Bellingham is a classy waterfront town near the Washington-Canadian border with an walkable downtown district, plenty of walking trails, and an abundance of delicious coffee and food. The drive out to Bellingham from Whidbey or Fidalgo Island goes nearby Bow-Edison, an extremely small town with an even smaller “downtown” that packs in some delicious restaurants. One can also make the drive slightly longer but much more scenic by detouring onto Chuckanut Drive. This twisted, winding road goes along the water and by Larrabee State Park, and the well-known (but we still haven’t tried it) Taylor Shellfish Farms. Basically, there’s a good amount to explore in the Bellingham area. Here’s a broken-down list by location and activity!

Bow-Edison:

• Tweets Cafe
• BreadFarm: delicious bread!! Enough said.

Chuckanut Drive:

• Taylor Shellfish Farms: haven’t eaten here, heard it’s good. We have received many recommendations from friends and family.
• Larrabee State Park: we also haven’t explored this park much but it has entry points right off of Chuckanut Drive.

Bellingham:

• Camber Coffee : Situated in the heart of Bellingham, this modern coffee shop serves up a variety of caffeinated beverages, as well as pastries.
• REI
• Trader Joe’s: The only Trader Joe’s north of Shoreline! That I’m aware of at least.
• Lake Padden Park: This beautiful park includes miles of hiking and biking trails (including our favorite 2.7 mile loop around the lake), paddling and kayaking opportunities, sports fields, picnic benches, and more. The Lake Padden lake loop is one of my favorites up here so far.
• Whatcom Falls Park: A lovely park with plenty of hiking trails, playgrounds, and room to explore. The falls are a short walk from the parking lot but will make you feel like you’re further out in nature.
• 600 Racine Street Trail:

Fairhaven:

• The Filling Station: A delicious burger joint in downtown Fairhaven with great customer service.