Forget traveling to the Netherlands. I saw millions of colorful tulips without having to leave the US.

Bernadette Rankin
·4 min read
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Bernadette, wearing a polka dot long-sleeve shirt, squats down in a field of red tulips and touches a flower.
Although I was given permission to take this picture by a field manager, please be mindful of signs throughout the tulip fields that advise visitors where they can and cannot take photos.Bernadette Rankin

  • I've always dreamed of traveling to the Netherlands to visit the famous tulip festival.

  • Instead, I visited Mount Vernon, Washington, during the height of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

  • I loved being able to see millions of colorful tulips without having to travel abroad.

The Netherlands' legendary tulip fields have always been on my bucket list.

Last year, the country's famous Keukenhof park saw almost 1.4 million visitors from around the world. However, the trip has always been just out of reach for me due to the travel cost and timing.

That's why I was so excited to discover the largest tulip festival in the US was located in Northwest Washington, just a little over an hour north of Seattle.

After seeing the monthlong event referred to as "the Netherlands of the Northwest" by the festival's executive director, I knew I had to visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Here's what it was like.

I visited RoozenGaarde, which is the largest of the participating farms

People walking under a sign that reads "Welcome to RoozenGaarde www.tulips.com."
RoozenGaarde features about 200 types of tulips.Bernadette Rankin

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is made up of four of the region's flowering bulb farms, all conducting their own events and celebrations. Admission to each farm typically ranges from $13 to $20 per adult.

To avoid the heavy crowds typically found on weekends — and save a few dollars — I visited the festival on a weekday.

I started my journey at RoozenGaarde, which has about 200 types of tulips. I pulled into the busy parking lot and saw that a giant row of green hedges blocked the epic views I knew were on the other side.

I followed the signs to a ticket booth, which was perfectly situated for prime viewing pleasure, and my first taste of the beauty to come. I paid $15, plus tax, for my ticket, which did not allow for re-entry.

A green Dutch windmill with fields of flowers in the background.
Before entering the fields, I found a replica of a Dutch windmill. Bernadette Rankin

Once I stepped beyond the ticket booth, I saw a replica of a wooden Dutch windmill surrounded by vivid blooming tulips.

Behind it, I caught a glimpse of the gorgeous flowering tulip fields and the Cascade Mountain Range, which served as a breathtaking backdrop to the entire scene.

I headed straight to the fields to explore

Rows of pink and yellow tulips, with people walking around in the background. In the distance are more yellow flowers and beautiful mountains.
I slowed down to take in the beauty of the tulips.Bernadette Rankin

Once immersed in the tulips, I finally slowed my excited rush to take in the beauty of the millions of flowers around me. I took a closer look at an individual tulip to see the surprisingly fine details of the petals and the coloring.

A close-up of rows of bright-orange tulips.
I was amazed by the fine details of the petals and coloring.Bernadette Rankin

The entire field gives the impression of a 50-acre patchwork quilt with crisp rows of solid color ranging from yellow to purple, and bright Barbie pink to my absolute favorite: glowing red tulips.

Rows of purple, orange, and red tulips, with trees and mountains in the distance.
The fields looked like a patchwork quilt of colorful flowers.Bernadette Rankin

Next, I stopped by the display gardens to see a shockingly beautiful array of landscaped blooming bulbs, expertly planted together to show potential buyers what they can recreate in their own gardens.

White tulips with pink, feathery edges. Behind. these tulips are purple and pink tulips.
The display gardens were gorgeous.Bernadette Rankin

I gazed with absolute longing and wished I had a garden to justify purchasing a few bulbs.

I didn't end up traveling to the other farms participating in the festival

In the end, I started and ended my tulip-festival experience solely at RoozenGaarde due to losing myself fully in their endless fields.

Do I regret it? No, especially since the other three farms were significantly smaller but charged similar ticket prices as RoozenGaarde.

If you have time and don't mind paying the admission price for each farm, I highly suggest visiting all four participating Skagit Valley Tulip Festival farms.

They're all close to each other and worth the stop to complete a one-of-kind trip you won't soon forget.

Read the original article on Business Insider