Ten Places I Would Take a Tourist to See in My Hometown
March 18th, 2008 . by Joyce
The prompt this week for Ten on Tuesday
is: Ten Places I Would Take a Tourist to See in My Hometown. I would like to expand that to my home county, Whatcom County, Washington.
My disclaimer first is that I am usually a homebody. I would not have the desire nor the stamina to do all of this at one fell swoop. Another consideration is that we live in possibly one of the most beautiful, temperate parts of the U.S. Just living here is like arriving at a vacation destination. Maybe that’s why I don’t feel the need to get out or away. I’m already there!
- First let’s go on a scenic drive up Mt. Baker Highway. It’s a long drive and the guests are getting hungry, so it’s time to stop at one of our favorite restaurants,
- The North Fork Beer Shrine. They brew all their own beers, and do a superb job of it. The salads, pizzas, calzones and sandwiches are excellent as well.
- We continue on our way to Mt. Baker, which holds the world record for the most snowfall in a single season: 1,140 inches. I’ll stay in the lodge and sip cocoa while my energetic guests go snowboarding! Supposedly this popular sport originated at Mt. Baker.
- After resting up a day or so, let’s take a ferry through the beautiful San Juan Islands. We are bound to see some Orca whales, and myriads of birds. Bald eagles are quite common here.
- Once we return to the ferry terminal, we’ll spend some time in beautiful, historic Fairhaven. I enjoy browsing in Village Books, and taking lunch at the Colophon Café.
- In Bellingham proper, we have the Western Washington Performing Arts Center,
- The Whatcom Museum of History and Art, and
- The Mt. Baker Theater. These are all such special destinations, though. Each one deserves its day.
- A long-time favorite summer picnic destination for our family is Silver Lake Park. We usually rent paddle boats, and chase after one another. I just can’t tell you how beautiful this place is; the lake is cradled by the surrounding mountains.
- If the company comes back in August, we can take them to the North West Washington Fair in Lynden, WA. I’m partial to the horse events at the grandstand, and the various FFA (Future Farmers of America) exhibits and competitions.
There you have some recommendations. Hope you’ll come and visit our lovely county!
Hi Joyce,
Thanks for the nice comment about our bookstore. We’re really glad you like it and are flattered that you list us in your top ten places to go.
Chuck
Great tour! Gotta love a place called the Beer Shrine.
come visit Pittsburgh if you have time!
Juli (Can I Borrow Your Book?)’s last blog post..Ten On Tuesday
Ah yes, all good places.
Although I’ve never been to the Beer Shrine.
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I relate to your acknowledgement about being a ‘homebody’ who feels like just being where you live ‘is a destination’ … for that mirrors my own feelings about where I live. I did enjoy your ‘tour’ however (even though I skipped the beer because I’ve never developed a ‘taste’ for the stuph) but I love good pizza with a tasty salad! I’d stay with you in the lodge with all that snow outside. Wow … Bald Eagles and Orca Whales … seem pretty tempting, but I’m a sucker for bookstores whether they sell used or new books. No wonder you couldn’t do all this at once! Theaters, museums, parks, and fairs require lots of time in and of themselves. Thanks for the lovely ‘destination’ ideas.
Hugs and blessings,
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Thanks, All, for your comments.
Doing this post reminds me that we, as a family, need to get out and do more this summer, right here where we live!
Storyteller, we have some awesome used book stores in Bellingham! We have scored some great finds on occasion.