Tag: Mt. Vernon

The Tulips Of Skagit Are In Full Glory Now – Plan Ahead

Carl Setzer
Skagit tulips are in full bloom

Tulip traffic was pretty brutal last weekend. I saw back ups starting in Lynnwood. I don’t know how far the congestion went, often it opens up some north of Marysville/Arlington.

Anyway, I was hoping that the Easter holiday was a large contributor, but the good folks at WA DOT aren’t so sure. They’re predicting even heavier traffic volumes the next few weekends, as the flowers are now in solid bloom. Not sure how lovely the weather will be, but this is western Washington and you can’t let a little rain hinder your fun.

Below are some notes from the WS DOT. I particularly recommend the SR 20 option. If you’re not heading for the tulips, you might even head over to 9, though if that’s backed up, you’re kinda stuck.

A Skagit pro-tip: check out Calico Cupboard, one of my favorite restaurants up there. Besides the Mt. Vernon one, there’s one in La Conner, too (a nice little junket away from the fields, still quite close, though). And if you need some caffeination, let me recommend Woods Coffee. They’re a chain out of Whatcom county, and I’ve been to several of their Bellingham stores and am fond of them. The Mt. Vernon store’s parking lot is a little quirky, so be forewarned.

If you’re not heading to the tulips, here are some other opportunities in the north Puget Sound region.

I hope your weekend is refreshing and wonderful.

Traffic was rough in and out of Skagit County this weekend and I’d expect it to be worse the next couple of weekends as tulip fields are in full bloom.

Here’s what to know:

  • Consider getting to the fields and gardens before the gates officially swing open to beat I-5 traffic in and out of the area.
    • Both Tulip Festival gardens open at 9 a.m.
  • SR 20 is a good alternate into the tulip fields but consider going backroads to get out.
    • Know that once you hit county roads around the fields, there will be congestion and even deputies directing traffic at some intersections. It doesn’t matter the time.
  • There aren’t many restrooms available out on the county roads if you’re doing a driving tour. Consider stopping at one of the WSDOT Safety Rest Areas along I-5 before checking out the flowers.

In my opinion, visiting Skagit Valley this time of year is totally worth it. Just know that even if you plan ahead and have alternate routes – you are going to experience some congestion. Plan ahead by having snacks and activities in the car to keep everyone relaxed before and after your visit.

The 2017 Skagit Tulip Festival Is In Full Bloom

Carl Setzer

For those of us who deal with life north of Puget Sound, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is on. That means extra volumes of traffic around Mt. Vernon and the surrounding south Skagit County Communities (La Conner and Conway, I feel your pain…).

Here’s some guidance, straight from the experts at WA Department of Transportation, to help minimize the aggravations increased traffic causes.

 

Tulip Watch 2017 & we’ve got blooms!

We’re about halfway through this year’s Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, and the tulips are finally here. According to the Festival, more tulips are blooming each day! With the weather on tap to be decent this weekend, this might be as good a time as any to head up to Skagit County.

Now that color is popping, expect the roads to be busy:

  • Come early, before 10 a.m. on the weekends (especially sunny ones) to avoid backup.
  • Consider SR 20 instead of the exit direction into Mount Vernon city streets.
  • SR 9 is another northbound alternate into Skagit County.
  • Remember these tulip fields are along 2 lane county highways and when you’re out there:
    • keep moving
    • don’t stop in the road (including parking over the white line)
    • obey no parking signs
    • don’t block driveways
    • be cautious if walking/taking pictures along the road
  • Consider stopping at a WSDOT safety rest area to use the restroom before you hit the fields.

Tulip Festival : Glory of Skagit County

Carl Setzer

Ah, the wonderful Tulip Festival, where the back-roads of Skagit valley become near-parking lots for several weeks. It is, though, beautiful and one of the most photogenic scenes that Western Washington has to offer (at least in the mud season otherwise known as spring).

MyNortwest.com has a nice article about the festival, well worth the few minutes of your time to read.  And here’s the main site for all the festival details.

One of my favorite elements of the festival are they’re frame-worthy posters. Below is the 2014 Tulip Festival Poster

A Wild Day In The Skagit River Valley

Carl Setzer2 Comments

While I’m getting my son dinner ready, I see a tweet from a reporter friend stating the I5 bridge crossing the Skagit River has collapsed.

 

This image comes through Twitter, and I know this will be bad.

via @Gina_SVH

I’ve crossed this hundreds of times, know it well, and understand the impact this will have. Of course, that alarms me and captivates me.

I’ve engaged with breaking news on Twitter before, but this one has a greater sense of urgency, of connection than before. I engaged, mostly, on this Twitter feed, #I5BridgeCollapse, though there were a few others (most notably #SkagitBridgeCollapse and #Skagit).

As always happens, tons of speculation blast through Twitter. The bridge was “deficient”, reports of reports, bodies seen floating…and, slowly, pieces pull together. By now, we have a good idea of the basics.

Looks like an large truck carrying an oversized load struck the bridge. This is what precipitated the collapse. Lastly, and to me, most importantly, all the people tossed into the river were rescued and are safe.

I commend Gina Cole’s work today over at the Skagit Valley Herald, as well as that of her colleagues Erinn Unger and Lynsi Burton. Great journalistic pros serving our communities.

The next stage of this, though, will be painful. This shuts off the major north/south artery between Canada and Seattle. The routes around this are not designed for this level of traffic flow. We’ll all need to patient as we deal with that mess.

Now, it being a long and draining day, I’m going to turn off my electronics and head to bed. I’m sure there’s more to come.

Edit: Added Lynsi Burton to the Skagit Valley crew. Wretched oversight on my part.