Beautiful Bellingham

Drive almost to the northern most portion of Interstate-5 and you arrive in Bellingham, Washington 17 miles south of the Canadian border.  The area and its residents-the Coast Salish of the Lummi tribe, were first discovered in 1792 by George Vancouver who named the bay for Sir William Bellingham, the controller of the storekeeper’s account of the Royal Navy.

 

Bellingham’s initial settlement and development began in the mid-1800s following coal mining endeavors started in 1854 and the subsequent discovery of gold in nearby Fraser Canyon in 1858.  In the early 1890s three rail lines arrived further connecting Bellingham to points south and east.  Following the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, the forests surrounding Bellingham were clear-cut to rebuild San Francisco and this led to the establishment of lumber and shingle mills in Bellingham.  The city’s proximity to Alaska’s “Inside Passage” and the Strait of Juan de Fuca also encouraged cannery and shipping activities.  Even though less rain falls here than in Seattle, the town is reported to have the lowest annual amount of sunshine of any U.S. city.  Geography in the area is conducive to drawing frigid air from the north through the Fraser River Canyon during the winter creating snow occasionally while Seattle receives rain.  The town is only 31 miles from Mt. Baker rising to 10,778 feet to the east and the highest in the region.

This lovely college town opens to Bellingham Bay and on the edge of the Strait of Georgia to the north of Puget Sound.  Bellingham is inviting because it has maintained a vibrant downtown-shopping district in what was originally known as Fairhaven, one of the four original towns that combined to create Bellingham in 1903.  Located within brick and stone buildings reflecting construction from an earlier era (early 1900s) delightful shops reflect the individuality of independent purveyors displaying their unique products.  One of my favorites is Penny Ferguson’s shop called “A Lot Of Flowers” selling wonderful creations including flowers, succulents, hand-blown glass balls and a lovely raven sculpture I found intriguing because of my love of birds.  If I could live here, this shop and the book store would be one of my must stops every time I came into town!  Some of the shops have added interior doors between them to allow one to wander from books to kitchenware to olive oil tasting options.  Coffee shops, ice cream vendors and restaurants are prevalent and local artists display their wears in a fabulous pottery store displaying creations of every description.  We had a great lunch at "Dos Padres" here with some of the best Mexican food I have had anywhere from here to California! 

The so called “box stores” located in a mall a short drive further up I-5 in Bellingham round out the other products sought after by citizens and tourists alike.  Bellingham is also popular for Canadian consumers who find the town’s lower prices a temptation that entices them over the border for shopping.  Within a 10 minute drive from any point in Bellingham, just about anything you are looking for can be obtained according to my brother.  My soon to be sister-in-law works in a Lens Crafters store at the mall and we stopped by to say hello to her while we were there giving my brother (the perpetual tease) an opportunity to make her laugh while we looked on in admiration of the impending bride and groom.

My brother is an avid gardener who proudly showed us everything he has accomplished since my visit here a year ago.  We share the love of gardening and I am reminded of my B&B and subsequent home in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island where I too loved to get my fingers into the soil.  I never tired of “playing” in the yard-truly a most wonderful way to forget your cares, get in touch with nature and be thankful for all the beauty our world has to offer, wherever and however it is presented to us.  I will carry these sights with me as long as I live, forever within my heart and as brushstrokes of color enduring within my memory.