Motorcyle Riding in Washington

We have motorcycle buddies in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Washington.  Everyone always asks us where it is better to go riding.  It is kind of a hard question - for scenery, Washington is the best place we have found.  For weather, sometimes we have to wait a long time between rides.  Maybe it is the waiting that makes us appreciate the Washington rides more.  Today was a stellar day for a ride.

 From our home in Granite Falls, we took Jordan Road, that winds along the river between Granite Falls and Arlington. Hills and pastures and Christmas tree farms line the road on the north, with the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River on the south.

 After breakfast at Island Crossing, we continued toward Silvana, taking a detour to follow the ridge up and over to Marine View Drive.

The view of the Olympics and Puget Sound was quite clear from Marine View Drive.

I wish we had the white fence franchise for the ridge!

I fight buttercups all the time in my garden, but they really are pretty when a whole field of them pops into bloom.  

Between Conway and Mount Vernon, every farm has a view of Mt. Baker.  I couldn't decide if I should concentrate on barn pictures or flower pictures.  There are many picturesque barns, but the flowers are absolutely stunning right now, so I ended up with a lot of flower pictures.

Anyone know what this tree is?  It is just gorgeous.  We asked a woman out walking and she said she thought it was dogwood.  I am certain it isn't dogwood.  The blossoms look like fruit blossoms, but it doesn't have the right shape for an apple tree.

Golden chain?  We saw several of these.

Iris are blooming in a wonderful array of colors.

Scotch broom - love it or hate it - it is the Wisteria of the north.  Very pervasive if allowed to spread, but beautiful to behold.

I can't mention spring flowers in Washington without including the state flower, Rhododendron.  Now blooming white, yellow, pink, orange, purple, red, and lots of combinations of colors.

I had to include one last barn - this unique wood silo in the Skagit Valley.