Day Trip to La Conner, Wash. + Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

We enjoyed a beautiful Sunday in La Conner, Wash.

The tulips bloomed early this year at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, and Darling Husband and I traveled up north the second Sunday of the month to enjoy the gorgeous blooms at Roozengarde.

Because we woke up as early as humanly possible to get to the tulips before the crowds, by the time we were done falling in love with stunning gardens, we needed some lunch.

When researching our tulip trip, I had read about a little town nearby on Puget Sound called La Conner. I pulled up TripAdvisor on my phone to look at food offerings. A couple of waterfront dining options caught my eye, but with my husband and crowds in mind on that sunny day, I selected the La Connery Brewery as our destination. Plus, the reviews were good.

The La Conner Brewery is easy to find. It's not on the waterfront, but the ambience was cool.

Driving the 15 minutes from Roozengarde to La Conner was a snap. I loved the century-old farm houses. A few Victorian gems are tucked away in the valley, too. Milky white snow geese lounge in empty fields.

La Conner itself reminds me of other favorite coastal towns on Whidbey Island like Langley and Coupeville. It has an artsy vibe like Port Townsend, though without as much of the Victorian architecture.

The turqouise buildings and the sea salt in the air reminded me we were on the water.

The La Conner Brewery was PACKED. It was 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday and every table was full except for one by the window. And we timed our arrival perfectly. During our meal in the restaurant there was always a line out the door.

Our beer sampler arrived on a pretty tray. The wheat and seasonal oatmeal stout were our favorites.

Dane and I ordered a beer sampler. It came on a nice tray and the wheat and oatmeal stout were the favorites. Dane ordered the pasta and I had the Neapolitan wood-fired pizza. Food came in a good amount of time and I didn't feel like we were rushed out of there despite the line. Sitting by the window provided excellent people and dog watching.

The restaurant was noisy. Its is family friendly and there were children at every table. At times, I struggled to hear Dane sitting just across from me.

The star of the meal was my perfectly sized pizza. The flavors were fresh, the crust was thicker than usual and tasty. Dane's pasta was a good, stick-to-your-ribs meal for him. If we go back again, we'll both order pizza.

I loved the surprise of a Volunteer Firefighter's Museum in La Conner. I wish it was open so we could take a closer look, but the windows allow a good view.

After our meal, we relieved our ears with a sunny walk through La Conner's downtown. There are cute shops including cooking and clothing shops for an older demographic. We checked out the really neat La Conner Volunteer Firefighters Museum. They have an old pumper used in the San Francisco fire in 1906. It wasn't open for visitors, but the engines and items could be seen from the street through large windows.

When we looked closer, we saw a boardwalk along the water. We walked it the whole length, watching tulip lovers enjoy sunny lunches outside, boats floating in to dock and even a slippery silver seal turning somersaults in the water.

As we made our way back to the car, we poked our heads into Nasty Jack's World Famous Antiques, drawn in by the wacky old memorabilia and Zoltar machine out front. A mix of old and new, Nasty Jack's has a lot of beautiful, overpriced antique furniture like dressers, tables and hall trees. Not being in the market for big pieces of furniture, we hopped in the car to head back home.

We got lured into Nasty Jack's, an antique store, because of the fun pieces out front.

We just did a day trip to see the tulips and dogs are not allowed in the tulip fields, so we left Ralphie at home. If you are bringing your dog to La Conner to stay, this is a solid listing of hotels and bed and breakfasts that are pet-friendly.

Verdict: I recommend you get to the Tulip Festival as early as you can and have lunch in La Conner after. There are plenty of benches for a picnic in the sunshine to enjoy a packed lunch. It will be hard to find a quiet restaurant during the festival, so be prepared. In La Conner, it didn't appear that there was a ton for a young couple to do. But, it would be a good spot for my mom and I to one day do some antiquing and shopping and hang out on the waterfront. This is the best resource of things to do while there if you go for a weekend.