For the past couple years, I'd been hearing  many wonderful things and seeing photographs of  this event  called the Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest in Woodburn OR.

I tried to make it there, the year before, but it was already too late in the season.

One of my new year's resolutions, for 2015, was not too miss it again. So  I found them on Facebook to keep up with  updates and events dates. 

One day,  almost as if the universe had already planned a trip for me, they announced the date for the festival that included hot air balloons flying over the Tulip fields.

I felt rewarded because  the date happened to be when I was already planning to be in Portland for a friends annual weekend gathering.  

Which meant all I had to do was get up in the early morning and drive south with my sidekick.

When we got there,  we met with one of the Hot Air balloon pilots and chatted about their travels in the Pacific Northwest for about 30 min. 

They shared how much they loved this annual event and how every spring they looked forward to it.

Sadly we  also found out that they were not going to be able to fly do to the weather conditions.  This slight detail didn't hinder my enthusiasm.

My plan after all was to see the Tulips, get some great photographs and devour some tasty food.

Here are some of my favorite photographs that I took that day. 

Winter is almost over.  I'm already looking forward to making to Woodburn again, to enjoy the festival,

and hopefully see the the hot air balloons float across a blue sky with rows upon rows of colorful Tulips watching.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed being there.