Recommended Activities

in Whatcom County and the Pacific Northwest

The Ferndale/Bellingham area is a bit isolated because it's bounded on the east by the Cascade mountains with no road through, on the west by Puget Sound leading out to the Pacific, to the south by the Chuckanuts, and to the north by the Canadian border. The towns themselves lie in the flat fertile Fraser river plain. So, it's a bit of a drive to get up into the mountains.

Drive, Walk or Hike, Eat

Here are some fabulous day trips we recommend to get a feel for the area. For walking/hiking, please be prepared and leave no trace.

Chuckanut Drive

Lake Whatcom

Mt Baker (Koma Kulshan)

  • Drive into the mountains up Mt Baker Highway. If you're up for a longer drive, go all the way to the ski resort (bring your winter gear).

  • Walk at the majestic waterfall Nooksack Falls where the river drops 88 feet. It isn't much of a walk from the parking to the falls. If the thought of hiking intimidates you, give the hike below a try! It's easy and worth it even if you turn around after just a short way.

  • Hike The great Mt Baker trails will still be buried in snow in May, and most are an hour or two drive over rough gravel roads in a high clearance vehicle. However, you can get in the midst of the mountains beside a river of glacier melt, surrounded by evergreens and tall ferns, only 500 feet from the state highway. This is level and mostly easy, with a few medium sections once you get a mile in. Horseshoe Bend

  • Eat at Rifugio's Country Italian Cuisine or Grahams

Activities

Places to Stay

  • There are a cluster of decent hotels around the Costco in Bellingham, and plenty of fun Airbnbs in the area.
  • Hotels in Ferndale are not recommended. We also would not recommend the nearby Silver Reef Casino unless you are really into the Casino scene.
  • There are probably wonderful cozy bed and breakfasts in Birch Bay or Blaine, but we haven't tried them.

Seattle

Restaurants in Seattle

Public Transportation in Seattle

Seattle has fabulous public transportation between the light rail and the bus system. Our car usually sits unused all week long while we're in Seattle. Your best bet is probably to buy an inter-agency Orca card at a light rail station and load it with about $20. Easy to add funds at the station kiosks. Update 2/23: Seattle transit agencies have implemented tap-to-pay so a special pay card is no longer needed. You can pay by tapping with a credit card or e-wallet. Each rider needs a separate card. It will automatically handle transfers to minimize fares between the different systems.

Activities in Seattle

  • Seattle Underground Tour "In 1889, the Great Seattle Fire turned the entire downtown business district to ash and ruin. Rather than destroy everything entirely and start again, the new city was rebuilt on top of the old." Bill Seidel's or Beneath the Streets
  • Architectural tours
  • Kayak Tour with Alki or Sea Quest (We haven't gone with these.)
  • University of Washington library is an architectural marvel
  • Experience the diversity of University District

Where to Stay in Seattle

Seattle Catholic Church

More in Whatcom County

Catholic Church

More Restaurants

Shopping

More Walks

More Hikes

Breakfast

Microbreweries

  • Stemma
  • El Sueñito featuring Freeland Tamales
  • Lost Giant Cider
  • Twin Sisters
  • Wander

Serious hiking

Come back in late June through September when the alpine trails have melted out.

  • Heliotrope Ridge
  • Lake Anne
  • Excelcior Ridge
  • Church Mountain
  • Nooksack Cirque

A Longer Scenic Drive

Drive the Cascade Highway , Washington 20, for mountain forests, lakes, and fog, as far as you can go. Stop and walk the Gorge Overlook Trail . The mountain pass to eastern Washington closes during the winter and will probably not be open yet, but possibly. If so, don't miss the Washington Pass Overlook and Rest Area . You can descend onward to the high desert western town of Winthrop and the more artsy Twisp. With a few days, explore the whole Cascasde Loop, curling back south through the Cascade passes to include ferrying between the islands of Puget Sound.

Canada

There is so much to explore here in Whatcom County that we don't frequently cross over the border 15 miles away. British Columbia has a lot to offer too, from White Rock, right over the border, to the city of Vancouver, and onward by ferry to Vancouver Island. People have asked us about visiting Chinatown in Seattle or Vancouver, but for great Dim Sum and other immersion, the community of Richmond, BC (closer than Vancouver), is 54% Chinese, also 7.3% Filipino, and 1.6% Southeast Asian.

Bellingham Extended Stay Activities

  • May 24 -- Ski to Sea a multi-sport relay race starting from the slopes of Mount Baker through various towns, into Bellingham Bay. Cross Country Ski, Downhill Ski/Snowboard, Running, Road Bike, Canoe, Cyclocross Bike and Sea Kayak.
  • May 16 and June 6 -- Bellingham is the home port for many Alaska fishing vessels. Dockside Market
  • May 15 Bellingham Circus Guild Vaudevillingham and May 9 Cascade Juggling Festival

heliotrope