Northwest Living | Bellingham Real Estate Market

Mount Vernon, WA - When the calender turns to the month of April that is the sign for Tulips in Skagit County through out the Mount Vernon and La Conner areas. This year the Skagit Tulip Festival is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary and with the warm weather it should be a great festival this year. To find out more about this year’s event visit their site at Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

The best times to visit the Tulip Festival is during the week when their are less crowds. If you go on the weekends be prepared for traffic delays and crowds. Once your into the tulip field areas though, it’s not too bad on traffic. The Skagit Valley is 60 miles north of Seattle, Washington, 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Traveler’s can take I-5 and then use Exits 221 - 236, all of these exits have tulip brochures at the nearest business.

The tulip fields are spread out over a 15-mile radius and tulip festival events are scattered around the entire county. There are many festival sites, my advice would be to check out this Skagit Valley Tulip Field Map for locations of farms. Checking out their site and maps will help out in planning your day trip to one of the most colorful and spectacular display in the Northwest corner of Washington State.

While your visiting the Skagit Valley Tulips you might want to visit the town of La Conner as well. La Conner is a small town south west of the main tulip areas and is nestled on the Swinomish Channel that divides the mainland and Fidalgo Island. This is one of my favorite spots in Northwest WA because there’s tons of shops, restaurants, and lots of tourist things to do. Expect to take up 2-3 hours of an afternoon visiting the gorgeous town of La Conner. For more on this town visit our La Conner WA real estate web site. 

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham WA - Skagit County Real Estate 

Whatcom County, WA - The Whatcom Conservation District’s 15th annual Native Plant Sale will be held Saturday, March 22, in Bellingham. The event will be from 9 am to 4 pm in Cordata at the Community Food C0-0p’s second store location, Westerly Road and Cordata Parkway.

Those who visit will find 40 different species of native trees, shrub seedlings, and native wildflower seeds during the Whatcom Conservation District’s Native Plant Sale. This year’s event also will include the first Native Plant Expo, which will feature demonstrations, environmental exhibits and Earth-friendly activities.

Visit Whatcom Conservation District website for more details, including descriptions of the plants that will be sold. Their website is also packed with lots of information about plants, conservation efforts and area related links. WCD is dedicated to serving present and future generations of Whatcom County through a natural resource conservation program assistance to help foster a healthy, sustainable relationship between people and the environment.

For home owners this is a great opportunity to purchase plants that are native to the Northwest for planting in their yards and supporting the local conservation group. Visitors can also enjoy the Native Plant Expo while looking for plants to purchase.

In following years from now, and you come across this article, just remember that the annual plant sale is held during the month of March. The Whatcom Conservation District’s web site posts the event well in advance, so just save their site and ours to your favorite’s for future reference.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham WA - Whatcom County Real Estate

 Orcas Island, WA - Rosario Resort is offering summer weekends dedicated to whale watching and education in partnership with the Orca Network, a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting healthy and safe habitat for Pacific Northwest cetaceans. After a boat excursion in search of orca pods, guests will take part in a workshop hosted by the Orca Network. Also included is a bottle of Hoodsport “Orca Series” wine, a special release from the Washington winery that donates a portion of sales back to Orca Network. For more details: 800-562-8820 or www.rosarioresort.com.

A quick look at their website and Rosario Resort offers this: Enjoy an unforgettable and informative narrated cruise through the San Juan Islands in search of Orca (Killer Whales) and Minke Whales. The thrill of seeing one of these majestic creatures will be an experience you will never forget. You’ll pass by unspoiled, pristine islands and historical landmarks. This is simply the best way to see and learn about Orca whales and other marine wildlife of the San Juan Islands. Educational narrated trips with experienced captain/naturalists aboard will be available daily this summer from June - September directly from the Rosario Marina. Nature Cruises depart from Deer Harbor Marina most weekends throughout the year.

If you don’t want to stay at the Rosario Resort, there are many great bed and breakfast located on Orcas Island. If your staying on Orcas for more than one day, you should also take in the beautiful drive up to Mt Constitution as well.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - San Juan County Real Estate

 Lynden, WA - The Northwest Washington Fair has announced earlier than usual it’s grandstand lineup by naming the legendary band Chicago for its Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008 headline performance.  Chicago will probably be one of the biggest appearance’s for the mid August fair in many years.

Tickets for the Aug 14, 2008 Chicago Band performance can be purchased by going to Lynden Northwest Washington Fair web site. I just checked, and tickets are still available as of today. Ticket prices for this show, are $30 each for reserved grandstand seats and $40 for preferred seats.  That doesn’t include admission to the fair.

The Northwest Washington Fair will be held next summer from August 11-16, 2008.  Jim Baron, General Manager of the NWWA Fair wanted to make the tickets available early as holiday gifts.

According to the Lynden Tribune, Chicago is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The band has surpassed 100 million in record sales and 25 of its 30 albums have been certified platinum.  Chicago has recorded five No. 1 singles and 21 Top-10 singles, including “25, or 6 to 4,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” and “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long.”

The eight-person band includes Robert Lamm (keyboards and vocals), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), James Pankow (trombone), Walt Parazaider (woodwinds), Bill Champlin (keyboards, guitar and vocals), Jason Scheff (bass and vocals), Tris Imboden (drums) and Keith Howland (guitar). Four of the members date back to the band’s creation 40 years ago.

That should be an exciting nite in Lynden this coming August and probably one of the busiest days in fair attendance over all.  Lets all hope for a beautiful sunny evening for this awesome performance.

 Bellingham, WA - Chuckanut Drive is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and scenic areas in the Northwest. If given the choice to take Chuckanut Drive over I-5 freeway, on my way back to Bellingham or on the way out of town, hands down, I’d choose Scenic Chuckanut Drive on a sunny day.

For even residents of this part of Northwest Washington, very few tire of what this 20 mile stretch of Highway has to offer. Chuckanut Drive runs from just south of historic Fairhaven area of Bellingham south to the Bow area of Skagit County.  There are many opportunities along the long stretch of Chuckanut Drive to park along the road and take in the breath taking views of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands. 

It goes without saying that homes for sale along Chuckanut Drive tend to be expensive, but when your address ends in Chuckanut Drive most observers in Whatcom County and Skagit County would expect Chuckanut Real Estate to be pricey.  When it comes to Location as a principle of real estate, Chuckanut has to be one of the most sought after addresses for real estate.

What is it about Chuckanut that draws over a half million travelers up and down this beautiful stretch of highway after all…the sun setting on a clear warm summer day, does it for me. There’s a spot about the half way point where you can stop, walk along a short trail, and really enjoy some fantastic views. I named this spot “Heavens Porch”, because it truly feels like your looking out upon sheer beauty of what heaven must look like.

To find out whats for sale currently on Chuckanut Drive visit our Bellingham WA Real Estate and search Chuckanut Drive real estate. Tour the Scenic Chuckanut Drive sometime soon, you’ll remember it forever.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham WA - Chuckanut Drive Homes For Sale

 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

 Mt. Baker Ski season is about to open with a 35 inch base and lots more snow on the way.  This allows the Mt. Baker Ski Area to open today, Thursday November 29, 2007 in full normal midweek operation out of the White Salmon Base Area. Chairs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 will be operating from 9:00am to 3:30 pm.

Forecasts are calling for increasing snow today, clearing for Friday and Saturday, then increasing snow again on Sunday. Freezing levels should continue to stay low through the weekend.

With this additional snowfall in the forecast it looks promising for Mt. Baker to be able to run all lifts and both base areas for this weekend! It is time to gear up and look forward to skiing on the mountain starting today!  Mt. Baker is considered one of the top ski areas in the country for snowboarding as well

With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics only two years away, My guess the Mt Baker ski area is going to be getting a lot of use this year and for years to come.  There’s even talk that Mt. Baker will be possibly used for practice runs a quiet a bit over the the next two years in the build up to the Vancouver 2010.  It’s said that the conditions on Mt. Baker are similar to the conditions that the Olympic skiers will experience at Whistler, BC.

Mt. Baker is well known for the record amounts of snow that usually falls each winter. This is not hype. Back in 1999, Mt. Baker set a new world record for a winter season’s snowfall of 1,140 inches.

The mountain offers all-day possibilities to skiers and snowboarders alike, with plenty of faces and woods that bring out the pioneer spirit. This is truly snowboarder heaven, where the hardcore insist “snowboarding was born.”

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Bellingham Real Estate

 Today I went out to the Everson area of Whatcom County and visited Stoney Ridge Farm and was amazed at the depth and quality of what this farm has to offer.  I’ve heard from friends and neighbors about Stoney Ridge before, but until I actually went out their today, I didn’t realize they had so much to offer to the public.

Stoney Ridge Farm is open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in October from 10am to 5pm. Their address is located at 2092 Van Dyk Rd; Everson, WA 98247.  You can call them as well at 360-966-3919.  They will also be open from November 24 to December 15 for some Christmas celebrations as well.  I was totally amazed to find out these guys didn’t have a web site, but the ladies said someone is designing one for them.  They really need one, because this place is awesome! 

My family and I have been to many harvest time festivals here in the Northwest over the years, but there’s very few that have as much as this farm has to offer.  They have the largest pumpkin patch fields in all of Whatcom County. To get to this huge field you take a hay ride on the back of a long covered wagon with bales of hay on both sides.  All the kids that took the ride really enjoyed it and so did all the adults as well.  Once the farmer drops you off…you have an entire field of pumpkins to scout around to find that perfect one. 

They also have a couple apple orchards in the same area of the pumpkins where one can pick a variety of apples for around 60 cents a pound.  After you load up on your apples, just take them and your pumpkin back onto the wagon and the farmer will give you a ride back to the pay station.

 But if that’s all you did, you would have missed about 75% of what one could still do at this beautiful farm. Stoney Ridge is a very entertaining place to visit and the kids will just love the atmosphere here. From the little choo choo train ride, to the goats in the sky, to the endless animal exhibits, it’s just great. The place is covered in pumpkins, there’s this huge field of corn made into a maze and the forests of apples.

With the two events that they have here’s what they offer first for “Its Harvest Time At” Stoney Ridge Farm during October:

• Largest pumpkin patch in Whatcom County!
• Craft and gift shop
• Fresh pressed pasteurized cider
• A hot dog stand
• Awesome pumpkin and carmel apple pie (wow…that apple pie with ice cream was good).
• Fresh cider donuts
• U-pick and we pick apples
• Hay and train rides
• Farm animals and Goat walk
• Corn and bin maze
• School and private tours by appointment
• Decorations and more

The second event is called “Its Christmas Time At” Stoney Ridge Farm and here’s whats going on November 24 to December 15th:

• Fresh Noble, Grand, Doug Fir, Frasier, and Nordman Christmas trees to purchase.
• U-cut, pre-cut, and live trees as well.
• Awesome caramel apple, pumpkin, and berry pie!
• Homemade cider donuts and other goodies
• Free coffee and hot chocolate
• Christmas crafts and garland
• Fresh handcrafted wreaths
• Bonfire and hot dogs
• Tree bailing Available.

Well that about does it for the tour of Stoney Ridge Farm, they got me hooked that’s for sure.  Have fun, you’ll enjoy this place for sure.  Oh…plan on at least an hour or two to see everything…it’s time well spent.

Search real estate in Lynden, Everson, Nooksack, and Deming with Lynden Real Estate. 

 Coming this November in Ferndale Washington, the brand new Centennial Riverwalk Plaza project is expected to be completed next to the Nooksack River.  If you haven’t noticed it yet, go check it out.  It starts on the west side of the Main St bridge that crosses over the Nooksack River and then the Riverwalk heads south along the Nooksack River. The area once known as Front Street is being transformed into the Centennial Riverwalk.

 The official name for the city’s project will be the Centennial Riverwalk Plaza to commemorate Ferndale’s 100 year anniversary of officially incorporating as a city, celebrated back on March 19, 2007. The plaza will be an impressive addition to the city and should be something Ferndale will be able to utilize for years to come.

Locals and visitors alike will be able to stroll along the pedestrian walkway and promenade along the river, and enjoy the beautifully landscaped public spaces with views of the Nooksack River and Mount Baker. The City of Ferndale envisions people being able to enjoy street and craft fairs, public markets, small concerts, festivals, and a farmers’ market.  When no events are occurring, just pausing by the fountain, studying the hand-carved native totems, enjoying a nice lunch or a picnic will be fun things to do.

The park is themed towards recognition of local Native American history and the logjam that was significant to Ferndale’s early history. The park has a focus on native plant species, using “rain garden” infiltration for storm water management, and stands under the watchful eye of a magnificent Native American totem pole. The pole will honor the Salish Tribes of our area. The park provides a casual gathering place with benches, open lawn, and scattered picnic tables.

Opening day should be just around the corner and as we get into the spring I’m sure the Ferndale Riverwalk will be an area used quiet often for years to come. The work to build the Riverwalk is being done by Friberg Construction and the original contract for the project cost an estimated $1.2 million.

For all your Ferndale WA Real Estate needs call Jerry Campbell, Muljat Group Realtors

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.