherry trees bloom around a stunning Thai pavilion, the only one like it in the US. Prime bloom time is usually mid-April.

Photo courtesy of Destination Madison

Way up north, Door County’s famous 2,500 acres of cherry blossom trees flower in mid-May. Follow the cherry calendar to know the best time to bike or stroll by blooming trees and iconic red barns in one of the Midwest’s favorite vacation areas.

Photo courtesy of Destination Door County

The annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival attracts over 7,000 flower-loving attendees, who enjoy Japanese cultural demonstrations, live music, a crafters marketplace, and more. Feeling athletic? Sign up for the annual Challenge Bike Race or the Cherry Blossom 10k Run. Or just stroll through on your own time and enjoy the trees of Branch Brook Park.

Photo courtesy of Lou Hammond Group

In the southwestern Washington town of Vancouver, a mild climate helps cherry blossom trees thrive. Mix bloom gazing with history at Fort Vancouver, a 19th-century fur trading post. Or time your visit for the annual Sakura Festival on Clark College’s campus to celebrate Japanese culture.

Photo by Ian Pearson

March and April are prime times for viewing cherry blossoms at the incredible Japanese Tea Garden in Golden State Park, the U.S.’s oldest public Japanese tea garden. Don’t miss the two-weekend Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in historic Japantown.

Photo courtesy of Visit California

Seattle is rich in cherry blossom trees, some of which were gifts from Japan in the early 1900s. The free Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival celebrates Japanese culture and Seattle’s friendship with Japan.

Photo by Nick Hall Photography for Visit Seattle

From late March to mid-May, you’ll see cherry (plus pear and apple) blossoms along the 35-mile Hood River Fruit Loop. Stop off at some of the 30 local orchards, farmstands, wineries, and cideries along the way.

Photo courtesy of Visit Hood River

In Pittsburgh, you can see cherry blossoms on foot or by bike along more than 20 miles of riverfront trails. Or relax and take a cherry-filled sightseeing cruise.

Photo by Dave DiCello

The Japanese government built the Ho-o-den, or Phoenix Temple, on Jackson Park’s Wooded Island in 1893 as part of the World’s Columbian Exposition. In the 1930s, the Chicago Park District expanded the temple’s small Japanese Garden. Now, about 160 cherry blossom trees bloom in this garden and around the Columbian Basin from late April to early May.

Photo courtesy of the Illinois Office of Tourism

Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park is one of the best places in the city to see cherry blossoms bloom. Savor a cup of tea in the traditional tea house while contemplating a weeping cherry tree in the courtyard garden. Shofuso also hosts the annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia.

Photo courtesy of Visit Philadelphia

Grand Junction in western Colorado is known as the state’s fruit capital. Beginning in April, you can see cherry blossoms, plus peach and apricot blossoms, for a profusion of pink and white. Since it’s Colorado, the fruit orchards have beautiful mountain backgrounds.

Photo courtesy of Visit Grand Junction

San Diego’s Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park offers cultural festivals, exhibits, educational programs, and cherry blooms. The garden is modeled on Japanese designs and showcases plants native to Japan and San Diego. February to March is usually the best time to see the blossoms.

Photo by K.C. Alfred, courtesy of the San Diego Tourism Authority

Cherry trees blooming around Washington state’s capitol make for a highly photogenic experience. Late March through April is usually the best time to see them. Don’t miss the campus’s other trees, especially the massive, Instagram-famous saucer magnolia.

Photo courtesy of Experience Olympia

Torrance celebrates Japanese culture with its free Cherry Blossom Festival. Expect music, crafts, food trucks, origami, and, of course, cherry blossoms.

Photo courtesy of Discover Torrance