The Pacific Northwest is definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth. Fortunately, I get to live here. Unfortunately, I often take it for granted. But every once in a while I make an effort to play tourist in my own backyard.

This past weekend I took three friends with me to Lake Whatcom, WA for a girls weekend. We rented the bottom floor of a gorgeous lakeside mansion with a view that took our breath away. We spent our time mostly relaxing (like in our private hot tub) with a bit of sightseeing to mix it up. Our vacation was a mere hour’s drive across the Canadian border but it felt like we really got away. We were also conveniently located near the historic town of Mt. Vernon where every April they host the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which is surely not to be missed. Our touring took us to RoozenGarde, which boasts 1000+ acres of tulip, daffodil, and iris fields. The manicured gardens even came complete with an authentic Dutch windmill, which definitely brought back memories of my time in Holland. If the weather cooperates like it did for us and you get there early in the day to avoid the crowds, then you are sure to bring home a camera full of photographs that are 100% grandmother approved.

We had such a fabulous time that we’ve already talked about making it an annual tradition.