Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

There were some awesome sights at the Tulip Festival, especially for a first-timer like me.  Maybe not quite tulips as far as the eye could see, but close enough.

Red and Yellow Tulips

The weather was cool with off and on sun and some dramatic skies.  The red tulips were past their prime for cut flowers, and probably were for bulb production, but the yellows were still nice and tight and a crew was out cutting in that field.

I'm glad that's not my job.

The farm we stopped at was selling bunches of fairly short tulips for about 55 cents a stem, and we walked out with 40 of them.  They have an old moss-roofed shed that I’m sure they keep just for the photographers.

Photographers' Magnet

The festival runs through the month of April, with bloom times at the whim of Mother Nature.  Our timing was great due to pure luck.  We went during the week, and it was perfect.  Weekends can be crowded, I hear.

Skagit Valley is near Mt. Vernon Washington, about 60 miles north of Seattle.