Bellingham Washington is located on the Northwest coast of Washington state. Samish Bay is nearby and whale watching can be done seasonally. I had never been to the PNW before.
For a birthday weekend trip, Kole took me to see the Pacific Northwest. I also got a new camera, that I have been learning to use. This trip was the first trip I took my new camera on, and I have included some of my first pictures on this camera in the post below. Join me below for our fun weekend in Washington.
Bellingham is located about an hour and a half drive north of Seattle. We flew into Seattle and rented a car to drive up. Of course we had to stop at Pike Place Market in Seattle. I’m a total foodie and love to visit markets everytime we travel.
Pike Place Market – is a fun market filled with vendors selling everything you could think of. We had to try the famous clam chowder at Pike Place Chowder.
You Guys This Place is Delicious! I’m a sucker for good clam chowder. The chowder is creamy and clammy with bits of veggies scattered throughout. The line here can get long, but don’t despair it will move pretty quickly. The trick is to find a spot to eat. There are table nearby, but I imagine they get full pretty quickly. We were lucky and got a table outside for 2. It was November so the hot chowder warmed us through even as we sat outside.
We also stopped for dessert at Le Panier Bakery. I love, love, love fresh bread. The French sure know how to bake. Macrons were on display so I had to get the passion fruit macron. It was divine, I’m a passionfruit junkie. I love all things passionfruit, I’m not even joking. Also the croissants here were super buttery and flaky, a must try at any good French bakery.
Now on to Bellingham, we decided to take the scenic Chuckanut drive along the coast. Stopping along the way to snap a few scenic photos.
I work with a guy who is from this area, so some of the places we visited were recommended by a former local. Bellingham is a small college town in northwestern Washington. It is about 21 miles (34km) south of the Canadian border.
Our first morning in town we decide to sleep in, this is vacation after all! After lazily lounging in the morning we decide to get out and explore.
For lunch we had to go to Taylor Shellfish farms right on Samish Bay. Seating is outdoors on a patio next to the water, tables turn over relatively quickly and we ordered at the counter and found a seat. I chose a locally made kombucha and Kole had a local beer. We ordered several different types of oysters to sample
Ya’ll this place was so fresh. There is nothing like a fresh oyster that’s been pulled from the sea that day. MmmmmMmm. (Fun fact: I ordered oysters for New Years Eve from here and they deliver fresh to your door. I gotta get my seafood fix somehow, living in land locked Utah!)
Next we headed over to Whatcom Falls Park. Which is a large nature park, right in the center of town. There are hiking trails that lead all over the park, and we wanted to get some exercise in.
Also you can’t, in my opinion, visit the Pacific Northwest without doing at least one hike outdoors.
Not far from the entrance to the park is this gorgeous waterfall. Kole and I spent some time here practicing using my new camera, getting fun shots and just messing around. As we headed up the main trail that winds along the stream leading to the falls, we spotted a deer across the stream. So we had to stop and try to get some pictures of it.
As were standing there taking photos, 3 freaking deer crashed down the hill behind us and into the river. I’m talking like 2 feet from where we were standing! It scared the **** out of us.
Kole got some good pitures of the larger male who landed right next to him on the stream bank. While I was struggling to get the lens cap off my camera. The large male was followed by a smaller male and a female. How cool is that?
After our adventure in the park we decided to head back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We tried a local southern food restaurant that had good ratings, but were kind of dissapointed by the service and food. So I won’t link them in this blog.
I only link what I love on this blog, and because I don’t want to steer anyone wrong, ya know?
After dinner we went to a dog show (not that kind of dog show) at a local theatre. Basically it was performing dogs on-stage doing jumps and tricks. It was super cute, and family friendly. Mount Baker theater has local shows and events, so check them out if you are visiting the area.
The next morning was gray and rainy, so we walked along the coast for a bit and grabbed a coffee at a local coffee stand. I can’t remember the name of the place, sorry!
Because it was steadily drizzling out, we decided to just walk around downtown Bellingham. Stopping in a local bookshop to look around and duck out of the rain. I wound up buying a photography lesson book, to supplement my new hobby.
by this time we were getting hungry and so we decided to try The Black Cat. Wow! you guys, the clam chowder was some of the best I’ve had. As we were each finishing up our light lunch of chowder, we were brought a plate of fish and chips to try. I guess someone had made a mistake and made an extra order of food. Not wanting to waste it they offered it to us. OMG. The. Best. Fish and Chips outside of London. Seriously check this place out if you are in Bellingham. They serve lunch and dinner, and have a late night menu as well. There are beers on tap, and a weekend brunch. You might need to make reservations for dinner. check out their website above for reservation information.
Our last stop before flying home was at a local spa. I know, I know, how did I get Kole into a spa??? Well this was my birthday trip, so he was obliged 🙂
We went to the spa because if offers float pods. If you have never tried a float pod you are missing out. Basically you strip down to nothing (or a swimsuit) and float in a pod full of salt water. Because of the amount of salt used, you will natually float without having to make an effort to. There are usually speakers with nice music you can play, or you can float in silence. The water is warm and it is nice and dim in the room. Afterwards there is a shower to rinse off.
Floating is such a nice and relaxing experience. These types of spas are gaining popularity and so a quick google search will usually yield a spa near you that offers float pods. I would totally recommend this for a fun bridal shower activity, or a nice mother’s day gift. hint hint Kole 🙂
All in all I really enjoyed my weekend getaway to the PNW. I can’t wait to go back. I have a list of hikes I want to do in Washington in the future. Thanks Bellingham!
Join me for more adventures next time.
Thanks for reading!
leave a comment with your favorite Bellingham spots
Love Becky
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