Lynden is a short drive from Bellingham, 2 hours from Seattle and 5 miles from Canada. Yet the moment you arrive, you’re transported to the Netherlands. As Yoda would say, “The Dutch is strong with this one.” The Dutch influence is everywhere: from murals of people wearing Dutch traditional clothing, Dutch colonial buildings on Front […]

North Cascades National Park was the perfect destination for a recent road trip that involved pulling a sporty Airstream Basecamp that I got to take on a three-day test drive. I headed that northeasterly direction—a three-hour drive from Seattle—because it’s home to some of the best wild-ish campgrounds that can easily accommodate a trailer. Gotta love those […]

With many different places to explore along the Canadian border, you should make a trip to Blaine, Washington! Check out this list of border cities and the fun stops along the way, and see what’s fun in Blaine, here. 

Though it doesn’t have any well-known tourist attractions likely to draw people from around the world, Bellingham was one of 14 towns included on Forbes’ recent list of “Coolest towns for your summer vacation,” which it said included “quirky, character-filled small towns that are anything but sleepy.” Read the full story here. 

It’s an ambitious endeavor, as evidenced by the fact that Twin Sisters Brewing recently announced plans to hire 100 people to work at its soon-to-be-open brewery and restaurant in Bellingham. It’s hard to imagine a new brewpub needing to hire that many people right out of the gate. By all indications, this will be more than a […]

Theses article appears in print in the Seattle Magazine June 2018 issue, as part of the “85 Best Outdoor Adventures” cover story – these are the Whatcom County mentions. SITES FOR PRIVACY Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest If you like the convenience of car camping but hate the crowds, blaze your own trail in a “cowboy” campsite in […]

I wake up to a brilliant azure sky, with a fresh scent in the air. Mornings like this are why I adore summer in the city of Bellingham in Whatcom County. The days are warm, but rarely hot, and the late-evening sunsets that come at this northern latitude seem to go on forever. In addition […]

A well-crafted beer should be enjoyed like a carefully poured Jazz Age cocktail – with refinement and ease. Sip back in time with Aslan Depot, Bellingham’s lasted shrine to fermentation. Not one to do things halfway, founder Jack Lamb spent more than a year scouting Craigslist for furniture fitting this 1922 streetcar depot, which he […]

Oh, college. It’s the best four, five, or eight years of your life as you gain the education and social skills necessary to become a functional, contributing member of society in the post-graduate world. While your parents and professors might assume you’re going to college to get a degree, chances are you’re hoping to spend […]

A basket of shiny red Washington-grown apples on the front desk greets me as I step into the lobby of the Inn at Lynden on a cold, rainy afternoon. My eyes travel from the apples to the flickering fireplace, the thick timber beams, and the rough wooden floors, and I feel squarely in the Pacific Northwest. The tall, […]

Sometimes, hotels are attractions! These funky hotels for families aim to please with hip and cool amenities and services, plus a little dose of nostalgia and sophistication. Check out to see where Bellingham’s Heliotrope Hotel placed on this list here. 

If you have trouble agreeing on what activity to do, then Ski to Sea in the race for you. Launched in 1973, Ski to Sea is a multisport relay race (May 27 this year) that brings at an elevation of 7,300 feet at Washington’s Mount Baker ski area in the Cascade Range. Read full story […]

Bellingham/Whatcom County: An area known for its outdoor adventures, Whatcom County offers everything from whale watching to mountain climbing. Bellingham has an exciting microbrew scene and charming waterfront promenade. Semiahmoo Resort offers spa treatments, kayaking and golf; and the Mount Baker Scenic Byway boast wonderous views of mountains, forest and meadows in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie […]

After being involved with a brewery startup that never made it off the ground and working in the industry for years, Josh Smith yielded to the call of self-employment. He approached his parents about opening a brewery on their property, the family farm where he grew up in Blaine, Washington. Everyone was on board with […]

What activities comes to mind when considering a summer day on Bellingham Bay? Paddling, whale watching and sailing are among the more popular options. And if your preferences skew toward happy hour, Bellingham’s slice of the Salish Sea offers several bayside bars and bistros. All told, there are endless ways to play on the bay. […]

Whenever I visit a small town I am always on the lookout for the best places to eat, drink and savor mouth-watering sweets. If you are heading to Lynden, you’ll find there are plenty of ways drink and dine your way around town for it has plenty of restaurants, cafes and bakeries to choose from, as well as, […]

I had my lightbulb moment in college. I was taking a queer theory class, and one day the professor invited two graduate students to talk about a writing space they’d created for LGBTQ kids. I’d noticed this disconnect between my queer friends and my outdoorsy friends, so being 20 years old and thinking I could […]

We tried to hike to Hidden Lake Lookout in the North Cascades one May, but the road was closed due to snow. A few weeks later, my friend Eric and I tried again, driving three hours from Vancouver, B.C., to the trailhead. Our two-wheel­drive Subaru made it up the bumpy old logging road, albeit slowly. […]

Certain destinations are on everyone’s wish lists: New York, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon. And those places belong on those lists. But it’s a big country, and there are so many more places to see—including, increasingly, quirky, character-filled small towns that are anything but sleepy. I asked several high-end travel designers about their favorite rural retreats. […]

Bellingham Beer Week is a 9-day celebration of the city’s beer and brewing scene. This year it runs from April 20th thru April 28th with dozens of events around the city. Find out more about Beer Week and the events on the official website. In recent years Bellingham, Washington has earned a reputation as a great beer town, […]

It feels counterintuitive, but some of the best early-season hiking in the Cascades is to the north of Seattle. The Chuckanut Mountains near Bellingham are the only part of the Cascade Range in Washington that meets the sea. Topping out at 2,300 feet, they usually stay out of the snow zone, and that makes them a perfect […]

Traveling with kids comes with its own set of challenges. Cost shouldn’t be one of them. Vacationing with children can be the best and the hardest thing in the world. The upside? Experiencing new wonders through their eyes. But then there are the meltdowns, the exhaustion, the endless stream of “Are we there yet?” With […]

Talk to folk in Bellingham about the annual Ski to Sea event and the excitement is palpable. Dubbed the original adventure race, this team relay from the Mt. Baker Ski Area to Bellingham Bay comes steeped in history (it had its first run in 1973) and enveloped in beauty. With a stunning course that winds through […]

Sustainability is a buzzword these days, but when Appliance Depot started in 2005 it was one of the early pioneers of the movement. The goal of the Bellingham-based nonprofit is to convert trash to treasure by refurbishing old appliances or, when that’s not possible, to strip their reusable parts and put them back to work. Refurbished […]

What’s better than good food, good wine, good cocktails and good times? The answer is not much. And lucky for those near Bellingham, Washington — the Historic Fairhaven District has two new spots adding to the burgeoning array of food and beverage locales in the hood. Gainsbarre and Swim Club, from local restaurateurs Laura Swift and Tom […]

“It’s a big statement meant to be a big statement,” says Nasty Woman Wines founder Meg Murray of her McMinnville, Oregon, a brand that’s main products have names like Pantsuit Pinot Noir and Boss Lady Bubbles. In November 2016, Murray reclaimed the infamous “nasty woman” insult from the 2016 presidential campaign intending to make a […]

Check out this list featuring various flavors around the Pacific Northwest, and see where Atwood Ales is featured here. 

Living in the Pacific Northwest we are surrounded by the diversity of thick growth forests, expansive deserts and scenic coastlines, and we have the opportunity to make decisions that preserve and honor the sacred land that gives us life. Across the region, sustainably minded beverage processors are taking a holistic approach when it comes to managing […]

The small town of Lynden, Washington makes for an ideal getaway. Founded by Dutch and Scandinavian settlers and surrounded by farm fields with mountain views, its historic downtown has a windmill, unique inns, restaurants, shops, an art center, a museum, and nearby are parks, ice cream shops, and a distillery. This small town most certainly deserves […]

Sea to Sky Rentals announced an expansion of its luxury vacation rental inventory into North Puget Sound and Bellingham, Washington. adding 14 high-end vacation homes located in and around this idyllic waterfront college town and recreation hub. The expansion is the result of a partnership with Bellingham local operator Barbara Browne, founder and owner of One […]

That little corner of the country jammed between California and Canada is something to be seen. The Cascade Mountain Range stands tall with snow-covered peaks, and the coastline is carved by an active Pacific Ocean, leaving sheer cliffs that offer some of the best vistas around. The Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful […]

Former Bridgette Bar chef de cuisine heads to Washington state to work at one of America’s top restaurants Chef Garrett Martin might only be 27, but he certainly has an impressive resume that his peers and plenty of chefs his senior would love to call their own. To date, said resume includes time spent at the once […]

After a long flight or a day of exploring a city, a rest for a coffee may be nice—nay, necessary. We partnered with Resonance earlier this year to bring you some of America’s Best Small Cities, now we are diving into some of the categories that mean the most to you. First up: your caffeine fix. […]

Cheese in the state of Washington has come a long way in the past 13 years. Back in 2005, there were only six cheesemakers toiling away, but today there are more than 70. Whatcom County, just south of the British Columbia border, is home to Four of them, and, if you meet them, you’ll find […]

Spring signals a new season of recreational adventures when art and nature lovers can find the best of both worlds. For an art-filled walk on the wild side, these five Western Washington sculpture parks provide the perfect venue for viewing large-scale collections in natural settings. WWU Campus Sculpture Collection Bellingham, WA westerngallery. wwu.edu Stroll across the […]

Why settle for winter activity when you can do several? For multisport savants, our state has you covered, from skiing to kayaking to surfing. Bellingham: Powder Shots to Paddling North America’s snowiest mountains, epic single-track riding, picture-perfect kayaking waters – Bellingham has is all. “It’s kind of like a triple scoop of ice cream,” said […]

Writer Lauren Kramer had the opportunity to sit down with local Lummi carver, Felix Solomon for an 1889 Magazine feature. Here is her piece about Soloman and the art that he creates using traditional techniques. … The wood pellet was stove was crackling inside Felix Solomon’s new carving studio on Bellingham’s Smokehouse Road, steps from Bellingham Bay. […]

Here are some tasty lamb chop recipes from Washington. One of them is featuring EAT Restaraunt in Bellingham. Check out the recipe for Braised Lamb Shanks from Eric Truglas here. 

Being married can be a lot like running an independent craft brewery — it’s a passionate labor of love that requires time, engagement, strong communication and trust in others. Imagine running a craft brewery with the person you’re married to. In honor of the Valentine’s Day, we ask beer power couples share their advice for […]

Herbs and spices have a long history of garden remedies and their medicinal purposes are well established, but it’s their aromatic and distinctive flavors that truly intrigue and mesmerize us. More than just DIY cure ingredients for the cold and flu season, herbs and spices also bring out the best in cocktails and culinary dishes […]