The sun was out and I had a few spare hours today, so I thought I'd run up to the Skagit Valley, an hour or so north of Seattle, to see how the tulips are doing. A few fields are out, just yellow and red for the moment, but more on the way. I popped over to nearby Deception Pass (the narrow channel between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands) which was beautiful as always. Unfortunately I got there at slack tide; when it's at full flood or ebb the current roaring through the channel is downright scary. The Olympics were nice from the beach.

Tulips -

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Deception Pass -

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Beautiful! Your photos are always great, but both the tulip fields and Deception Pass are so beautiful that I don't think one could take a back photo of them

We have spent a lot of time on Whidbey over the years and yes, when the water is really flowing that channel is scary! We have watched so many boats go through there and wonder how they do it at times.

Love the tulips!

Great photos, thanks for posting!

We have tulips here in Oregon. http://www.woodenshoe.com/
DW and I are going next weekend. Tomorrow Dutch Shoe is sponsoring a 5K and 10K race among the tulips.

I just saw these photos. They are indeed beautiful. I can't imagine seeing those tulip fields up close, just spectacular.

Thanks for your help for my Pacific Coast visit.

Here's something for you :

We have a tulip festival in Istanbul, starting early April every year. Tulips are planted everywhere along main roads and at all parks in this almost twenty million people city.

Her are a few links to photographs, including "the world's largest tulip carpet"

http://www.supergezginler.com/wordpr...a-lale-zamani/

http://www.iha.com.tr/haber-iste-dun...halisi-550917/

Beautiful photos, Gardyloo!

Chelebi, I don't know why I am surprised that Istanbul has a tulip festival. Usually tulips are associated with the Netherlands. Enjoyed the photos.

Chelebi, I don't know why I am surprised that Istanbul has a tulip festival.

Tulips come from Turkey; they were cultivated there before they were exported to Holland.

Chelebi, marvelous photos in your links! Thanks!