Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Photo credit Heather Hands

Last week I went to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival for the first (and second) time. Shockingly, despite years of living in Seattle and Victoria, I had never made the trip. My wildest dreams did not quite prepare me for the vibrant layers of colours, the beautiful contrast of fields against the mountains in the background. It was stunning. I stopped for the first time on the way back from the strangest hike. We went through sunny, bright blue sky weather to rain, then hail, before reaching the summit to a complete white-out, heavy winds topping it off. If we missed out on the view then, we sure made up for it on the drive back as we stopped by the gorgeous fields. The next day, I went back with a friend. Two years ago, we drove out to see the tulips, but only founds fields of daffodils. We still enjoyed it and has a great time, but it was well worth going back for the tulips. The festival is located in Northwestern Washington, a little over an hour drive from Seattle, but expect some serious tulip traffic, even during the week.