This Year's Tulips

At the turnoff to Farm to Market Road

Last weekend I got out for my traditional annual Tulip Festival bike ride in Mount Vernon. I drove to the Chuckanut Park & Ride lot in Burlington, meaning to ride Josh Wilson Road toward the tulip fields, but I missed a turn somewhere and ended up going too far north on Hwy. 11. I headed back south on Farm to Market Road, a route I remembered from back in 2014 when I was training for the Red-Bell 100, mostly because of a short-but-steep hill about halfway along. That year I made it halfway up the hill before I had to dismount and walk; this year I managed only about half that far. That's what car-commuting has done to me.

The rest of the ride was flat and easy, though, and car traffic was surprisingly light for a sunny Saturday afternoon, with only minor back-ups at two intersections, and slow traffic on the main street of Old Town Mount Vernon. Drivers were good sports and didn't try to block the bike lane to avoid being passed by cyclists. There were a good number of bicyclists out, too, including many people on ebikes, enjoying the freedom to get out to cruise around in the sun.

The tulip fields aren't as extensive as usual, because many farms lost a lot of bulbs in flooding over the winter. But two of the largest farms had vast fields in bloom, and one smaller new farm had some lovely plantings. Shops and restaurants are re-opening, too, now that pandemic restrictions are easing.

I rode a little more than thirty miles, with a stop for lunch at the Skagit Community Food Co-Op. I'm looking forward to more weekend day-trips, and maybe commuting by bike again, when Bike to Work month comes around in May.