Tulip Tourism Outside Salinas at the Earthbound Farm Stand in Carmel Valley, California by Ruth Paget
While scrolling through my TikTok feed, I saw some posts about the You Pick Tulip Days at Earthbound Farm Stand in Carmel Valley, California.
My husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I all thought this would be a nice family outing for the weekend and set out on a warm Sunday morning for Earthbound Farm Stand.
I have put together a blog round up about tulip tourism for bouquet gatherers wanting more information.
Earthbound Farm Stand’s Instagram has the best souvenir photo of tulip days, which I have provided a link for below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUWFm4PD_ny/
Earthbound was packed with diners when we arrived at 9:30 am. People wanted their coffee and baked goods before heading out to snip their bouquets. We would pick up some food after visiting the tulip garden.
Earthbound Farm Stand naturally offers some great organic salads on its menu, which I have provided a link to below:
https://www.earthboundfarm.com/recipe-category/mains/
Tulips are most commonly viewed as a cultivated flower from the Netherlands. However, they are a wild plant that originally grew in the mountains of Central Asia. The Turks cultivated the tulip before it was introduced to Europe in the 16th century. At one time, tulips even became part of a speculation frenzy called tulipomania.
The following blogs go into more detail on the history and cultivation of tulips:
*Tulip origins – Amsterdam Tulip Museum
https://amsterdamtulipmuseum.com/blogs/tulip-facts/where-did-tulips-originate
*Tulip history and cultivation
*Tulipomania – fact https://www.history.com/articles/tulip-mania-financial-crash-holland
The tulip season is approaching its end in mid-March, so you might want to call and make sure they are still blooming at the Earthbound Farm Stand. 15 tulips currently cost $35. The tulip field is open 9 am to 3 pm from Wednesday to Sunday.
After photographing tulips and visiting the tulip field, Florence bought a turkey club sandwich and a greeting card with a line drawing of the Earthbound Farm Stand by Margaret Schaller.
I like it that Salinas and Monterey County have no shortage of flowers like tulips or artists.
Note: I grew up in Michigan, which honors Dutch culture, especially tulips, in its town of Holland, whose website follows:
https://www.holland.org/things-to-do/dutch-experiences/
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games
