Blaine
Crossing the line, beauty-wise...

Getting there...
By car: From Canada, take the first exit immediately after the Peace Arch border crossing. From south on I-5, take the 274, 275 or 276 exit before the border.
By boat: Boaters can clear U.S. Customs at Blaine Harbor. There is plenty of moorage in the harbor or at the Semiahmoo Marina at the mouth of the harbor.

Photo by Karl King

Blaine is either your first stop after entering the U.S.A. or your last stop before crossing into Canada. Either way, it’s worth more than a cursory lookaround. The town has spent much effort on shaking off its border town atmosphere and its time was well-spent.
Peace Portal Drive is the main drag and overlooks the harbor and Semiahmoo Bay. Two new waterside plazas have been constructed, one of which contains a sculpture of two women and a boy looking out to sea for the return of their fishermen. The sculptor is Bob McDermott who is also responsible for the Dirty Dan sculpture in Fairhaven. The piece recognizes the role played by the wives, mothers and daughters of fishermen who were left behind to run the household and worry about the safety of their menfolk. Local residents were the models for the sculpture which was paid for through a public fundraising effort.

The other plaza is used for public events such as open air movie nights or as a venue for performances during the annual jazz festival.

Scattered around town and in Peace Arch State Park are sculptures that have been placed as part of the U.S./Canadian Peace Anniversary Association’s annual International Sculpture Exhibit. Put on every summer, sculptors from around the world participate in this event.

Of course, the biggest public monument around is the Peace Arch Monument, standing on the border between Canada and the U.S. Built to commemorate peaceful relations between Canada and the United States, the Peace Arch was dedicated at a ceremony on September 6, 1921. It is 67 feet tall and is marked with the words, Brethren Dwelling Together in Unity, on the Canadian side, and Children of A Common Mother, on the American side.

Surrounding the arch is Peace Arch Provincial Park to the north and Peace Arch State Park to the south. Its gardens, picnic and photogenic qualities make it a popular stop. Blaine Marine Park, immediately to the west of the state park, is often the first stop of visiting bird watchers. The warm waters of the bay and the fresh water of Cain Creek act as a magnet for migrating birds. There are interpretive signs, life size orca dorsal and fluke sculptures, picnic areas and a walkway that leads down to the pier at the foot of Marine Drive. The pier is used by young children for heart-stopping jumps into the water, for locals throwing crab traps over or those looking for a picturesque sunset. Next to the Pizza Factory on Peace Portal Drive is the visitor center. The helpful and knowledgeable staff can give you information on Blaine, Birch Bay and points north and south.

Beginning May 25 and running every weekend until Labor Day, the historic Plover ferry runs across from Blaine Harbor to the world famous Semiahmoo Resort, site of former salmon canneries. The Plover was a workhorse that used to carry cannery workers back and forth to work. Rides are by donation. Blaine Harbor is a working harbor as well as a very popular recreational marina. The marina holds nearly 700 slips. Fishing boats leave from here to the Washington coast and Alaska while pleasure boaters use it to scoot over to the Gulf and San Juan islands. Boats can clear U.S. Customs from the large guest dock by calling ahead.

Semiahmoo Resort is located on Semiahmoo spit and is home to a four star inn, a number of restaurants and bars and two championship golf courses. Warm beaches, walking and biking paths, tennis courts, marina and chandlery are just a few of the amenities available.

Back in the main part of Blaine, take a walking tour of the historic Salishan neighborhood. A tour booklet is available at the visitor’s center. Walk down Peace Portal Drive and admire the hanging baskets, and the street end ‘parklets’ that provide views of the harbor.

If you can, be in Blaine for the 4th of July. A small-town parade and festival is great fun and the fireworks display is sure to thrill people of all ages.

Don’t miss:
• The U.S./Canadian Peace Anniversary Association’s International sculpture exhibit at Peace Arch State Park.
• Walking the Semiahmoo Spit

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