the skagit valley tulip festival is an iconic, annual springtime event. it runs throughout the month of april, and if you are active on social media, you will know “tulip season” has arrived; tulip-field photos are prevalent! for non-locals, skagit valley is located approximately two hours north of downtown seattle, near mount vernon, washington. there are several tulip farms, and the most well-known is roozengaarde.
i grew up visiting the tulip festival, but until last year, it had been several years since my last visit. last april, three friends (fellow bloggers) and i packed our bags for a day trip to skagit valley and the surrounding area. we were fortunate to visit on a cloudy day, so crowds were less of an issue. after taking photos at roozengaarde, we visited la connor for lunch and in true blogger fashion, more photos!
disclosure: a special thank you to boho chic boutique for providing me the t-shirt and jeans worn in this post! as per usual, all opinions are my own.
this year, we packed slightly less and were able to enjoy another full-day trip. instead of standing in line at roozengaarde, however, we opted to visit a much smaller (but equally beautiful) farm, tulip town.
when preparing for our trip, we had a few ideas in mind—things learned from the prior year’s outing.
transportation: who is driving? how large is the vehicle? is the gas tank full? last year, the four of us packed ourselves (and our numerous bags) into a prius. we were fairly comfortable, but changing from outfit to outfit was tricky in the somewhat confined space. this year, my mom graciously lent us her suv (with tinted windows), and driving, changing, and storing bags was a breeze!
meal planning: bring water, coffee, and snacks. this may be unique to me, but after driving for over an hour, taking photos, and standing in line to get into the field, i was hungry and thirsty. upon finishing our photos, we had to drive to our next destination before eating. (we also experienced a lengthy wait time at our restaurant of choice.) this year, however, we packed water bottles, fruit, and granola bars to snack on in between destinations. this helped greatly!
outfit planning: this may or may not be applicable to you—if you’re shooting family photos (with more than one outfit) or senior/graduation pictures, then you know, outfit prep is critical. plan outfit changes as a whole. did you remember a top and bottom, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories? thinking of the outfit from top to bottom has saved me on more than one occasion from forgetting important items!
your shoe choice is also something to consider. the fields can be incredibly muddy. rain boots are a great and seemingly practical option! last year, i somewhat naively wore wedges—whoops.
logistics: traffic to and from skagit valley can prove difficult. google maps or other traffic and navigation apps, such as waze, can be a helpful way to save time. unfortunately, roads leading to the tulip farms are limited, and when the farms get crowded, you’re stuck.
after the fields: turn your tulip trip into a day or overnight adventure! there is plenty to do when you’re north of seattle. mount vernon, home to roozengaarde and tulip town, offers a variety of activities. enjoy a scenic hike at little mountain park, or pop by valley shine distillery for cocktails, biscuits, poached eggs, and more! alternatively, la conner is a short drive from the fields—visit the iconic rainbow bridge, local boutiques, museums, and antique stores. there are several coffee and ice cream shops, and of course, a large number of delicious restaurants. the girls and i stopped for brunch (and pastries) at calico cupboard on both trips. fortunately, there are locations in both mount vernon and la conner, and i highly recommend ordering the cinnamon roll. you won’t regret it!
if you’re in the mood for a shopping adventure, the seattle premium outlets is the perfect mid-way stop on your drive home. (my ‘le weekend’ t-shirt and jeans are from boho chic boutqiue, located at the outlet mall.) refuel with an iced tea, followed by shopping.
photos by jenn from hello rigby
t-shirt and jeans: c/o boho chic boutique, jacket: hunter for target collection, rain boots: hunter (borrowed from northwest blonde), heart-shaped sunglasses: american eagle (old), purse: thrifted via seattle goodwill
we had a wonderful time visiting tulip town in april, and i have another spring outfit to share from our trip! have you visited the skagit valley tulip festival? if so, how did you plan your time, and where did you visit?
xoxo.
