Salem, Oregon has the nickname of Cherry City, which stems from a history of growing and processing fruit since the mid-1800s. Apples, strawberries, loganberries and more were produced, but it was cherries that really captured the imagination. The city’s first Cherry Fair was in 1903, and Salem was given the title “Cherry City of the World” in 1907 during the annual Pacific Coast Association of Nurserymen convention.

There aren’t as many fruit orchards as there once were, but Salem is also known for its spectacular cherry blossoms that bloom on the Oregon Capitol Mall during early spring. They are in peak bloom right now, so we drove over last weekend to get pictures. It’s the time of year that a lot of people visit and do the same thing. It was raining, so Lisa stayed in the car, but Aria and I spent some time walking around:

Lisa works in a government building a couple blocks away so she sees these every day, but it was my first springtime visit to the grounds since 2004 — the year we met!