|
Bellingham
Cool,
encapsulated...
GETTING THERE... By car: Traveling north or south on I-5, take
exits 254 and 255 respectively and head west.

Considered
one of the most livable small cities on the West Coast, Bellingham
appeals to the casual visitor with a range of attractions from
the physical to the cerebral. Hiking, biking, and kayaking seem
to be the outdoor activities of choice but you don’t have
to stop there.
First opened
in 1927, the Mt. Baker Theatre is a beautifully restored old-time
theater. Upcoming shows include John Prine, Hairspray, Linsey
Buckingham (of Fleetwood Mac fame) and The Nylons.
Whatcom
Museum of History and Art has four components. The first is
housed in the old city hall building, built in 1892, and features
contemporary art, Victorian clothing, history exhibits and
the Watch Museum. The second building features Northwest
Indian and Inuit exhibits, as well as logging and settlement
displays. The third exhibit space changes regularly, displaying
art and historical topics. Finally, there is the Whatcom Children’s
Museum – a
hands-on museum for young children with interactive exhibits.
Western
Washington University is situated near Fairhaven. This
beautiful, tree-lined campus is ranked high in national college
ratings of small colleges. Particularly worthwhile for a look-see
is the campus’s world-class outdoor sculpture collection.
On
the west side of Bellingham lies Squalicum Harbor, a
year-round public moorage for more than 1,800 commercial and
private boats. The harbor is home to one of the largest commercial
fishing fleets on the west coast. One of the latest additions
to the harbor facilities is the Hotel Bellwether complex.
The inn
itself is a charming, boutique hotel offering beautiful waterfront
surroundings and personalized service, often lacking in the
big chains. Higher-end shops and galleries add to the complex.
Make sure you take a close look at the architectural elements
that have been designed to evoke the sea.
A bit further
down the road is Marina Square. A busy collection of marine-related
stores and businesses, restaurants and shops, it’s
very pleasant to stroll about on a sunny, or even not-so-sunny,
day. Walk out to Zuanich Point and admire the memorial to
fishermen who have left for sea and never returned.
South
of downtown Bellingham, Fairhaven once was a Northwest
center for maritime trade and commerce. That tradition lives
on– Fairhaven
is the southern terminus of the Alaska ferry as well as
an Amtrak stop on the Vancouver to Seattle to Portland run.
For those wishing to explore the San Juan islands, Victoria/San
Juan Cruises offers sailings in the summer. With
kayakers, grizzled old men with equally grizzled old dogs,
anxious families – this
isn’t the typical ferry journey.
Fairhaven
itself still retains much of its turn-of-the-century
maritime architecture and flavor. Many of the old buildings
with their colorful and intricate stonework have been restored
and trolley tracks still line the streets. Have a coffee at
Tony’s
Coffeehouse; check out the unusual kites at Marine
Park. Surrounding the transportation hub are boatyards, docks and marine fabricators.
Along Harris
Street, visitors can see the historic Sycamore Square Building
housing the Black Cat, or Le Chat Noir, a casual-yet-upscale French restaurant
and favorite among locals here. Two other must-see
stops are the Colophon Cafe and Village Books. The
cafe is nationally-recognized and the bookstore is
one of Washington’s largest independently-owned
bookstores and is the traveling writer circuit
so even if you miss your favorite author’s talk you’ll likely
be able to find an autographed book.
If you’re
really interested in slowing down, visit The Spa at the Chrysalis
Hotel founded by local resident Ellen Shea. They offer all
kinds of services that will give you a fresh outlook on life.
South
of Fairhaven lies Chuckanut Drive, a narrow, winding, madrona-lined
road that skirts along the rocky hills overlooking
the strait of Juan de Fuca. Along the way,
the road passes fine-dining restaurants and
art galleries and there are a number of places
where you can pull over to admire the view
of the northern-most portion of Puget Sound
and the San Juan island archilapego.
Following
Chuckanut south leads to two of Skagit Valley’s
best-kept secrets: the elusive towns of
Bow and Edison. There, one can sample fresh, organic bread
in Edison’s
Breadfarm bakery (the black olive baguette is a must), or pick
up a wedge of organic Samish Bay gouda cheese, or a local pinot
grigio in the adjacent store. You may want to play a game of
pool with a Harley rider in the Longhorn Saloon over a plate
of their famous pan-fried Samish Bay oysters from Blau family
oyster farm just down the road.
Another
popular spot is Clayton Beach in Larrabee State Park. Uncrowded,
it has beautiful sandstone rock formations accessible by hiking
or biking the InterUrban Trail, a 5.5-mile
former railroad route that connects Larrabee
with Fairhaven.
Galbraith
Mountain is a mecca for hard (and not so hard) core mountain
bikers and trail runners. It’s
literally criss-crossed with great trails. Pick up a trail
map at any mountain bike shop.
Don’t
miss:
•
Take a walk on the Taylor Avenue Dock.
•
Put the top down and go for
a drive on the Chuckanut Drive.
|