It’s funny how one idea quietly reshapes itself into another. Earlier in the year, I’d entertained the ambitious – perhaps batshit – Beer Cycling’s 5-Day/5-Night Dutch Tulips cycling trip. Then reality set in. Thirty miles a day on a bike wasn’t the experience I was after, and I knew it. So I let the idea go and started thinking differently. However, once I really sat with myself and realized that I did not want to bike 30 miles a day – I considered different options.
On a previous trip to Seattle with Onnik, we’d stumbled upon Skagit Valley – roughly halfway between the city and the Canadian border. I remembered how beautiful the tulips and blooms were – and I wanted that again. After exploring the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival website, I decided to purchase a Weekday General Admission (Monday – Thursday) to Roozengaarde for $19.
After checking out of 1 Hotel Seattle, I picked up a rental car and pointed north. Arriving, I found easy parking. After my pass was scanned, I was once again among the flowers that caused me so much joy.
The fields stretched out in every direction, saturated with color. The daffodils carried a scent that stopped me mid-step more than once. I walked slowly, breathed deeply, and let the landscape do what good landscapes do – quiet the noise and make room for something more essential.
After my walk among the flowers, I stopped by the food court and purchased some fudge.
All of it, closer and far less expensive than a flight to the Netherlands.
Roozengaarde
15867 Beaver Marsh RoadMount Vernon, Washington 98273
