A first-place win for the Sequim Irrigation Festival float at the 75th Tacoma Daffodil Festival parade Saturday wasn’t the ice cream on the cake, it was the cherry, according to Lynn Horton, the royalty "mom" for Sequim’s court. In its initial outing, the float, with its maritime theme of "Discover the Treasure of Sequim," won first place in the category "Other Festival Floats: Communities under 10,000." There were approximately 40 floats in the 150-unit parade.

"It’s always good to get a parade under your belt," Horton said. "It was a beautiful day and it was the first time our royalty was judged. I’m very proud of them – they did a fabulous job."

The Tacoma Daffodil Festival parade, according to its Web site, is the longest traveling parade in the nation at 26.5 miles. Beginning in Tacoma, it travels to Puyallup, Sumner and Orting. Sequim’s float ended its trip at the end of the Puyallup portion with mechanical problems. The next outing of the SS Discovery will be at the Sequim Irrigation Festival on May 10.