HIGHLIGHTS IN BELLINGHAM AND WHATCOM COUNTY
Information and photos courtesy Bellingham/Whatcom
County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mt. Baker/Mt. Baker Highway: Mt. Baker, a 10,778 ft. glacier covered volcano, is the second most active volcanic formation in the Cascade Range (nearby Mt. St. Helens is the first) and a world-record setter for the most annual snowfall. Mt. Baker is consistently rated by national publications as one of the best skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing & hiking havens in the nation.

A trip up the Mt. Baker highway is breathtaking and filled with many sights along the way, including floral gardens, fish hatcheries & farms. Stop at Mt. Baker Vineyards for touring and wine tasting...then make your way to Nooksack Falls and feel the power as the fall plummets 100 feet down before you! Continue up the highway to Mt. Shuksan, the most photographed peak in the world!

Historic Fairhaven: Noted for its colorful 19th century past, which includes an 1880's developer and ex rum-runner named "Dirty Dan." With hopes of being the next Chicago, Fairhaven bustled with hotels, taverns, an opera house, concert garden, restaurants and brothels. Today, several red brick relics of Fairhaven's era survive in the district's six square blocks and are home to a variety of unique restaurants, pubs, art galleries, antique shops, book stores and a newly built boutique hotel. Sidewalk tombstone markers and brass plaques on buildings tell wild tales of Fairhaven's past throughout the town.

Dutch Town Lynden: Located north of Bellingham on Highway 539, Lynden clings passionately to its Dutch roots. Lynden is Washington State's largest Dutch settlements, with approximately 70 percent of its residents of Dutch ancestry, as well as the heart of Whatcom County's farmland. Upon reaching the four-block span of Front Street, known as Dutch Old Town, visitors will think they are in Amsterdam of a century ago. Visitors are greeted by a 72-foot tall working windmill that towers over the street. Inside, it houses a gift shop, restaurant and one wing of the Dutch Village Inn. A canal meanders through the Dutch Village Mall featuring eighteen shops specializing in Dutch lace, wooden shoes, delftware and other imports.Waitresses in Front Street restaurants bustle about in native dress. Menu selections are typically Dutch and Dutch bakeries abound. Reserve at least an hour to tour the Lynden Pioneer Museum with its premier collection of 40 antique buggies and its two-story replica of Lynden at the century's turn. This museum will enthrall all ages.

Chuckanut Drive (Hwy 11): Once the major connecting route between Seattle and Bellingham, Chuckanut Drive is one of the United States most scenic roads. This 20-mile drive hugs the coast and offers spectacular views of the San Juan Islands. Restaurants and galleries dot the roadside. Chuckanut Drive takes you through tunnels of towering trees, farmlands and past Larrabee State Park. Fantastic hiking trails too!

Peace Arch Park, Blaine: Home to the Peace Arch, a crystal white 67-foot symbol of friendly relations between Canada and the United States. The Peace Arch was built in 1921. Thousands of visitors pass through the Arch each year. Peace Arch Park is a beautiful place to "stop and smell" the beautiful flowers, view several unique sculptures or have a picnic while feeling the soft grass beneath your feet.

The Arts~Whatcom Museum & Mt. Baker Theatre: Located in the heart of downtown Bellingham, architecturally striking Whatcom Museum features ongoing and revolving exhibits including contemporary art and artifacts of historical significance. Built in 1892, the Whatcom Museum is housed in what was originally the Bellingham City Hall. Mount Baker Theatre, built in 1927, is a historical showplace, as well, for more than 100 live performances each year, plus movies and community events.

Orca Whales: Whatcom County's proximity to the Georgia Strait affords our vessels quick and easy access to waters inhabited by several pods of orca whales. Visitors can spend the day encountering these enchanting creatures as they break from the water's surface a few yards away. See Minke whales feed in the area, harbor seals warm themselves on rocky outcroppings and Dall's porpoises surfing in ship wakes. Visitors will also see eagles, grebes, loons and blue herons. Several Nature/Whale Watch cruises depart from Bellingham late May- September.

Romantic Lodging Getaways: Bellingham/Whatcom County is home to Washington States only four & five diamond hotel. Resort Semiahmoo is built at the tip of a natural sandspit with water and mountain views. Luxurious guest rooms, outstanding restaurants and fitness center. Experience exceptional golf at their award winning, Arnold Palmer designed golf course. Hotel Bellwether, a $10 million development, is located on the Bellingham, Washington waterfront with breathtaking views of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands to the West and majestic Mt. Baker to the East.

The hotel, which opened September 2000, is designed to be Washington's only five diamond, five star coastal destination with its own marina. This full service property features 68 sleeping rooms, a three story lighthouse suite with a 360-degree observation deck ($599-799 per night) and a private 200 foot dock to allow guests to tie up their boats. The hotel also features a library; Harborside Bistro, a fine dining, view restaurant; The Compass Room, a breakfast/tea room; Sunset Lounge, a piano bar; a seaside rose garden and fitness center. Scheduled to open April 2001 is the Chrysalis Inn & Spa, which will over look beautiful Bellingham Bay and the historic district of Fairhaven. Guests can pamper themselves at the spa or unwind at the wine bar featuring an exceptional collection of fine wines. All of the 43 sleeping rooms have oversized soaking or whirlpool tubs, fire places and water views. Guests are treated to a complimentary gourmet breakfast.

Trail Town USA: Bellingham has been designated as a "Trail Town USA," by the American Hiking Society and the National Park Service. We are one of only 30 cities nationwide and the only city in Washington and Oregon to be so honored. We are a "city of greenways" with twenty-nine miles of pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian trails and more than 600 acres of open space.

Bellingham/Whatcom County is located at the farthest Northwest corner of Washington State, approximately 90 minute north of Seattle and only 20 minutes south of the Canadian Border.

For more information on Bellingham and Whatcom County call Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau at (360) 671-3990.
Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Website: Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Email tourism@bellingham.org
To order a visitors packet call: (800) 487-2032.