Northwest Living | Bellingham Real Estate Market

 Fall has finally arrived here in the Northwest, one of my favorite times of the year.  There are so many things to do here in Whatcom County even as our warm weather slowly slips away. 

In writing this post I was thinking of putting together a to do list of things my family and I enjoy doing during the fall and see if we could work some of them into our schedule.  Then I realized that if someone were to travel to our beautiful area of the country during this time, maybe they would like to know what locals enjoy doing as well.  So here is a list of just some of the things one could also do while visiting our Northwest corner of Washington state:

1. Harvest time is a great way to visit one of our local farms and buy some fresh apples, pears, pumkins, squash, sweet corn, and many more vegetables fresh off the farm. Try this link for a list of local farms that sell their fruit, vegetables, jams and nuts at their farm stands - Whatcom County harvest time.  Another great source for local fruits and vegetables would be for one to visit the Bellingham Farmers Market located downtown. Lynden, WA has their annual Lynden Harvest Festival October 18 & 19, 2007.
2. Visit Mt. Baker and the beautiful drive along Mt. Baker Highway.  During the month of October one can enjoy all the autumn colors that fills the trees. The road travels along the Nooksack River at several points and on many occassions in September, thru November you might be able to see schools of salmon make their way up the river to spawn. Check the weather reports for Mt. Baker snow reports if you plan to travel farther up the mountain.  However, if your planning to go skiing or boarding, enjoy Mt. Baker Skiing because its one of the best ski areas in the Northwest.
3. Tour Western Washington University campus. The fall brings the arrival of  12,000 WWU students and the campus comes to life in activity. Once you find some parking, tour some of the architecture and art that covers this gorgeous campus and find out why its rated as one of the best universities on the west coast.
4. Take in live theatre at the Bellingham Theatre Guild. The fall is usually when things start to get busy at the Guild, so go check out their web site and take a show in. Mount Baker Theatre would be well worth checking out as well. Before the show try dinner downtown or nearby on the water front at one of the fine restraunts.  The Downtown Bellingham web site can help you on dining and shopping.
5. Visit Historic Fairhaven and all that it has to offer. So much has happened over the last ten years that if you had visited then and now, there would be a noticeable difference. The skyline has changed thats for sure, with a lot of buildiing going on in the District.
6. Walk around Lake Padden or hike one of the several trails that line Bellingham including the interurban trail, Whatcom Falls trail system, and more at Bellingham walking trails. Fall time is a great time to hike and take in all the wonderful colors of the fall in this beautiful area we call home.
7. Lynden Craft and Antique Show is held every fall during the month of October.  The event is held at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden, Washington and will be going on from October 18, 19, & 20, 2007.
8. Whatcom Artist Studio Tour will be held from Oct. 6 to Oct. 14, 2007.  52 artists participate in the 13th annual Whatcom Artist Studio Tour. They open their studios to the public for two weekends. The tour is a perfect venue to shop for fine art and craft, and see artists at work.
9. Try the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra which is celebrating 32 years of harmony with Whatcom county.
10. Lighted Christmas Parade and Sinterklaas, the patron saint of the Dutch, welcomes in the holidays each year as he enters Lynden at 1 pm atop his white horse, accompanied by his helper, Zwarte Piet, and Lynden’s Youth Klompen Dancers. Children of all ages are delighted by Sinterklaas’ visit the first Saturday of each December. The highlight of the day is the annual Lighted Christmas Parade at 6 pm.
11. Jingle Bell Run - 20th Annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk in Downtown Bellingham on the corner of Cornwall & York. Two-mile Walk; four-mile Run, held Dec. 8, 2007.
12. Enjoy some fresh sea food at one our local restaurants. Fall is a great time to enjoy fresh salmon, halibut, tuna and of course Northwest clam chowder.  There’s so many restruants to recommend and I really don’t want to leave any out. So, try the following: Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor, Cliff House, D’Anna’s Café Italiano, Harborside Restaurant, The Oyster Bar, and The Keg Restaurant. Here are some links to other Restraunts in the Whatcom County area: Bellingham WA Restaurants, Taste of Whatcom, and Bellingham Restaurants.
13. For even more things to do this fall in Whatcom County visit Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism.
14. Nearby you might want to attend the Leavenworth Octoberfest, the Skagit Valley Farm Tour, and just over the border in British Columbia one could easily put together another list with 50 more things to do. Instead of putting it here, just go to Vancouver, British Columbia Tourism and have fun.

Even though this article is written in the Fall of 2007, any of these ideas can be done in years that follow or at any time of the year for that matter although the festivals will vary. Most of the event items are at or about the same time every fall. What ever you choose to do while visiting our home here in Whatcom County, enjoy yourself and be safe. And although this area is just one little corner of the world it has a wealth of beauty and depth which changes with each season. So enjoy and have a wonderful adventure this autumn!

We also have some nice links to more local information including area towns, Bellingham neighborhoods, shopping, restaurants and much more at the Bellingham WA Homes web site.