The spectacular cherry trees of Newark

As the city of Newark, N.J., is proud to point out, its Branch Brook Park has more flowering cherry trees than Washington, D.C. Dan and Julie visited the park on a sunny April day and found the trees to be close to their blossoming peak.

A weekday afternoon proved a perfect time to drive and stroll through the Frederick Law Olmstead-designed park, a gem of the Essex County park system. 

Alongside one section of the park stands the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there during his U.S. tour in 1995.