Tiptoeing Through the Tulip (Festival)

Imagine a flat river valley, impossibly green and lush. Now imagine tulips. Millions of tulips. Tulips as far as the eye can see. Tulips of all colors and varieties.

No, you’re not in the Netherlands. You’re in the Skagit River Valley of Washington.

Rising in British Columbia in the Canadian Cascades, the Skagit (SKAJ-it) River flows down the western side of the mountains until it enters Skagit Bay, a branch of Puget Sound. Between the mountains and the bay, it meanders through the fertile Skagit Valley.

At the turn of the last century, an Englishman named George Gibbs recognized the area’s potential for growing bulbs. He wrote to Dutch horticulturalists, the acknowledged experts in tulip cultivation, to ask for their advice, but the Dutch ferociously protected their growing secrets. To pique their interest, Gibbs sent them some of the bulbs he had cultivated, and against their wills, the Dutch were greatly impressed. A delegation came to Washington to see for themselves this tulip paradise.

Over the years, more growers arrived, attracted by the rich, alluvial soil and climate that is similar to those of the Netherlands or northern France. The Skagit Valley now produces tens of millions of tulips, daffodils, and other flowers every year. And there is no better way to experience this floral exuberance than the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

Celebrated every year since 1984 (except for 2020, when the pandemic shut it down), the Tulip Festival has, to coin a phrase, something for everyone. Bike through miles of tulip fields. Tune up your photographic skills with a photo tour. Enjoy wine tastings and brewery tours. Visit a museum or tour a tulip farm.

Travel from DFW is relatively easy. Multiple airlines fly from DFW to Seattle every day. When my family lived in Seattle, I loved flying Alaska Airlines. The planes are some of the newest in the fleet, the tickets are less expensive, and the seats are bigger with USB ports in every seat. What’s not to love? Rent a car at Sea-Tac. The Skagit Valley is only an hour north of the city.

To explore the Festival and tulip fields, you can stay in Mount Vernon, Burlington, La Conner, Anacortes, or, if you’re willing to drive 30 minutes, Bellingham. My family was always partial to La Conner, a charming town along the Swinomish Channel. We stayed at the La Conner Channel Lodge, which boasts beautiful Northwest-style rooms overlooking the water. Whispering Firs B&B and Lodge in Mount Vernon is set on 250 acres overlooking Puget Sound. And Hotel Bellwether is a luxurious, boutique hotel on Bellingham Bay, only 20 minutes away from the Skagit Valley.

One of the quirkiest events during the Tulip Festival is the Tulip Rallye. Presented by the MG Car Club NW Centre, trivia and riddles replace time and distance checkpoints of traditional speed or navigation rallies. The route winds through the tulip fields, and the entry fee helps the club support a local food bank. Continuing in the quirky vein, the La Conner Not So Impromptu Tulip Parade welcomes all as spectators or participants. No entry is too small, and last-minute entries are encouraged. (Participation is a great way to embarrass your teens.)

Aside from the tulips, one of the best things about the Skagit Valley is the eating. With the freshest seafood from Puget Sound, incredible produce from local farms, and luxurious wines from Washington’s award-winning wineries, the Skagit Valley is an epicurean’s dream vacation. Nell Thorn Waterfront Bistro in La Conner features some of the Pacific Northwest’s best farm-to-table cuisine, while local chain Anthony’s has several locations in the area with the best seafood you will ever eat. And don’t miss the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Salmon Barbecue. For a pittance, you will get gorgeous wild Pacific salmon barbecued over alder, a baked potato, slaw, garlic bread, and ice cream. It’s an insanely good value.

If you’re a shopper, La Conner and Bellingham are particularly blessed with boutiques and galleries. My favorite bookstore in all the world is Village Books & Paper Dreams in Fairhaven Village in Bellingham. With three stories of books and gifts, this independent bookstore is a bibliophile’s dream. Earthenworks Gallery in La Conner, located in the historic Hotel Planter, has been recognized as one of America’s top craft galleries.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs the entire month of April and is, in my humble opinion, one of the most perfect ways to celebrate the arrival of spring.