Weekend getaway: LaConner and Pelindaba Lavender giveaway

Mark you calendars for the upcoming Skagit Valley Tulip Festival April 1st-30th in LaConner, Washington. This is an event I have attended practically every year of my life and I never grow tired of rows and rows of pretty colors, abandoned barns or that small town feel when you are downtown. One of the easiest ways to determine when to see optimal color is by viewing the bloom map. As the fields come into color the flower icon turns from gray to colored.

In order to view the tulips with the least amount of strangers popping up in your photos I recommend going early in the morning or on a weekday. On the weekends in the middle of the day the fields can be swarming with people. After a morning of looking and photographing flowers make certain to buy a couple bunches of tulips before you leave the fields.

Once you are done at the fields, head downtown for either brunch at Calico Cupboard or lunch at LaConner Brewing Company.

After lunch, browse the little downtown shops and pick up a souvenir or two from the locals. One of my favorite stores to pick up organic, locally made, unique products is Pelindaba Lavender. For those of you who have recently been to our home or had a birthday you may know I am a big fan of their Lavender Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce and Lavender Shortbread cookies . I always make certain to have both on hand for either the unexpected guest or last minute birthday gift.

Here is a little bit about their company:

Pelindaba Lavender is a premier grower of lavender plants, distiller of lavender essential oils and handcrafter of lavender products. On their beautiful farm on San Juan Island, they undertake these activities in accordance with the highest environmental and aesthetic standards. They cultivate all their flowers in their own organically certified fields and extract the essential oils from these flowers in their on site distillery. From these flowers and essential oils, they handcraft a wide range of botanical, culinary, personal care, therapeutic, household and pet care products. This sustainable agriculture enables them to preserve the farmland from further development, protect it from pollution, create employment opportunities for fellow islanders and provide a destination of natural beauty.

Pelindaba Lavender Farm on San Juan Island, image courtesy of Pelindaba

If you would like to read their entire history go here.

Pelindaba Lavender has so graciously decided to give our readers the opportunity to win a decadent Lavender Sugar Scrub. This sugar scrub would be the perfect item to pamper yourself with or give as a gift to your mom for Mother's day.

image courtesy of Pelindaba

Rules of entry:

Check out Pelindaba Lavender website and then come back here to leave a comment on what you like about their company or a product which catches your eye. All entries must be made by midnight Monday, April 1st. A winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, April 2nd.