My ski buddy John Paulson and I crossed the Canadian border back into the USA at the end of winter and the beginning of Spring 2024. We had spent two-plus weeks skiing and enjoying Whistler, an annual pilgrimage to meet the ski Gods in North America’s finest ski mountain. He dropped me off at my cousin Laura’s place in Mount Vernon, 70 miles south of the border, where my car was waiting.

I had planned to spend a few days visiting Mount Vernon, and then either drive to my son’s home
in Columbia Falls, Montana, or take the train there, as I had a season pass to Whitefish
Mountain Resort near Columbia Falls. The year before, I had done just that, wrapping up my ski season at Whitefish. But with bone-on-bone on both well-worn adventure knees, I shelved the Montana trip and decided to stay at Laura’s and explore the fascinating country of Skagit County at her front and back doors. I was not disappointed.

MOUNT VERNON AND LA CONNER

I was happy to see Laura and Rosie, a loving adventurous little Boston Terrier that we share - a
rescue that she found and I first visited at Grants Pass Oregon’s Humane Society. She keeps
Rosie (Autumn Rose) most of the time because of my travels, but I have the pleasure of her company when I enjoy extended stays at my Southern Oregon home.

Mount Vernon is a wonderful small city/large town with a kicked-back attitude, progressive citizens and plenty of amenities.The county seat of Skagit County, Mount Vernon is a middle-class town (population 36,000) where gardens and attractive landscaping are the norm, not the exception. It is also the home of Pacific Northwest Opera (The Marriage of Figaro was performed while I was there), the Littlefield Celtic Center (https://www.celticarts.org/),the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival (https://tulipfestival.org/) and the Skagit Valley Food Co-Op (https://www.skagitfoodcoop.com/), one of the best in the US.

In all directions from Mount Vernon, nature awaits outdoor enthusiasts. One of my favorite haunts driving from Mount Vernon is the quaint, charming town of La Conner, ten miles west through attractive farm country. LaConner sits on the edge of Puget Sound. Its waterfront is home to numerous cafes, art and wine shops, and boutique lodging facilities.

On sunny days, the outdoor cafes facing the waterfront are especially inviting to have great meals, soak in the rays and catch a sunset. LaConner Seafood and Prime Rib is excellent, as is Nell Thorn and The Oyster Thistle Restaurant and Pub. I’m a seafood aficionado, so that is always what I try first when visiting a coastal town/city. Several sailboats and pleasure crafts are moored beside the romantic LaConner boardwalk.

La Conner's greatest claim to fame is 92 year old author Tom Robbins, a LaConner resident since 1970. The eccentric off-beat literary world of Robbins has brought us Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Half Asleep in Frog Pyjamas, Tibetan Peach Pie and Still Life With Woodpeckers, a few among his book-treasure offerings to the world. I’ve walked and driven by his house many times, hoping to catch a glimpse of his mortality. He has not lived a life sequestered away behind locked gates and high walls. Just last year, the community of LaConner honored him with “Tom Robbins King for the Day.” He even showed up, but not in frog pajamas!

Enjoy the farm country between Mount Vernon and LaConner. I’ve driven every road between the two towns and everyone speaks to a slower pace of life. The bucolic countryside is filled with attractive two-story farm houses, old well-kept barns, lovely landscaping and vibrant gardens.

SKAGIT VALLEY TULIP FESTIVAL

Skagit Valley is the Tulip Capital of America with the largest Tulip Festival in America. That is a good
and also a bit of a bad thing. Good because it is a major economic boost to the area, but bad in some ways because of the extra traffic clogging roads that normally are traffic-free. Another disruption includes tourists who fail to abide by no trespassing signs in many of the tulip farmers fields. Four tulip farms are cashing in on the tulip fervor that runs April 1-April 31. The tulip is a symbol of paradise on Earth and thousands of tourists support that as they show up in the fertile Skagit Valley throughout April.

I visited all four of the featured tulip gardens—RoozenGaade, Tulip Town, Garden Rosalyn and Tulip Valley Farms—and treasured each visit. Growing up, and as an adult, I had seen the beautiful tulip gardens of Holland in catalogues, books and magazines. I don’t see how the tulips of Holland could be any more spectacular than those of the Skagit Valley!

RoozenGarde is the largest of the four and by far, has the most attendees. Their formal gardens are a must see, rich with colour and pleasant to the eye design elements. The same can be said of nearby Garden Rosalyn. Tulip Town has a robust variety of blooms, with a barn setting in the background. They also have something that no other place has: wine and beer. Tulip Valley Farms has something no one else has, too: U Pick. You can pick your own bouquet as large or small as you wish. Dogs on leash are allowed in all of the tulip gardens but RoozenGaarden. I enjoyed this especially at Tulip Valley Farms as Rosie was able to join me, and we had a lovely time exploring. I also enjoyed immensely an education in field presentation done by Tulip Valley co-founder and CEO Andrew Miller, a former lawyer turned tulip farmer.

THE ISLANDS

Anacortes is but 15 miles from Mount Vernon. It is a charming port town with great views of Mount Baker and Puget Sound, the Salish Sea. It is also the ferry terminal for adventures to the nearby San Juan Islands. I took several trips to Orcas Island and Friday Harbour on San Juan Island. I also visited Shaw and Lopez Islands. I selected bluebird days for all of the visits. There is ample online website information available for the San Juans. You can take your pet on these fascinating open water voyages. Pay parking is available for walk-ones. One can take their vehicle but it is much more expensive. Senior rate for walk on is $8.95 round trip to any of the islands.

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK AND MOUNT BAKER

This somewhat remote national park is certainly worth one’s time. It is easily accessed from Mount Vernon, travelling north to Highway 20 and then east through Sedro-Wooley and Concrete, and then on to Marblemount. The pass across the Cascade Mountains is closed in the winter. We were there for its April 19th opening, travelling all the way to Winthrop. One travels beside the Skagit River as it changes its suit from extra-large in the flat-lands to small and eventually extra-small as one climbs the Cascades.

The North Cascades have the largest active glaciers in the Lower Forty-Eight, surprising to me as I’ve explored Glacier National Park in Montana several times. Spring melt glacier water was actively flowing in the river during my several visits. Just before Concrete on the left is a sign to Baker Lake. Take it! The fourteen mile journey to the lake is rewarded with some grand views of the statuesque Mount Baker. And traffic is light in April. When travelling in this area, make sure that you stop for coffee and sumptuous bakery items at Concrete’s 5b’s Bakery and Eatery (https://5bsbakery.com/).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Larry Turner is a productive, respected regional, national and international photographer/writer. His work has appeared in countless magazines and books, including Browntrout and Avalanche Publishers' calendars and books, American Heritage, National Geographic Traveler, Travel and Leisure, Sunset and many others. He is the co-author of the book Mount Shasta Reflections, and his photographs have appeared on covers of many books and magazines.  He is an active skier, gardener, fly fisherman,  and adventurer. His greatest love is spending time with his son Steen, Chef de Cuisine of the Cafe Kandahar in Whitefish, Montana. Click for Larry's Facebook page.