I have always loved the idea of the tulip fields in bloom at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, the romantic image of heading up on a misty morning and my children running through rows of blooming color. With so many variables to this festival, and the need to cater your trip to kid-friendly activities, planning becomes a must. Here is a survival guide, including helpful resources and a kid-tested itinerary, to help you navigate the tulip fields.
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, now in its 29th year, has over 350,000 people who flock north to commemorate the beauty of the fields and share in this unique Northwest agricultural experience. Weather permitting, April announces the blooming of the flowers, and hundreds of acres transform from green and brown to brilliant colors that span the rainbow. It is a remarkable sight.
It is also remarkable how the whole community comes together to celebrate the festival. During any given weekend there is something special going on for the entire family. From special art exhibits and craft fairs, fun runs and bike rides through the fields, to the Kiwanis salmon barbecue that serves 12,000 meals annually, your day is sure to be filled with activity.
Along with the tulips, the Skagit Valley has a bounty of fresh produce, dairies and wineries. Several of the local farms open their doors with family-friendly tours and offer some of the best cheeses, produce and ice cream available. I have included them in my itinerary below.
The Tulip Festival website is a great resource for last-minute event updates. Tulips are a rotating crop, and blooming fields vary depending on the climate conditions. The website is worth a peek to download the latest map and check for bloom updates.
Helpful Tips for Parents
Timing is Everything
I learned this when I was trying to get pregnant, and the theme continues. The timing of your trip can be the difference between a fun outing with the kids, or a long day in the car. Skagit Valley is an hour's drive north of Seattle. There are two ways to help avoid the crowds: go midweek or arrive early. The earlier you arrive the fewer crowds you will have to maneuver through. I suggest planning to arrive at your first destination at 9 a.m. And that means having snacks prepared, kids fed and clothed, and out the door by 8 a.m., depending on where you live. Oh, and most importantly, don’t forget your camera.
Survival Games for the Car
Many of us have movies for long rides, but in honor of National Screen-Free Week (April 30 through May 6), I have some car games ready as an alternative.
- For children younger than 2, "Counting Cars" is always a great one. Focus the game on one color of car, then switch to another.
- "My Uncle Owns a Grocery Store" is a personal favorite of my kids. The driver gets to start the game. Choose an item that is sold in a grocery store and say: “My uncle owns a grocery store and in it he sells something that starts with the letter … " The kids have to ask yes or no questions until they can guess the correct answer. The one to answer correctly then gets a turn.
- Or, try one of these "10 games to play in the car" to keep your children entertained.
A Survival Game for the Fields
As you will see in my itinerary, I suggest you stop by one of the nurseries first. The nurseries provide instant gratification to excited kids who want to see tulips, and you can pick up some catalogs for a game of "Name That Tulip." It’s a good idea to get one for each child, including yourself or your husband, to avoid any squabbling. The catalogs provide the names and photos for many of the tulips you will see throughout your day.
The tulip game is simple, educational and fun. While at the nursery, and with your catalog, you can be as creative as you want to be. You might send the kids out on a hunt to find a certain tulip, or just walk through the gardens and flip through the pages to find the names of the tulips on display. From the car, the kids can continue while viewing the fields from afar. The game makes the experience fun and informative, and the catalogs are a pretty keepsake of your special outing.
Dress and Re-Dress for the Occasion
On any given day in the gardens in Washington, there is bound to be mud. Kids. Mud. Need I say more? A good friend, a tulip festival veteran, suggests packing:
- Two large garbage bags for dirty, muddy clothes
- A box or laundry basket to keep muddy boots contained and off the carpet in the car
- An extra set of clean clothes for each child to put on before dinner (if eating at a restaurant)
- And a set of pajamas for each kid if you plan to stay late; perfect for transferring sleepy kids directly to bed after the long car ride home.
Check the Map. Check the Map. Check the Map! (Sung to Dora the Explorer)
Check the current field bloom map so you don’t waste time looking at green fields. As well, download the festival map ahead of time for help planning your itinerary.
Kid-Tested Itinerary
8 a.m. – Depart the Seattle Area
9 a.m. – Arrive at RoosenGaarde (estimated time at attraction 2.5 hours)
If your main goal is to see tulips in a garden setting, RoosenGaarde is the crème of the crop. Its gardens are designed with European flair. You will also have the opportunity to walk through the fields of tulips and see how the farm harvests the flowers. It makes for some amazing photo opportunities.
My kids were awed by the sheer number of blooming flowers covering the landscape. Inspired by all the color, they began choosing their favorites and planning our own tulip garden. It was wonderful to see them get so excited and interested in the tulips – how they grow, the different heights of the many varieties, and their different shapes.
We arrived a little after 9 a.m. and drove directly into the main parking lot. There was no wait at the entrance and the kids had open gardens in which to wander. By 11:30 a.m. the kids were hungry and we decided to stay a bit longer and eat a picnic on the lawn. As we exited, we were witness to the long lines of traffic and people waiting to access the gardens. Arriving early is key. RoosenGaarde's beautiful gardens, its accessible, free parking, snack bar and gift shop, make it a perfect first stop.
Noon – Arrive at Schuh Farms (estimated time at attraction one hour)
After RoosenGaarde, the drive to Schuh Farms provided an opportunity for the kids to see the colorful fields from a distance. It is a quick drive up Memorial Highway to the farm, and if you haven’t already picnicked at RoosenGaarde, you can pick up some fresh organic fruits and veggies and great milkshakes there.
The kids couldn’t wait to explore the play area at Schuh Farms. While playing I perused the nice selection of organic veggie starts and planted flowers. I also bought some of the biggest artichokes I have ever seen for a great price, and filled up a basket with beautiful veggies for the week.
The highlight of the farm for the kids was feeding the goats and chickens. It was so much fun watching all the different kinds of chickens, and we made several trips back to the stand to purchase more peanuts for the goats.
1 p.m. – Arrive at Golden Glen Creamery (estimated time at attraction 40 minutes)
Though the creamery was a bit out of the way, I felt it was a worthwhile trip for the kids to be able to see a real dairy and learn where milk and cheese come from. It is also a beautiful drive through rich agricultural lands, and we had fun counting how many barns we could see from the car.
Golden Glen Creamery is a family-owned dairy. It was started by Vic and Judy Jensen in 1968, but only in the last eight years, with the help of daughter-in-law Brandy Jensen, have they been making cheese. We could see the large silo and smell the cows as we drove close. In front of the small creamery store there was a cow statue, and the kids all got on to celebrate that Kodak moment. Inside, they received coloring books, pencils and a cheese-shaped eraser. I got to purchase some fresh from-the-farm cheeses and cream for my morning coffee; an added bonus for the day.
Before venturing on to our next destination, the kids asked if we might be able to see the cows, and Brandy Jensen kindly obliged. She gave us a quick tour of the grounds on the way to the barn where a large group of pregnant cows were enjoying their afternoon lunch. The cows watched timidly as my kids walk up with outstretched arms. Many backed away, but my son was able to win over the heart of #1120 (we later learned her name is Francis), and all of us walked away with sweet kisses on our hands from her wet tongue. My family can't wait to revisit the creamery again during the Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms in October.
2:15 p.m. – Arrive at Tulip Town (estimated time at attraction one hour)
Tulip Town is the other grand Skagit Valley garden and tulip nursery. "Lil Tulip Town," owned and operated by Anthony Degoede and his family, offers themed gardens and a unique indoor show (good for rainy days). The care and consideration of the Degoede family is evident in every detail of the gardens, making the tour of the grounds a rich learning experience.
Tulip Town offers lots of kid-centered activities, including face painting, kite flying and trolley rides through the tulip fields. One special activity we missed, but my kids would have loved, is the Tulip Town “Dream Walk.” Fairy storyboards line the field walk sharing their story, adding a magical sense to the already beautiful landscape. We loved the apple tree-lined parking area, and the gift shop and art area had lots of fun, unique souvenirs to take home, including a keepsake copy of "Tulip Fairy’s Holiday."
In hindsight, because of the many fun activities for children, I would have visited Tulip Town first. By the time we arrived, crowds had gathered and there were long lines. We enjoyed our visit, but were not able to take advantage of the things that set Tulip Town ahead on the family fun meter.
3:20 p.m. – Arrive at Christianson’s Nursery (estimated time at attraction one hour)
Christianson’s Nursery is known for having one of the largest selections of roses, perennials and trees in Northwest Washington. It was easy to see why Christianson’s is a Northwest Flower and Garden Show People’s Choice Award Winner.
The grounds and greenhouses were lovely, filled with plants that ranged from common ground coverings to the most unusual of flowering trees. We played a game to see how many different kinds of leaves we could find while walking the aisles, and then we discovered the crepes.
Yumm! All that walking and looking had made us hungry. When we smelled the crepes, we followed our noses directly to Annie’s Philly Sandwiches & Crepes. Annie’s, a local catering company, was our afternoon treat. We indulged in delicious strawberry and whipped cream crepes while basking in the sunshine in front of the Christianson’s 1888 refurbished schoolhouse.
4:30 p.m. – Arrive at Snow Goose Produce (estimated time at attraction one hour)
This was our last stop. I heard Snow Goose had a great selection of organic produce and potted tulips. It is also known for giant ice cream cones, and we all thought that would be a fun end to our day.
We shopped and I picked up a few extra veggies and some lovely tulips I can’t wait to get planted. We also waited 45 minutes in line for ice cream (ironic, because the whole reason for writing this story is to help families avoid waiting in lines). Honestly, the ice cream was good, but not that good, and the kid-sized treat we got was smaller than what we usually get at Baskin-Robbins. Despite our little bit of suffering it was an amazing day, free of most lines and waiting and full of laughs and licks of all sorts.
If your family doesn't have this much time to explore the Tulip Festival, I would recommend seeing one tulip nursery (RoosenGaarde or Tulip Town), Chistianson’s Nursery and Schuh farms. Ours was a full day. The kids were in PJs and asleep before I reached I-5, and I had an hour of peace and quiet the whole drive home.
Isabel Sanden is a Seattle-area French instructor, incorporating music and language skills for preschool-age children, and a mother of three adventurous children ages 2,5 and 7.
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Source: http://www.seattleschild.com/article/a-parents-survival-guide-to-the-tulip-festival
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