fern ridge alpacas

CALL 206-510-0434 or 206-778-9619 or e-mail info@FernRidgeAlpacas.com in advance to make sure someone is there to give you a tour! We didn't call in advance, but we were lucky. When we arrived and parked, Gretchen came out to greet us.TOUR: Gretchen spent a lot of time walking with us through every pasture, letting us feed the alpacas, telling stories, and answering questions about fleece, color (alpacas come in black, white, brown, beige, and shades of grey... 22 different colors!), feeding, quirks, vet care, reproduction, genetics, etc., and why she keeps one llama in each pasture with the alpacas.I had seen alpacas only in photos before and lo-o-oved meeting real ones. They look cute and funny. They are alert, curious (to see if humans have food), and quick. We saw some pairs of males fight a little, up on their back legs or wrapping their long necks around one another's. With us humans, all they did was approach, look for food, and lightly touch (tickle!) only our hands when nibbling food. One or two let me stroke their neck.SHOP: Inside the store-in-a-yurt, we touched sheep wool and thought it was soft. Then we touched alpaca fleece and found it 100 times softer.The yarn bunches for sale were labeled with the names of the alpacas who produced the fleece and their photos! They were available in the alpacas' natural colors (black, white, brown, beige, grey) and in vivid blue, pink, purple, etc. Also beautiful sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves, socks, rugs, toy alpacas, finger puppets...Great tour, fun time, much to learn, and it's free! We didn't need alpaca items or gifts, but we made a donation to thank Gretchen.DIRECTIONSFrom Seattle, drive north on I-5 to Exit 189 onto Highway 526 and follow the signs to the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry to Whidbey Island. Ferry fare for 1 car + 2 people was approx. $13. Ferries leave approximately every 30 minutes and crossing takes 20 minutes.Drive off the ferry, into Clinton, turn left onto Deer Lake Road. Follow it as it curves to the right (with Dan Porter park on the right), then to the left. Then go straight onto Holst Road. Watch for Fern Ridge Alpacas on the left. Drive up the driveway and park near the yurt. Distance from ferry landing to farm is approx. 3 miles.