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North Cascades

Historic Bellingham
Courtesy Whatcom Museum/Visit Bellingham

Historic Bellingham

Historic Bellingham

A Dixieland jazz band plays on a street corner as I roll down the hill toward Bellingham's Fairhaven district, its red brick buildings glowing in the morning sun.
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More from the Washington State Visitors' Guide
Historic Bellingham

A Dixieland jazz band plays on a street corner as I roll down the hill toward Bellingham's Fairhaven district, its red brick buildings glowing in the morning sun.

4 Side Trips

Don't Miss

Beauty Full

Vibrant swaths of red, pink, and yellow tulips flood to the horizon ...

From our Archives

Scene Stealer

Chuckanut Drive

Sea Birchin'

ONCE A BURGEONING MIDCENTURY RESORT TOWN nestled on Washingtons northern coast, Birch Bay has quietly receded from the limelight like an ebb tide.

Bell Ringer

An hour-by-hour guide to bustling Bellingham

Taster’s Choice

An edible tour of the Skagit Valley

More Dirt

WEDGED BETWEEN Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., this region stretches from Cascades to coast and includes the little city of Bellingham, the diverse Skagit Valley, and a whole lot of latte.

Field and Stream

FEATHERS, FLOWERS, and a sophisticated food scene, all in author Tom Robbins Skagit Valley.

The Wild Life

AN ANCIENT OCEAN FLOOR and sweeping mountain views spread out in front of poet Gary Snyder when he manned a fire lookout on Crater Mountain, high in the North Cascades, in the 1950s.

Northwest Old School

A COLLEGE TOWN with true Northwestflair makes for adventure in Bellingham.

Park It and Play

ITS THE PERFECT introduction to the breathtaking North Cascades:a seven-mile loop trail that starts in an old-growth forest of fir,hemlock, and spruce; traverses meadows resplendent with glacierlilies and Indian paintbrush; circles the sparkling green jewel ofLake Ann; and ascends to Maple Pass (6,600 feet) for stunning views of snowcladGlacier Peak and a 360-degree panorama of the American Alps.

Harvest Home

Washington grows 92 percent of thenations red raspberries, and most ofthem come from this area. With theSalish Sea to the west and the CascadeMountains to the east, the region providesa distinctly Northwest bounty.

Indie Darling

From the Chuckanut foothills to the bay,Bellingham is popular with outdoorenthusiasts. But this medium-size collegetown is also bursting with indie cultureofferings that rival those of big cities.

Great Outdoors

NICKNAMED THE AMERICAN ALPS, the North Cascades offer a stunning backdrop for outdoor enthusiasts. Here, youll find magnificent 9,000-foot peaks, glistening glaciers, sea-green lakes, and rolling hills eventually giving way to peaceful farmland.