Click the photo to see my 28-photo slide show of the tulip fields and gardens
Spring has yet to arrive in the Pacific Northwest. We’re having big rainstorms and snow in the mountains.
During a break in the weather on Sunday, I went to Mount Vernon, Wash., to take photos of the tulip fields. It’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive from my home.
It's something I've always wanted to do. The fields and gardens were beautiful. It was fun and gave me great joy. My photos are fantastic.
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is underway until April 30. However, April 11 is about the last day that the tulip fields will be in full bloom. It depends on the weather.
This year, the tulips were early and began blooming the last week of March. Last year, the tulips didn't bloom until April 17.
About 350,000 people visit the Skagit Valley during tulip time. The festival is popular with Canadians, with 12 to 15 percent of visitors being our northern neighbors. Tourists also come from Austria, Australia, Mexico, Great Britain, Germany, and many other countries.
U.S. visitors usually come just to see the tulips. For foreign tourists, the festival is often part of a larger trip.
Farmers in the Skagit Valley raise millions of tulips. Some are cut and sold. Others are grown for their bulbs.
When the petals begin to fall, the tops of the plants are cut off. This is so that the petals won't rot, causing diseases.
Machines are used to plant and harvest the bulbs, but the tulip flowers are cut by hand.
If you live in on the West Coast, you might be able to take a trip to Mount Vernon and see beautiful tulips this year. Visit the festival Web site or call 360-428-5959 to find out if the tulip fields and gardens are still in bloom.
If you live further away, you can keep the tulips of Mount Vernon in mind for a spring vacation cheer another year.
