Travel Daydreams: The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington State

I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest around this time last year. The bright green trees, the clouds that floated off the evergreens, mountains and water everywhere made for one dreamy setting. And even though I was only in Seattle for a weekend, I just missed checking out the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which runs throughout April. 

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Felex Liu.


You can look forward to more than 300 acres of gorgeous flowers. Hopefully I'll be able to check out those stunning flower fields with my own eyes one day.  

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Michelle Lee.

So these aren't tulips, but they are beautiful. 

Courtesy of Flickr user Jessica Hall.

Beautiful Places: Seattle's Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum

Move over, Space Needle. If there's just one place you need to visit in the Emerald City, it's actually the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum. Located in the Seattle Center--home of the Needle and Experience Music Project Museum--it's easy to pay a visit when you're by those other attractions. 

The Needle and the fog. You've got to get this shot.

And get ready for one incredible art museum. The space is dedicated to showcasing Tacoma, Washington native Dale Chihuly's whimsical glass creations. If you're aren't familiar with this, change that immediately. Google it and fall in love. At the museum, you'll start with his early work, and it just gets more whimsical from there. I could have literally spent all day photographing and admiring everything. Once you're done with the interior--the glass ceilings (at la The Bellagio) and the other creations, it's time to head outside.

My two favorite spots? The garden that features creations meant to complement the colors of the flowers surrounding each work and the greenhouse decked out with the incredible red and yellow floral sculpture across ceiling. I'm going to the let the images here speak for themselves. 

 All these shots are making me long for spring.

Try to spot the Needle.

If you're searching for a great Seattle art museum, make a point of checking out the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum.