Northwest Living | Bellingham Real Estate Market

Whatcom County - With the fall season brings beautiful colors in our local trees, cooler temperatures, and of course pumpkin season and Halloween. Those looking for something more than just picking up a pumpkin or two from a local Cost Cutter or Haggen’s might want to consider a local farm experience to pick up the perfect pumpkin. There are lots of local farms and farm stands to choose from when it comes to picking up the right Pumpkin. We compiled a list of some great options for this fall or any year in the near future.

My family has enjoyed visiting most of the places on this list including Stoney Ridge Farm, BelleWood Acres, and Boxx Berry Farm. Make sure to inspect the pumkins well and make sure there are no soft spots. You don’t want that chosen pumpkin to rot before Halloween after all. Thanks for visiting Northwest Living and we hope your pumpkin patch time is enjoyable.

Jerry Campbell | Muljat Group | Bellingham WA | Bellingham Real Estate 

Lynden, WA - One visit to BelleWood Acres apple farm and for a moment you’ll feel like your in some huge apple orchard in Wenatachee, instead of Whatcom County. What a treasure to have right here in the Bellingham area where local residents and visitors can enjoy such a large apple farm in our own backyard. According to the owners John & Dorie Belisle, they have a total of 22,000 apple trees spread out over their apple farm.

Stop by and visit the farm! The first trees at BelleWood Acres were planted in the spring of 1996. The designing and planting were much a family effort.  John, Dorie, and family designed and planted the orchard over the years. Their goal is to grow the best apples in Whatcom County and its hard to argue with that after visiting the farm. They invite you to come out and see the apple farm. You will learn how they grow their fruit, pack it, store it and juice it!  They also offer pears, pumpkins, decorative gourds and corns, and much more to the public. Fall is bountiful at BelleWood Acres and a great time to visit. From September thru December BelleWood Acres is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm every day.

BelleWood Apples - Are grown with Care, Picked for Flavor! They have fifteen different apple varieties to delight the most discerning palates. From the early varieties, to the last ones picked, they try to harvest at the peak of flavor. They offer some of the more popular apple varieties like Honey Crisp, Gravenstein, Fuji, Gala, Jonagold, Akane, and Sunrise; to varieties that are unique and rare to find like Tsugaru, Jonamac, Orin, and Zestar. Visit their web site for all the Bellewood Apple varieties. Then go out and visit them and taste the difference that freshness makes. visitors can even sample and compare the different varieties at the store. 

The farm supplies all of the Haggen’s grocery stores with a steady supply of apple’s through-out the harvest season. Haggen’s grocery has a reputation for quality through-out their stores and having a local apple supplier like Bellewood Acres is a clear advantage for their store and clients.

BelleWood Cider - They like to say, “the nectar from the apples is a gift from Mother Nature”. They make all of their apple cider in their on-site kitchen with fresh apples, which makes the best apple cider. their cider is treated with UV light (ultra violet light) to control harmful bacteria.  They want to provide what you deserve; a high quality juice, safe for the entire family.

The BelleWood Farm allows guest to tour their farm by foot or use one of several golf carts for short tours. Make sure to check out the packing line, juice line and cooler while your there. Buy some apples, apple cider, carmel apples, or other items and use one of several covered picnic tables for a quick lunch. Owner John Belisle likes to say ”we are a working farm. We love to share our lives with you. You won’t find fluff, just a true farm experience”.

The Bellewood Farm is part of Whatcom County’s Sustainable Connections as well. Sustainable Connections is a non-profit membership organization of 600+ NW Washington business and community leaders working to transform and model an economy built on sustainable practices. Sustainable Connections vision is for “business practices that lead to a strong community, healthy environment, meaningful employment, and buying local first as commonplace in this region and a model for the rest of the world”.

Directions to Bellewood Acres Farm - here is a map that you might find useful to get to the farm. Just take Guide Meridian north and then after you cross over the Laurel Rd go about 3/4 mile and then East on Ten Mile Road. The farm will be on the right and the first thing you will see is their barn with the word…Apples in big red letters. You can also access Ten Mile Road from Hannegan Road as well. Their address is 231 Ten Mile Road; Lynden, WA. You can reach them by phone at 360-398-9187.

I think one of the best things to do is take a nice country drive and work BelleWood Acres into your route along with several other local farms, nurseries, and small stores in the area.

Another place to visit this fall would be Stoney Ridge Farm in Everson, WA, which will be opening this coming weekend on Oct 4. I would go visit both of these great farms during the fall and your family will have a great afternoon. Stoney Ridge is only open on Thursday, Friday & Saturday’s, but when they are open, they do offer another enjoyable farm experience for a local thing to do.

 Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Whatcom County Real Estate

Island County, WA - If your thinking of visiting either Whidbey Island or Camano Island anytime soon you might want to consider some things you can do on these two beautiful Islands that make up Island County. I found a local site that that really captures all the things you could consider doing while visiting either Whidbey Island or Camano Island. The web site is called Whidbey Camano Islands and is jam packed with all you need to know and then some.

Some of the topics on the “things to do” page on the Island County site include antiques, arts & crafts, beaches, boating, cycling, diving, festivals & fairs, fishing & crabbing, gardens & garden tours, golfing, hiking, running & walking, history & heritage, kayaking & canoeing, theaters, and Island wineries, coffee & culinary delights.

If your wondering what the real estate market is like for Whidbey Island real estate or Camano Island try searching for properties with either one of these two property search sites at Whidbey Island real estate or Whidbey Island luxury homes for sale.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham WA - Whidbey Island Homes For Sale

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 call 800-562-8820 or visit Rosario Resort.

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.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Lynden Homes For Sale

 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