Once known for outlet malls and Trader Joe’s, this Vancouver border town is channeling Portlandia of late, thanks to a dozen craft breweries, college-town energy and an earnest embrace of Washington state’s legalized marijuana status. There’s a corner booth I covet at the Old Town Cafe in downtown Bellingham. Over a mushroom omelette, home fries and a biscuit (thank you, America, for biscuits), you gain an appreciation for our neighbors just over the border. Most look dressed to take a quick loop of Lake Padden Park post-brunch, some are down for the weekend visiting their kids at Western Washington University, and nearly all lack the pretension of bigger cities: it’s a ponytails-and-fleece crowd. Read full story here: Weekend Getaways - where to eat, play and stay in Bellingham
