The Mystery of the Broken Branch Stop 1: The Trail Begins
This is a stop on the “Junior Ranger Story: The Mystery of the Broken Branch” challenge for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC. Join the fun and complete the entire adventure!
Follow the trail with Ranger Sarah and a group kids as they search the Tidal Basin for clues about the cherry trees. You can follow along this mystery adventure from home or when visiting the Cherry Blossom Festival at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC.
Alternative Text for the Image
The image is a map for a kids activity called “Junior Ranger Story: The Mystery of the Broken Branch”. Each activity directs participants to a place on the map. The map centered around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. The trail has blue dots numbered clockwise around the Tidal Basin marked with numbers 1 through 12 and named for the title of the individual activity at that location.
The map legend says “Story Trail Guide”. Stops marked on the map include:
Stop 1: The Trail Begins, which is located on the east end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 2: Pollination Station, which is located to the south of Stop 1 on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 3: Write Your Own Haiku, which is located along the Tidal Basin near Maine Avenue.
Stop 4: Cherry Trees Around the World, which is located on the Tidal Basin near the intersection of Basin Drive and Ohio Drive.
Stop 5: Jefferson Memorial, which is located at the Jefferson Memorial plaza on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 6: Japanese Pagoda, which is located at a stone pagoda structure on the west side of the Tidal Basin near the south end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 7: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, which starts at the north end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and continues through the memorial.
Stop 8: The Tree with the Broken Branch, which is located near West Basin Drive just north of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 9: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is located on the plaza of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 10: Festival History, which is located along the Tidal Basin just east of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 11: Hanami, which is located on the Tidal Basin near Independence Avenue between the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Kutz Memorial Bridge.
Stop 12: Japanese Lantern, which is located at a stone lantern statue on the west end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 1: The Trail Begins
Read the following story to begin your mystery adventure!
Ranger Sarah was kneeling on the ground under a cherry tree, looking closely at a fallen flower blossom. She looked up to see four kids running toward her carrying a broken branch. She stood up and smiled.
“Hi there, kids! Welcome to the Tidal Basin of Washington, DC. Are you enjoying the festival?”
“We were, but then we found this broken branch under a tree. What happened to it? Will the tree be okay?”
Sarah looked at the branch and said, “Hmm, those are good questions! Do you want to go for an adventure with me and see what we can find out?”
“Yes, yes!” the kids shouted.
“Okay,” the ranger replied. “If we’re going to have an adventure, we’d better get to know each other! I’m Ranger Sarah, and I’m from right here in Washington, DC. What are your names, and where are you visiting from?”
“I’m Imani. I’m from DC, too.”
“My name is Haru. My grandparents brought me here from Virginia to see the cherry blossoms.”
“Hi! I’m Jamal from Maryland. My family comes here all the time!”
“I’m Taylor! I’m visiting from Kansas with my cousins.”
“Great! It’s nice to meet all of you. I’m glad you all could come out today. Okay, why don’t you show me where you found this branch?”
Hanami: how to enjoy the cherry blossom season like a Tokyoite
It’s that time of year again when peak blossom frenzy hits Japan. Although the weather may not always be perfect, the national pastime of sitting beneath a cherry tree and drinking the day away, known as ‘hanami‘, is on everyone’s mind. Of course, doing so requires some preparation and etiquette. Plus, this year, many Tokyo parks are discouraging people from gathering in large groups – even outdoors. So be safe and take note of these things to watch out for.
DO: COME PREPARED
Hanami season is one of the busiest times to be outdoor, and getting to sit beneath a blossoming tree and admire the flowers (read: drink and be merry with friends and busy yourself with absolutely anything but the flowers) requires a bit of planning akin to going to a major outdoor festival.
You want a good spot? Get there early. Some companies make the new recruits head out in the morning to nab a spot (this practice is known as basho-tori). You could find a friend crazy enough to do the same, or just head out early with a group.
Bring a tarp; do as the locals do and get a blue one from Donki if you want to blend in, and a straw one for insulation. Have enough food and drinks to last you a while (the konbini around the corner will most certainly be sold out or have massive queues).
You’ll also need an iron bladder – the queues for toilets in parks rival those for popular ramen joints at peak hours – and something noticeable to stand out (flowers, a sign, a tall person who stays standing) so latecomers can find you between the hundreds of revellers.
DON’T: JUST SIT ANYWHERE
Sure, standing still and staring up at a tree can be done virtually anywhere without causing too much nuisance, but when it comes to properly plonking yourself down for a hanami, do know that not all places are created equal. Some major parks and popular hanami spots don’t allow sitting down and having a proper picnic – often to alleviate congestion and also to save the trees. It’ll generally be signposted quite clearly (‘NO HANAMI’ signs being the most popular) – ignore them at your own peril.
The most notable is Shinjuku Gyoen, which forbids bringing in musical instruments, alcoholic beverages and big things to sit on like chairs, although having a booze-free, low-noise hanami is fine. In other places, be sure to not take up too much space, so everyone can enjoy a slice of the fun. To be safe, check in advance, and otherwise ogle at the blossoms while sauntering around.
DO: HOLD YOUR LIQUOR
Hanami season is as much about enjoying a drink or five beneath a tree as it is about the blossom – however, making a loud nuisance of yourself is rather frowned upon. In fact, many parks explicitly state that inconveniencing others is illegal, and you may be asked to leave if you get particularly rowdy. Luckily, we like our booze with our food here in Tokyo, and there’s no shame in snacking alongside your drink to keep your tolerance high.
DON’T: TARNISH THE BLOSSOM
You may think those blossoms would make for beautiful hair accessories or that branch would look good in your room, but please, don’t start plucking at the tree. First of all, you’ll ruin the experience for others (who wants to sit under a tree with its branches missing?).
Secondly, cherry blossom trees are actually quite vulnerable. Seeing as a specific bug species apparently invading the trees these days, and nicks in their bark can lead to a higher chance of them attracting even more diseases, they don’t need any more stress. In many places, this is a punishable offence that may lead to a fine. Don’t be that person.
DO: CARRY YOUR TRASH
Yes, we know: Tokyo doesn’t exactly have an abundance of trash cans. That’s not a reason to litter, though; after a day of hanami, you’ll find that parks aren’t as trash-strewn as you may expect compared to places abroad. Major parks will often have a couple of containers for the occasion, but they tend to fill up rather quickly.
Do as the locals do and carry your trash home, or if there is enough space in the bin, be sure to separate it properly: 燃える for combustible, 燃えない for incombustible, ビン or びん for bottles and カン for cans. The sakura trees will thank you.
