Bellingham is the perfect weekend getaway from Seattle. There are so many things to do in Bellingham and the surrounding area, especially if you love the outdoors. If you’ve followed our road trip story, you may remember that we were heading to Bellingham in April 2019 before the COVID pandemic shut down the country. We finally made the trip up there for a weekend, and it did not disappoint.
Basic Bellingham Info
Bellingham is located just south of the US/Canada border between Vancouver and Seattle. The town has about 80,000 residents and sits right on Bellingham Bay just west of the Northern Cascade mountains. Most days you can see the volcano, Mount Baker, standing tall above the surrounding mountains and when you look the other direction, you’ll see the San Juan Islands.
It’s easy to get around town via bicycle or by foot. If you want to explore the natural beauty surrounding Bellingham, you’ll want to have a car or a boat (depending on which way you are traveling).
There are tons of incredible hotels and rentals to try while in town. If you want something that is closer to downtown AND right on the waterfront, we loved our stay at the Bellwether. You can book using this link to get the best nightly rate. There were beautiful outdoor spaces and the rooms were comfortable and spacious, many have fireplaces and balconies. Plus, they have free bike rentals so we were able to get around without having to drive or walk.
Another great hotel option is the Heliotrope Hotel, a renovated motel with all the necessities. If you are planning to spend very little time in your room and more time enjoying the great outdoors and cool spots around town, this is a more budget-friendly option. Dogs are welcomed, and there is even a dog run on the property.
Things to Do in Bellingham: Our Weekend Itinerary
I will break down how we spent our weekend in Bellingham after doing some research and chatting with friends who had visited. We are planning our next adventure later in the summer to do more hiking in the Mt Baker National Forest area and check more off the PNW Bucket List.
Friday Evening
Once you arrive in town, check into your hotel and drop your belongings and then head out. Seattle can have some brutal traffic, so consider that when you plan your road trip. If it’s possible to get on the road by 2, you should make it in time for happy hour.
Aslan Brewing Company
Aslan Brewing Company had a huge selection of beers and a great food menu. We got a falafel burger and some Mac & Cheese wedges that were phenomenal. We were able to walk from our hotel in under 30 minutes and it’s even closer to the downtown area. All the garage doors open so you can hang inside or outside, but feel like you’re outside.
Try One of the Many Downtown Restaurants
Because we had eaten as Aslan, we just wandered around and looked at all the options to pick out our spots for next time. There is lots of very cool wall art throughout the downtown area so we checked that out. We also had to stop at the Outdoor Adventure store to ask about some trail conditions and see if there was any gear we needed for our hikes the next day.
Mallard Ice Cream
While you can choose from a few different dessert options, there’s nothing better on a summer night that an ice cream cone. Mallard Ice Cream has 28 flavors to choose from, so there’s something for everyone. They even have vegan ice cream. Try one of the rotating flavors like Blazed Butter that has ghost peppers in it or a Lemon Liberation because you never know if it will be there again in the future.
Watch a Late Summer Sunset
West coast sunsets just can’t be beat. Especially in Washington where it doesn’t hit the horizon until after 9 PM. We grabbed a glass of wine and sat on the patio at our hotel overlooking the harbor and watched the sun turn the sky all kinds of different pastel colors.
It came close to our sunset sail in Mexico because we were next to sailboats and the water, but you just can’t quite top actually being out there on the Pacific.
Saturday Morning
Early Morning Hiking at Mt. Baker
We set the alarms for 5:30 and hit the road early. We like to beat the crowds to any popular hiking trails and wanted some of that morning sun. It’s about a 90 minute drive from town to the end of the 542, so plan to get on the road fairly early.
There are many different hikes to enjoy in the Mount Baker Ski Area. The road to Artist Point is only accessible on foot right now, so that’s what we did. There was still some snow covering the road, but nothing we couldn’t traverse with our normal hiking shoes. At the end of summer, the Chain Lakes hike is a favorite.
If you are looking for all-around great shoes, I love these ones and have traveled around the world with them. Justin has been rocking these shoes for the same amount of time. We just bought new pairs of the exact same shoes (just new colors).
Once we got up to the Artist Point parking lot, we did some exploring on different trails. Baker was hiding under the only cloud in the sky, but Mount Shuksan was out and gorgeous. When we returned to the parking lot late morning, it was pretty full, and we met a lot of skiers. One gentleman was getting his “July turns” in because it was his 48th month in a row skiing in the PNW.
Also, you will be in the National Forest so you need to have a pass to park and visit. Get your America the Beautiful pass which will cover all federal parks including National Parks for 12 months. Here is the link to get yours today. If you are searching for all the available hikes, use AllTrails (there’s a free trial for the premium package.)
Waterfall Hopping Along 542
Coming back along the Mt Baker Scenic Highway, you can stop at any or all of the waterfalls along the way. Especially in the early summer, these waterfalls are a must. Nooksack Falls was our favorite because it seems to just disappear because of the view you get (kind of like Devil’s Kettle in Northern Minnesota).
Have a Coffee and Pastry Brunch
Once you’ve done some hiking and done some touristing on the scenic highway, stop at Wake ‘N Bakery in the town of Deming and refill on coffee and one (or two) pastries. They make everything in house and the options are fantastic.
If you’re looking for a full lunch after hiking, stop at North Fork Brewing. They’ve got pizzas and beers on the menu, and it’s just a little further down the road and closer to Bellingham. We put in a take-out order as soon as we got a cell signal, so it was ready to pick up by the time we got there.
Saturday Afternoon/Evening
We got back to the hotel and rinsed off before heading off on the bikes that they provide for guests. It was an awesome perk because they came with helmets and locks so we could enjoy the bikes and not worry about them while hanging out as different places.
Bellingham Farmer’s Market
Every Saturday, one of the best things to do in Bellingham is visit the Farmer’s Market. It’s open from 10 – 2 right downtown. There was a ton of produce and snacks available as well as art, jewelry and vintage clothing to wander through. It’s an indoor/outdoor market and we got there around 1:30 and there was still plenty of items available. There was some great live music too so it’s a great place to just hang out and do some people (and dog) watching.
Brewery Tour
We spent our afternoon in the sunshine tasting beers for around town. Twin Sisters Brewing Company was our first stop with some snacks and a spot in their backyard beer garden. It was such a cool space on a quiet residential street. There was bocce ball courts and firepits and it had a very German beer garden vibe in the back.
Gruff Brewing was our next stop, and had our favorite beers of the day. We tried a few different pale ales and played some trivia games. They had a great collection of board games and cards. The backyard area had some covered picnic tables and some lounge chairs. It was a great spot with cool art and definitely one we will return to when we return to town.
Kulshan Trackside Beer Garden & Art Walls
We finished our day at the Kulshan Trackside Beer Garden. There was a fantastic vegan food truck called Sage Against the Machine (which is there every Saturday) and 20 different taps available. It is located on the site of an old paper mill, and they’ve used the old structures as decorations, and it’s a great use of space. They have a large patch of grass to just hang out and play lawn games or relax.
We left there and made the short ride back to the hotel. We cruised by the incredible murals on Granary Ave. There were at least 20 along this street. We enjoyed a great dessert back at our hotel and went to bed early because it was an early morning and day with a few beers.
Sunday Morning
We got up around 8 AM (which is sadly sleeping in for us) and packed up. Our plan was to take the slow drive back to Seattle, but not wait to get stuck in afternoon traffic. We could have easily spent another entire day just exploring different spots in town, but we have a list going for next time.
Whatcom Falls
Our original plan was to kayak on Whatcom Lake, but we took the easier option and explored the Whatcom Falls Park. There are miles of trails in this city park with a beautiful waterfall as the central feature. It’s a great spot to take a walk any time of day.
Coffee and Wandering Around Fairhaven
Just on the south side of Bellingham, you’ll cruise through historic Fairhaven. We stopped and got coffee along the water and then cruised through the small historic downtown of Fairhaven. You could stay here and have great walkability, just like downtown Bellingham. We passed tons of restaurants and breweries right in this section as well.
Stop at Larabee State Park and Cruise Chuckanut Drive
We took the scenic route home by finally driving along Chuckanut Drive. It’s one of the most popular things to do in Bellingham. Larabee State Park is one of the oldest parks in the state and it has some beautiful waterfront trails.
Washington State Parks require a pass as well, and if you are revisiting more than one, just get the Discover Pass to save money. Here is a link to the pass to order and it’s good for a year.
Make a final late lunch stop at Taylor Shellfish Farms to have some fresh Oysters and cold drinks near the water. It’s located on the south end of Chuckanut and you can easily get back to Interstate 5 from there.
Tell us what we missed on this trip if you’ve been to Bellingham.
We absolutely loved our weekend in Bellingham. It will probably be a seasonal getaway for us thanks to the incredible location between the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades National Park. If you love smaller waterfront cities with mountains in the background (and who doesn’t), add this to your list of places to visit.
Pin this for later:
