Vacations Blog

Skagit Valley Tulips abound in April

It’s officially Spring in the Northwest. How do I know this? No, it’s not because we passed March 21st on the calendar. Neither is it because of the schizophrenic weather, having snowed in Seattle on April 1st, only to be a sunny 75 degrees less than a week later. No, I can tell it is officially Spring here in the Seattle area because of the beautiful Tulips that begin to pop-up everywhere.

April is Tulip time in the Northwest, and no place celebrates this Northwest rite of Spring like the Skagit Valley. With more than 1000 acres of dazzling colorful flowers spread across the valley like an endless floral quilt, the valley attracts throngs of tourists looking to celebrate the promise of sunnier, happier days in the region.

Tulip Rows in The Skagit Valley

The 26th Annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs now through the end of April and offers multiple tours and events for the whole family to enjoy. These include Motor Coach tours, guided bike tours, Quilt walks, Wine tours, parades, kite demonstrations, salmon barbeque’s, a battle of the bands as well as numerous other fun-filled events.  Follow the link above to the Festival’s official website where you can check out a full listing of events, lodging and dining options, flower maps, as well as plan your itinerary.

The Skagit Valley is conveniently located about an hours drive North of Seattle and an hours drive south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Follow US Interstate 5 North, or South to exits 221-236 where you can pick up tulip brochures at local businesses in the towns of LaConnor, Anacortes, Sedro Wolly, Burlington, or Mount Veron.

Colorful Tapestry welcomes Spring in the Northwest

Planning an overnight stay? Check out the local lodging options. Dining options are numerous but I would be remiss not to recommend stopping by the Skagit River Brewery in Mount Vernon for a tasty wood fired pizza and a cold pint or two straight from the tap. Hey, all that touring will work up a hearty appetite and colorful thirst.

If you end up visiting, have fun and enjoy the beautiful flowers. But, also bring your raincoats. This is Spring in the Northwest after all.

Photos from bellinghamster.com

Seattle is a wonderful place to visit. I tell all my friends from around the globe that if they ever get the chance to travel here, they should jump at the chance…but be sure to travel in the Summer. With plenty of sunshine, gorgeous scenery, low humidity, and temperatures that average in the upper 70’s, Summer in Seattle is what you could call a travel ‘no brainer’. Just show up and you will enjoy yourself.

But, alternatively, say you live here, have young children, it’s January, and the grey, moisture-filled clouds stretch endlessly across the horizon day after day. As a first-time father of an energetic 18-month-old, I’m finding it difficult to fill soggy winter vacation days and weekend afternoons with indoor activities that will keep the little one interested, occupied, and more importantly properly exercised and worn out so my child will give me the gift of a sleeping through the night.

So, when my wife and I find a new place that fills that very description, we are quick to spread the word to our newly formed network of friends with little ones of similar age as our boy. We found just such a place this past weekend – a local children’s museum. The concept of the children’s museum is to give kids a place to go to learn about how the world around them works in a hands-on, interactive environment. As the parent of a very hands-on boy, it is amazingly refreshing to take him to a place with loads of alluring buttons, switches, and lights and not have to say “Don’t touch!” every 30 seconds.

Water table at Hand's On Children's museum

The KidsQuest Children’s Museum is one of five children’s museums in the Seattle area and only the second one we have visited recently with our little guy, but we plan on checking out the others soon enough. So, if you happen to be visiting Seattle with young children during one of Seattle’s world famous rainy days, and need somewhere to take them which will certainly be an affordable and popular choice, then check out one of these great children’s museums. You’ll be happy you did.

KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Bellevue Washington -  ($7.00 General Admission) January features ‘Celebrations around the world’ in which kids can explore different cultures through hands on exhibits.

The Children’s Museum at Seattle Center, Seattle Washington – ($7.50 admission adults and children) Curious George exhibit runs January 24th – May 10th.

Imagine Children’s Museum, Everett Washington -  ($7.00 General Admission) Monthly ‘Play Daze’ Grown-Up and Child Mini Day Camps available for registration.

Hands On Children’s Museum, Olympia Washington -  ($7.95 admission adults and kids over 2; $4.95 Kids 12 – 23 months) Popular ‘Sand in the City’ exhibit every 4th weekend in August.

Children’s Museum of Tacoma, Tacoma Washington – ($6.00 General Admission) Permanent and traveling exhibits and dance classes.

I hate zoos.

I blame it on the fact that my mother adores the cheap entertainment that staring at animals provides and insisted on spending most of my childhood wandering from one animal exhibit to another.  You can only watch monkeys eat bugs off one another so many times before you start to become apathetic towards the miracles of the Animal Kingdom.

But even I, along with my two kids, enjoy the heck out of The Central Florida Zoo.

This is what "enjoying the heck out of the zoo" looks like.

Although I’m certain the Brevard Zoo would argue that they have equal claim to the name, The official Central Florida Zoo is located in Sanford, Florida.  As Google Maps will tell you, it’s located on Highway 17/92 – but the entrance is easy to miss with the small sign and massive overgrowth of roadside vegetation in the area.

The zoo is small.  It doesn’t begin to compare to a larger attraction like the San Diego Zoo.  And maybe that’s why my family enjoys it so much.

You may only spend a couple of hours walking along the clearly marked paths, or your kids could spend the entire day participating in hands on demonstrations and petting live animals that the staff bring out.

Petting a very old turtle at the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford

The zoo is located in Florida, which means the ample shade, air conditioned buildings and water attraction for the kids are especially appreciated in the hot summer months.  (Yes, water attraction.  Let the little ones wear their suits to the zoo!)

Another added feature exclusive to Florida zoos is the massive alligator and crocodile exhibits.  Bring hot dogs!  The crocodile displays are equipped with tubes that you can send food shooting through so that you can watch the animals snap at the airborne meat.

The zoo is open year-round, seven days a week (excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Admission is $10.95 for adults, $6.95 for kids over 2, and FREE for kids under 2.  Which means my family of four can enjoy the Florida weather for less than $30 – including the cups of Cocoa Puffs to feed the lamas in the petting zoo!

Feeding goats cocoa puffs in Sanford, FL

Photos by Britt Reints

Seattle Center, located in the heart of downtown Seattle, hosts nearly 12 million visitors each year to its 74 acre campus. After countless trips to this Seattle tourist Mecca as a kid, a young adult, a married man, and now as the father of an active toddler, I can authoritatively say that Seattle Center is an excellent place to fulfill an entire range of diverse family entertainment needs.

International Fountain

Per its website, the center hosts “63 free and low cost public programs and over 5,000 shows and events annually – and is also home to more than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations.” I have personally taken advantage of several of those activities, ranging from music festivals and concerts to cultural events. My personal favorites include the excellent and free Northwest Folklife Festival held every May, the amazing Bumbershoot music festival held each year over Labor Day Weekend, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s version of The Nutcracker at McCaw Hall (with sets designed by Maurice Sendak, this is definitely something you should be added to your Bucket List).  One of my all-time favorite concerts, an unforgettable 1996 concert by Pearl Jam, was also held at Memorial Stadium in the Seattle Center.

The list of activities and events held at the Seattle Center is far too diverse and numerous to describe in a short blog post but, in addition to those mentioned above, I will briefly list a few of the major attractions that operate year round. Stay tuned to this blog, as some of these will certainly warrant their own more detailed future post. Enjoy, and remember, the next time you are looking for something to do in the city, look first to the Seattle Center.

The Space Needle – This most notable 610’ tall icon of Seattle is located on the Center grounds and features two restaurants, a gift shop and an observation deck with a stunning 360 degree view of the Emerald city as well as the surrounding natural beauty, including Mount Rainier.  It’s also great place for holiday fun! ($16 adults – $8 kids 4-13)

The Pacific Science Center – Two Imax theaters, a tropical butterfly house, five buildings of interactive science exhibit, and a planetarium are only part of the reason my family has a yearly membership to the Science Center. ($11 Adults; $6 kids 3-5; $8 kids 6-12)

Experience Music Project – This Paul Allen funded, Frank O. Gehry designed Museum, by smartly blending interpretative, interactive exhibition with cutting-edge technology, does an impressive job of reflecting the essence of rock ‘n’ roll. My favorite exhibit has to be the permanent exhibit dedicated to the sounds of Seattle music history including Jimi Hendrix and, of course the Grunge era. ($15 General Admission)

The International Fountain – With a large shiny silver dome that shoots water high into the air which is set into a concrete bowl, and with accompanying music, this free attraction is an especially big hit with kids during the warm summer months when they can treat it like a giant sprinkler and run under the mist to cool off.

Seattle Center Monorail

Seattle Center Monorail – Built for the 1962 World Fair, the Monorail departs every 10 minutes from Seattle Center on its 1.5 mile trip to the heart of downtown shopping, Westlake Shopping Center. (Round trip – $4.00 Adults; $1.50 kids 5-12).

Photo credits: Mrs. Flinger, cliff1066

Seattle Space Needle

Photo by Paul Shultz