The Tidal Basin is a man-made reservoir of about 107 acres, connected to the Potomac River and set between the Jefferson and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials on the south side of the Mall. It is most famous for the ring of Japanese cherry trees that bloom around its perimeter in late March and early April — an event that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Washington during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Outside cherry blossom season the Tidal Basin is peaceful and often uncrowded. Paddleboats can be rented at the boathouse at the north end — an unpretentious pleasure that gives you a different view of the memorials. The path around the basin (about two miles) makes a good early morning walk with views across the water to the Jefferson Memorial dome. At dusk the reflections of the monuments in the still water are particularly good.