Bellingham Washington

There is a reason thousands of people flock to Bellingham Washington each year. This jewel of the northwest is located 78 miles north of Seattle, 60 miles south of Vancouver, and rests along the waterfront of Bellingham Bay. The tree-lined streets of the city are threaded with art, music, and culture. The backdrop of the city scene is the great outdoors, which is why many people choose Bellingham as a place to live or visit. There are many interesting destinations within the city providing a unique place to explore.

Bellingham is an experience in its own right, no matter where you go in town or how you get there. The city is home to historic Fairhaven, Chuckanut ridge, Lake Whatcom, Whatcom Community College, and Western Washington University. Transportation into the city includes flights to and from the Bellingham International Airport, the Alaska Ferry Terminal, and the Amtrak Cascade.

Among attractions in Bellingham, the Whatcom Museum of History and Art is a must-see. The museum features exhibits of contemporary art and regional history including 200,000 antique artifacts and photographs. The brick building stands on a bluff overlooking the bay and once served as Bellingham’s original city hall for over four decades. The intriguing architecture stands out against short square buildings and is comparable only to Mount Baker Theater’s tower which faces the museum only a few blocks away. Mount Baker Theater hosts popular concerts and showcases national dance and theater companies.

The Saturday Farmers’ Market draws as many as 10,000 visitors every weekend. The market is a colorful collection of local crafts and fresh produce booths and is situated downtown in the newly constructed Depot Market pavilion. The atmosphere of delicious aromas featured every Saturday provides an opportunity to meet local vendors who offer their talents in agriculture, crafts and culinary art.

From most locations in Bellingham there is one landmark that is strikingly visible. Mount Baker looms over the town beckoning anyone who loves to ski or snowboard. The Mount Baker ski area is located in a volcanic realm between Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker. The base of 3,500 feet creeps up to an elevation of 5089 feet. The ski resort is the proud home to the 1998-1999 world record snowfall of 1140 inches in one season. Plentiful powder days, icy treetops and scenic peaks bring snow addicts from around the world.

Evenings in Bellingham are enough to make most people fall in love with the city. Distant purple mountains line the horizon as the red and orange layered sunset fades into nightfall. Mount Baker often glows pink in backlighting. The bay reaches out towards the overlapping blue silhouettes of the San Juan Islands. The islands are accessible by a short drive to Anacortes and ferryboat ride. The location of the city is ideal. Seattle, Vancouver, Mt. Baker and the San Juan Islands are within a 2-hour drive of city limits. Closer to home destinations are not hard to find, either.

Hiking at Chuckanut Ridge offers views of the San Juan Islands and Clayton Beach is comprised of sandstone rock formations and rare northwest sandy beaches. Other outdoor activities include world class mountain biking on urban Galbraith Mountain, wakeboarding on Lake Whatcom, and sailing on the persistently windy Bellingham Bay.

Some residents boast that Bellingham has it all; the ocean, mountains, culture, history, art, music, lakes, trees, rivers and good people.