The Pacific Northwest has countless things to do in the Spring as the rain begins to subside and the sun starts peaking through and one definite outing on everyone’s list should be the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

Skagit Valley is bout 45 minutes north of Seattle and the Tulip festival goes from about mid-March to mid-May depending on the year. Usually the tulips are in full bloom for about a month during this time (depending on the particular year’s growing season and weather). There are several farms, big and small that host tulip events and activities, the most popular being the chance to visit the picturesque fields. People come from near and far to take in the rainbows of color that emerge in the Skagit Valley for such a short time each year.

Most fields allow visitors to step a foot or two into the rows to take photos and all the farms I’ve been to have their own unique little experiences. My favorite is Roosengaarde Farms. This farm charges $7 per adult to get in, but the beautifully manicured 3 1/2 acre parklike setting,tulip fields, modern and historical farm equipment, food, and learning experiences are well worth the money. Don’t be discouraged by the line that forms outside the gate. Once you get in there’s plenty of room to roam.

My favorite part of Roozengaarde Farm is the enormous variety of tulips in their gardens. They have everything from your standard yellow tulip to ones that look like ice cream to ones with black petals. Signs by each type of flower guide viewers and if you bring your camera you can quickly snap photos of those you like with the sign showing the name. This makes for easy ordering if you choose to purchase bulbs for your own garden. If you’re from out of town don’t worry, most farms ship bulbs and some even offer free gifts when you purchase a certain amount.

In addition to the wide range of bulbs and flower gardens Roozengaarde Farm has a windmill, gift shop and various cute and creative picture spots.

Another popular farm is Tulip Towne. This farms is located about five minutes from Roozengaarde farm and also has a $7 entry fee. This year we visited Tulip Towne a bit early but there was still plenty of color and the crowds were pretty minimal. Though not all the fields were bloomed when we went, the massive fields of flowers in partial bloom are so grand that we were still able to take in  our share of color. Tulip Towne has a beautiful wind mill as well as a lovely flag garden showcasing flags from around the world. They also have on site gifts, flowers and food (sub sandwiches, ice cream and coffee).  For little ones (or anyone really) Tulip Towne offers tractor rides around the farm. The cost for the tractor rides ares $2 for adults and $1 for children. My two year old loved the ride. Tulip Towne is a great option for those who want to see the fields but aren’t as interested in many picture spots or seeing all the varieties of tulips. Although they do have a small show garden inside and some variety in their fields, this is definitely not their top feature.

For a complete list of farms participating in the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival you can visit http://www.tulipfestival.org/events

**please note: aroomfullofsunshine was not paid to write this article and has no relation to any of the farms mentioned.**