Fall is here and I’m so happily embracing crisp mornings, fuzzy sweaters, and pumpkin lattes. If you’re looking for the perfect fall day trip from Seattle; look no further than the lovely Skagit Valley. Just an hour north of downtown; the Skagit Valley Harvest Loop has all the pumpkins, autumn leaves and hot apple cider you could want this season! Take the family, take a friend, take a date; this is truly fun for everyone! I recommend the following seven stops in order, but there are more farms and shops along the way!
1.Christianson’s Nursery & Greenhouse: this is a must stop and a place I could have wandered around for hours. Every type of tree, flower, vegetables (including of course all the squash and fall foliages you could imagine) await you at this magical oasis for any gardener.
2. Hedlin Family Farms: A darling roadside stand with pumpkins, flowers and beautiful bouquets; this is a quick cute stop right outside downtown La Conner, where you should have lunch at Nell Thorn.
3. Nell Thorn: I’m absolutely blown away that the quaint town of La Conner has this gem of a restaurant. Everything I ate here was amazing. My favorite was the pan roasted chicken with whipped mashed potatoes and truffle pan sauce (honestly, this is my idea of a perfect meal). Nell Thorn sources almost everything on their menu within a mere 15 miles of their restaurant.
Crispy Polenta 
Fresh Sourdough Bread 
Sockeye Salmon Nicoise
4. La Conner Sips: the perfect place to stop for flight of red wine and warm up! Owner Anna has curated a beautiful collection of both local, regional and European wines and offers several different flight options (I went with the “Juicy Red” flight, but I was also eyeing the sparkling flight!).
5. Gordon Skagit Farms: it doesn’t get much more fall than this, y’all! Pumpkins at literally every turn, a haunted barn, a free corn maze and fall photo ops galore!
6. Tulip Town: Kettle corn to munch, pumpkins as far as the eye can see, hot apple cider, hay rides and a corn maze make this perfect for families (or just 35 year olds like myself).
7. Schuh Farms: Another corn maze and a GIANT you-pick pumpkin patch make for more great fall fun and photo ops!
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