Northwest Living | Bellingham Real Estate Market

 About a week ago I came across a local web site with a holiday theme, packed with things to do during Christmas and the site is called Simplify Christmas. Go check out what an amazing job researcher and writer Rod Brock has put together for our local Bellingham WA community and beyond.

If your looking for something to do on any of these last Nine days prior to Christmas consider visiting Simplify Christmas. It looks like what ever is going on locally and else where in our Northwest WA region he seems to find it and has done a great job of posting it to his web site.  I would even read back through the blog as well, to find out where some of the good light shows and events are occurring on an on going basis through the month of December.  You might want to save his site for next year’s holiday season as well to get a jump on things to do during the holidays of 2008 and beyond.

 This morning The Good Morning America  show featured the gorgeous town of Leavenworth, Washington as part of it’s segment called “Good Morning America Lights Up The Holidays“. They did a live feed to begin the Good Morning America’s show in New York.

Leavenworth with it’s Bavarian village like town is celebrating the beginning of it’s Christmas time events. They were selected as one of the top 5 spots in the US for for the Christmas celebration.

Good Morning America host Sam Champion was live in Leavenworth.  To do the show though and have it live back in New York most of the people that wanted to be on the show had to arrive at 3am this morning and then taped it from 4am to 6am. the show was live here on the west coast at 7am this morning.

On Wednesday the Good Morning show visited Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for the first town in it’s Morning Holiday series.  From here until Christmas, the Good Morning Show will visit several other towns, but their locations are kept under tight wraps until the morning of the show. So I wonder where Sam is off to next…

Well…there goes my shot at buying a small chalet somewhere in that beautiful Leavenworth valley…(smiling). Actually in all fairness the Leavenworth WA real estate market has seen decent price appreciations over the last few years compared to the rest of Washington State.  Nearby Wenatchee had the highest home price appreciation rate in the nation, jumping 15.7 percent in the past 12 months.  But even with that said, it seems that home prices for Chelan County real estate seem to be pretty decent when compared to the average home prices in Western Washington.

Leavenworth really is a great little town to visit and with the Cascade mountains as a back drop, you really do feel like your in Bavaria.  If your planning to visit the area go to Leavenworth, WA - The Bavarian Village.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group Realtors - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Northwest Living

 The second Monday in October may not mean much to most Americans, beside the fact that Halloween is less than three weeks away. However, Canadians will be wishing family and friends across Canada a happy Thanksgiving.

 Most Canadians view Thanksgiving as a celebration of a successful harvest, which happens a little earlier than in the U.S., hence the earlier date. The biggest difference between Thanksgiving in Canada and in the United States is the time of year it is celebrated. Thanksgiving in Canada is further away from Christmas than it is in the United States. 

In the U.S., it feels like one holiday season. In Canada, they are completely separate.  Canadians also don’t have worry about a big shopping rush the day after Thanksgiving for all the Christmas sales.

A similarity between Thanksgiving in the United States and Thanksgiving in Canada is the type of food that is served.  I really don’t think there is any differences in food since we really come from the same base culture. Canada enjoys turkey, ham, potatoes and the familiar fixings we do in the US.  However, I hear that sweet potatoes and yams are not a very common side dish like they are here in that states. Rather, Canadians eat a lot of brussel sprouts.

Not only is the food similar, but the décor used to add festivity to tables, homes and businesses is much the same as what’s used in the United States.  It’s typically with the beautiful fall colors and theme with the occasional turkey thrown in for good measure.

Post-feasting activities in America often include watching a football game on TV.  Most Americans relax after their thanksgiving meal while watching football games on television. Traditionally, two National Football League teams, the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys, host games on Thanksgiving Day. High viewership of these holiday games has made football an American Thanksgiving tradition.

Since the feast is on the second monday of October every year…there’s probably no football games on. Many Canadians, however, choose to watch hockey rather than football after having their big feast. 

Unlike the United States’ traditional fourth Thursday in November, Canada celebrates its Thanksgiving holiday on the second Monday in October. According to the Web site Canadian Thanksgiving, the first Canadian Thanksgiving, as a country, was celebrated on April 15, 1872 in thanks for the recovery of the future King Edward VII from a serious illness. The next Thanksgiving wasn’t held until 1879.

Over the next 70 plus years, Canada had a difficult time deciding on an exact date Thanksgiving should be held. On Jan. 31, 1957, Parliament issued a proclamation to permanently fix the second Monday in October as “a day of general Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”

If one were to go even farther back though the web site made this interesting reference:  The history of Thanksgiving in Canada is related to Martin Frobisher, who was an English navigator. He made a lot of efforts to find a northern passage to the Orient. Though he did not succeed in his efforts but he was able to establish a settlement in Northern America. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now known as Newfoundland, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. This is considered the first Canadian Thanksgiving. Martin Frobisher was later knighted and an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada was named as ‘ Frobisher Bay‘ after him. When other settlers arrived here they continued this ceremony of giving thanks.

In finishing…I’m looking at my calender for this date and it just happens to be Columbus Day here in America.  Hmmmm…maybe our good friends to the north do have this thing right after all.  Happy Thanksgiving Canada.

For all of our Canadian friends contact Jerry for your Bellingham real estate needs.

Washington state’s wine industry has exploded in the past two decades, from fewer than 20 wineries in 1981 to more than 360 today. Washington is home to more than 30,000 acres of wine grapes, and the industry is worth close to $3 billion to the state’s economy.

Pockets of the state have thrived on the growing industry, with fine restaurants, inns and brick-lined streets accompanying dozens of wineries. Many wineries have summer concert series or wine festivals to draw both music and wine lovers to their region.

Evening Magazine lists several great Washington wineries in its Back Roads page. 

The following is a list of more Washington State Winery:

• Washington Wine Country
• Wines Northwest - Gateway to the Pacific Northwest Wine country wines and wineries of OR, WA, Id and BC.
• Wine Yakima Valley - Washington’s premium wine region.
• Washington wines quick facts
• Washington Wine Commission
• Go Taste Washington Wines

If your looking for wineries for the Northwest corner of Washington State you’ll find the information below very useful for your wine tours.

Up here in Whatcom County we have a few local wineries producing some nice quality wine as well.  Try these for starters: Dakota Creek Winery, Samson Estate Wineries, and Mt. Baker Vineyards.  Goto this link with Taste of Whatcom for more Whatcom County Wineries.

Skagit County features Pasek Cellars, Carpenter Creek Winery, Challenger Ridge Vineyards, Eagle Haven Winery, Tulip Valley Vineyards, Glacier Peak Winery, Compass Wines, and Chuckanut Ridge Wine Co.  A great place to stay while touring the wineries of Skagit County would be to stay in beautiful LaConner, WA and then tour from there.  One of my favorite places in LaConner is a bed & breakfast called The Heron’s Nest.

When visiting Island County, WA here are some wineries Whidbey Island Winery, Blooms Winery, and Greenbank Farms on Whidbey Island.  While touring Whidbey Island look up The Country Cottage of Langley for a nice bed & breakfast stay on beautiful Whidbey Island.  That gorgeous photo to the right was featured on the Country Cottage web site. While your on their web site check out the list of 20 things to do on Whidbey Island and an additional 20 great links called Whidbey Island attractions.

Don’t forget that Camano Island, as well as Whidbey Island make up the county of Island County.  Good place to start touring these islands would be with Whidbey and Camano Island Tourism site for all the links you’ll ever imagine.  For all your Whidbey Island real estate needs contact Paullete Hill, Tara Properties, Coldwell Banker, in Freeland, WA.  She’s a great resource for information in the South Whidbey Island area, especially in the Freeland, Coupeville and Langley, WA areas.

This list of wineries would not be complete without naming some vineyards located in the beautiful areas of San Juan County.  San Juan Vineyards is the only commercial vineyard and winery on San Juan island. Started in 1996, had first harvest October 2000. They also have a great gift shop. Located on Roche Harbor Road.  Lopez Island features Lopez Island Vineyards, with their grapes grown organically on the estate vineyards.

Well enjoy your tours of the wine country and be safe in your travels here in the beautiful Northwest.  Here’s the advertisement part: Remember to visit our real estate site for all your Whatom County real estate needs here in the fourth corner of Washington state by visiting Northwest real estate.

 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.

  November 2006 has landed Western Washington a brand new all time record of percipitation.  The new total of 15.63 inches beats the old record of 15.33 inches recorded during the month of December 1933.  With all the rain, the month started out with most rivers in Western Washington experiencing flooding and the month ended with as much as two feet of snow in the Bellingham, WA area.  Did I forget to mention the wind…we peaked out at around 85 miles per hour with sustained winds of 5o+ for several days.  The last two nights the temperatures dipped to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and -15 degrees with the wind chill….brrrrrrr.

I was born and raised in Western Washington and by now conditioned and prepared for what November usually brings; generally a fair amount of rain, wind and dismal cold. But with this the last day of the soggiest month ever I’m singing a new tune and waving this stretch of bad weather into the past with a hearty “Thank goodness it’s over!”  The weather has been so severe and wet around here that even with my web feet, I’ve been telling my wife we should get out of here and go somewhere warm like Hawaii (we call this condition Hawaii-itis).  Just as I was starting to feel sorry for myself an RSS feed came in from the Seattle Times.  Here’s a little bit from the lead story…  

On Wednesday, November 2006 became the wettest month on record in Seattle’s rain-sodden history. Still, when it comes to really wet, it’s hard to beat the old record, set in December 1933.

By the month’s end, the Pacific Northwest faced catastrophic floods. Fifteen people died, and dozens of families had to be rescued from attics or rooftops of flooded homes. Towns from Kent to Aberdeen could be traversed by rowboat. Rail traffic ceased when embankments collapsed. And then it snowed.  Sound familiar?

All of a sudden I’m feeling much better after reading what those guys had to go thru during that month back in 1933! With Friday bringing a new month I’m hoping to awaken in the morning and that pile of snow I’ve been shoveling all week will only be a faint memory. Thankfullly we didn’t have to row ourselves out of this one! Looking at the local weather report they are calling for cloudy with partial sun and a few sprinkles here and there over the next couple of weeks…maybe I can put that trip to Hawaii off till next fall after all….that is of coarse if the weather cooperates. 

 As Thanksgiving approaches families are preparing to scatter throughout the Northwest to their favorite destinations for the holiday of Thanks.  The fall festival is the highlight of the autumn season and prelude to the biggest holiday of the year - Christmas.

Up here in Bellingham, WA the first sign the Northwest is bringing fall is the splendor of colors in the leaves like a beautifully designed quilt and the cool crisp air moving in from the Pacific.  When November comes, so do the winds and the rains this year in particular with the record rainfall by Mid-November.  It can only mean one thing, Thanksgiving is just about here.

Thinking of Thanksgiving conjures up happy thoughts of being in the kitchen while Mom and my sisters worked on dinner for the day.  The smell of turkey was everywhere, pumpkin and apple pie sitting on the counter, mashed potatoes, sweet yams and biscuits blended into the aurora of smells…mmmm…Thanksgiving dinner!

While the gals of the house were cooking up the annual feast, dad and we boys were in the family room watching Thanksgiving Day parades on TV and the afternoon football games. My wife says to add with a wink that of coarse this isn’t how things are now…that was circa1970 and these days us men are more involved (then my wife, with another wink adds that if she let me in the kitchen we’d probably be eating Chinese food for T-day). Hey, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeves…why one year I made a very well received dish of toasted pecan sweet potatoes! 

Well anyway as we got closer to dinner a few relatives and friends would show up and join in.  By now everyone was getting anxious to enjoy all the fixings of the day!
When it was finally time to sit down and eat, everyone would grab their place at the table with dad saying grace and then on to the star of the show….the turkey!  This year unlike any other…Dad was passing the baton on carving the turkey.  He reached over, gave me the big fork and knife and said “here you go son”.  Of course after watching the old man for 12 years I thought “no problem” and dove right in like an old pro, even though my hands were shaking and my brow was sweating.  But somehow, I slowly made that first cut …

Well it didn’t quite turn out like dad’s handy work (ahem) actually far from it but as I looked around the table, there were all smiles looking back at me and we dug in and enjoyed another thanksgiving.  Afterwards, we felt as stuffed as the turkey we just ate!

In our youth we all learned in school and books the story of the first Thanksgiving.  Whether the truth or just a myth it’s a celebration that has been shared for hundreds of years.  No matter what the real story is with Thanksgiving, to me personally it’s always the time of year I reflect back on things I’m thankful for.  It’s the time of year to realize all that we have to be thankful of.  The time to extend out to those in need and try to give them a boost up when everything around them seems to be caving in.  The time of year we give thanks to all those we love and help the ones who need our support.

That’s the true meaning of thanksgiving…a time to say thank you.  So when you’re heading out this year to your destinations think about the things, people or places that you’re thankful for.  Let that special person in your life know how much you care about them…let them know the heart felt greeting of “Thank you…I care about you.” And remember that it’s doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone