Thank you to our West Coast writer, Kathy Chin Leong
Disneyland may be dubbed the happiest place on earth, but for flower fans, there’s no better place than Skagit Valley, home to the country’s largest producer of tulips, and the world’s second after Holland. Every April during the Tulip Festival, growers open up their fields in time for the bloom boom. In these gardens, the heads are so large and hues so spectacular that the environment feels surreal. How many tulips will you see? Literally millions with monikers such as Flaming Parrot, Big Smile, and Purple Prince.
Four tulip farms, all in Mount Vernon, participate in the festival program: Roozengaarde with over fifty acres; six-acre Tulip Town with trolley rides, pooch-friendly Garden Rosalyn with a pond and ducks, and Tulip Valley Farms, the only U-Pick tulip garden.
Come when the gardens open at 8 a.m. on weekends, and you will beat traffic and crowds. Better yet, drop in as early as 9 a.m. on a weekday. If you don’t want to drive, get there from Seattle via Amtrak train or Greyhound bus. You can also arrive on the Tulip Festival shuttle, which also departs from the city.
The tulip menagerie lasts the entire month, and this year it extends to the first week of May as the blooms are lasting longer. Plan to stay a few nights in Skagit Valley to take in the scenery while meandering the historic towns of La Conner and Anacortes for cozy cafes and art galleries.
Although you can tackle four gardens in one day, my husband Frank and I chose two – Roozengaarde and Tulip Town. The locations are five minutes apart, but offer two distinct experiences. You can spend about two hours to see everything at Roozengaarde, but if you love taking photos and want to stay to have a snack and shop, maybe three hours tops. Since Tulip Town is a fraction of the size, investing an hour to an hour and a half is just right. At both venues, a gorgeous parade of ripened bulbs assaults the senses. Set your camera on pano to record the grandeur.
Roozengaarde: The granddaddy of the farms is now three generations deep. Today, Brent Roozen and his family are stewards of this treasure which operates under the Washington Bulb Company, the biggest tulip and daffodil producer in the country. Current admission is $23.00 on Fridays through Sundays; $19 on weekdays. Kids three and under are free.
From the outset, blooms are stationed in rows like little soldiers guarding the outside perimeter. We all know the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy lands in Oz, and all of a sudden, everything turns from black and white to color. Similarly, you wander in from a boring parking lot to eight acres of dynamic display gardens amassed by size, color, shape, and type. The team beds down some 200 species and millions of bulbs each year.
At different sites, backdrops with platforms are available for photo ops. Every inch portends a Kodak moment. You may find yourself living behind your cell phone camera the entire time. One display garden features an extended stretch of purple hyacinths next to a wavy road of multi-colored bulbs. Another plot is crowned with candy pink parrot tulips anchored by a cherry blossom tree.
Return guests are not uncommon, for the designs change annually. On a recent Sunday, parents appeared in droves with children clad in portraiture attire. One woman was wearing a Hobbit-like forest green print dress with a bustle. As she held high her five-foot tulip prop, her photographer captured her every leap and gesture.
Beyond the custom floral plantings, over fifty acres of tulip fields yielded splendors beyond human imagination. I never heard so many “wow” utterances in my life. We were stunned by the ribbons of reds, yellows, pinks, and oranges. And when we exhausted ourselves taking close-ups of the petals, wide-angle shots, and everything in between, I wandered into the gift shop packed with tulip t-shirts, mugs, and earrings.
In terms of eats, the café provides burgers, hot dogs, and beverages. Folks can bring their own meals and enjoy food in the picnic area. However, you cannot bring your pooch, and that’s where this location differs from Tulip Town.
Tulip Town
Here is an excellent spot to bring Spot for a day of adventure. As long as he is on a leash, your furry friend is welcome.
Upon arrival, the first thing you see is the quintessential windmill, the initial place to take a photo. Unlike Roosengaarde, Tulip Town features indoor dining and shopping under a giant white tent. It is a multi-faceted area featuring a gift boutique, clothing store, fresh tulip stand, beer and wine garden, and snack shack. If you get hungry, you can order some grab-and-go foods such as nachos and chili. Take note that you are not allowed to bring in your own grub.
Adjacent to the tent is the processing barn, where you’ll find a man-made pond and a mural that surrounds the walls telling the story of the Netherlands and how tulips came to Skagit Valley. If you are lucky, artist Jennie Bowman might be there adding touches to her masterpiece. Tulip Town is part of the International Peace Gardens project, a global entity where member gardens present participating countries’ flags.
When you mosey among the flower fields, clever photo props make it impossible not to pause for a picture. My husband and I attempted to put two hands together to form a heart as we stood within the red heart sculpture, and the closest we got was making an oval.
Meanwhile, we watched as couples approached the tulip-festooned wooden swing and posed with their pets. Families and passengers waved to us from the comfort of the Tulip Town trolley, an excursion included in the price of admission.
This relaxed garden possesses more of a rustic feel compared to Roozengaarde, which exudes a more formal vibe. Many photographers choose Tulip Town for its iconic red barn situated behind the blooms, which makes for an ideal composition for a painting. Each year, the tulips are dug up after the fashion show concludes. New bulbs are planted in rotating plots. Like Roozengaarde, the Tulip Town display gardens are redesigned for each Tulip Festival.
Founder Tom DeGoede grew up in the Netherlands in a tulip farming family. In 1984, he and his wife Jeannette started Tulip Town. Today, the legacy continues under the ownership of Spinach Bus Ventures, a small company that takes pride in fostering local businesses.
Bottom line
Tulip Town is a manageable six-acre oasis with family-friendly and pet-friendly paths. Small children will thoroughly enjoy tip-toeing through the tulips and riding the tractor trolley. Prices run $20.48 for adults and $12.20 for kids 6-11. Under six is free.
Indeed, after 43 years, the Tulip Festival remains a beloved tradition. If you are a newcomer, consider coming for a whole day or stay several to attend the Tulip Parade, tulip-themed art exhibits, and street fairs. Over 450,000 tourists descend here annually from all over the world. All this proves that Washington’s celebration in little Skagit Valley is a big, big deal.
- For more information visit: Tuliptown.com and Tulips.com
