Hot Off The Press

The Bellingham/Whatcom County Tourism office holds periodic media tours of our area to show off all the incredible things we’re lucky enough to have right here in our hometown. In July, the Adventure Media Tour resulted in some great coverage of Whatcom County.  Abbie Mood, who is an adventure travel writer based in Orange County, CA, wrote this article in the newly-launched magazine Adventure Insider. Her article is below:

Spotlight: Bellingham, Washington
by Abbie Mood

Bellingham, Washington is a growing city that has been able to keep the smaller town charm while offering some really exciting adventures.  Being in the northwest corner of Washington state between Bellingham Bay and the North Cascades Mountain range makes Bellingham great for both water and mountain adventures.  Bellingham has received awards for everything from best paddling destination (Outside Magazine in August 2006) to 7th best locale for mountain biking (Mountain Bike magazine in June 2001) to being named one of the top adventure cities in the United States by National Geographic Adventure.

On your next (or first!) visit to Bellingham, be sure to head up to Mt. Baker.  A 30-45 minute drive up Mt. Baker highway (Highway 542) from the city of Bellingham will get you to gorgeous hiking or skiing, depending on the season.  When I went towards the end of July, Artist Point had just opened due to the walls of snow along the road and I actually got to do a bit of sledding.  With over 200 miles of trails, there is definitely something for everyone from the beginner to the more advanced hiker.  After a day at Mt. Baker, fill up on some authentic Italian food at Milano’s Restaurant in Glacier, just off of Highway 542, or grab a beer at North Fork Brewery, also just off Highway 542.  The North Fork Brewery, also known as a beer shrine and Wedding Chapel, makes hand-crafted British ales served directly to the tap room from serving tanks.

If you forgot your bicycle or ski gear, head over to Fairhaven Bike & Ski.  In addition to renting equipment, the store is also a great place to jump onto the Interurban Trail into Downtown Bellingham or over to the Larrabee State Park.  Looking for a great brewery in town?  Besides being voted Best Washington Brewery and Best IPA in the Northwest by Northwest Brewing News, at Boundary Bay Brewery you can find live music, community events, and a great local crowd outside in the beer garden.

It’s not just hiking, skiing, and biking, you can also find kayaking, sailing, and even whale watching within miles of Bellingham city limits.  With so many year round activities,it’s easy to see why Bellingham is one of the best adventure locations in the United States.

as published in:  Adventure Insider Magazine • September 2010 (download the full PDF here!)

Will Travel to Bellingham for Beer!

Seattle Beer Week is kicking off on May 13th and we’re pretty sure there’s gonna be lots of brew hounds hot on the trail of craft beer!  So, if you’re looking for a little beer trip beyond the ordinary, come check out Bellingham’s local craft beer scene! Just 85 miles north of Seattle and a mere hour south of Vancouver, B.C., Bellingham is known for our friendly people, authentic communities, cultural attractions and a clean environment. There’s something here for everyone: adventure, relaxation, mountains, forests, bays, boating, hiking, biking, cycling, shopping, dining, art, culture and more!  Not to mention beer!

Beer has been brewed commercially in Bellingham since before the city officially incorporated in 1903.  Prohibition put an end to all the brewery shenanigans in the late 20’s, though, until Ed Bennett (owner of Boundary Bay Brewery) came to the rescue in 1995!  He opened Boundary Bay Brewery in a restored historic warehouse in downtown Bellingham and has never looked back!  Since then, our beer has gone on to win over 70 awards at regional, national and international levels, we’ve been voted the Best Brewery in Washington (Readers Choice Poll, Northwest Brewing News) for the last two years and named 2009 Small Business of the Year by the Whatcom/Bellingham Chamber of Commerce.  We’ve even been the largest selling brewpub in the nation for 2007 and 2008 (numbers not available for 2009 yet).  And if all that isn’t enough to sweet talk you into ditching Seattle for the day (or longer!!) you can check out these other great beer spots while you’re here:

Located just a block away from Boundary Bay,  The Honey Moon serves locally made wine, cider and mead.  Or head in the other direction another couple of blocks and find yourself at the North Corner Brewing Supply Store or Chuckanut Brewery.  And if you’re up for a little adventure a bit further from town, hop back into the car to head to the mountains to check out North Fork Brewery and their Beer Shrine or to the waterfront for Anacortes Brewery and Rockfish Grill.

So, now that we’ve talked you in to it…how do you get here?  Well that’s easy!  You can hop on the train right in downtown Seattle for beautiful scenery and a relaxing commute for under $30.  You can even put your bike right onto the train (for an extra $5) and explore Bellingham like the locals do!  Amtrak trains depart for Bellingham at 7:40 am and get you up here before 10 am!  Or if 7:40 in the morning just sounds too darn early for you, you can catch the bus for about $20 bucks (still through Amtrak!) at 12:20pm and get up to Bellingham by about 2:30.

If you’d rather drive, we definitely recommend Chuckanut Drive (Route 11)…a beautiful and slow paced alternative to I-5!  Going North, the exit is just north of Burlington and marked on exit sign #231. Chuckanut Drive takes you through gorgeous farmlands, in and out of the towns of Allen & Bow, with some of the area’s best restaurants, bed & breakfasts and antique & art galleries. The Drive continues along the rock shoulder of the Chuckanut Mountains and from here you overlook the San Juan Islands from any of the many viewpoints along the way. There are also many spots for picnics or just getting out and stretching your legs. Try one of the many hikes, either to lakes on Chuckanut & Blanchard Mountains or to the beaches at Larrabee Park or Teddy Bear Cove. The Drive continues all the way to the 1880’s brick town of Fairhaven, now a suburb of Bellingham. From the North you can do it in reverse by taking the Fairhaven Pkwy exit #250 at the south end of Bellingham.