It was time for the annual visit to Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.  The day was cloudy but still we were expecting to see the annual burst of spring colour that Mother Nature decides to bring every year.

The fields of flowers are grown in order to produce bulbs - a major industry in the Skagit Valley.  Besides the viewing and photographing the fields, we saw some display gardens and garden centres where we learned a little bit about bulb gardening.

Last year we didn't visit Roozengaarde -- one of the main tulip growers on the area --.  This place is open year round even when the flowers are only in full bloom during the month of April 

As a part of the tour you can visit the little town of La Conner. But is difficult to get a parking spot and the few restaurants and shops are full of people.  In our case, we didn't mind the extra drive (25 minutes) to Anacortes where we had lunch on a nice Mexican restaurant. 

The flower-viewing season begins with dainty yellow daffodils in mid- to late-March; a rainbow of tulips takes the stage in April. Irises and lilies follow, providing colour well into the month of May. 

This year the flowers bloomed early, we were lucky to arrived just before some fields were going to be toped.  Who knows how these fields looked one week later. 

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According to local estimates, there are now more acres of tulips under cultivation in the Skagit Valley than in the whole of Holland. 

Driving distance (one way): 150 km (93.75 miles)