Bellingham

Bellingham sits at the northern end of Puget Sound in Whatcom County, 90 miles north of Seattle and 50 miles south of Vancouver, BC. The city of 92,000 is home to Western Washington University, giving it an active arts and outdoor culture well beyond its size. The Fairhaven neighborhood at the city's southern end is an 1890s commercial district of red-brick buildings now housing bookshops, coffee roasters, and restaurants along Village Green. Chuckanut Drive (SR-11) winds south from Bellingham through cliffs above Samish Bay one of the most scenic road segments in Washington, with oyster farm views and access to Larrabee State Park, Washington's oldest. Whatcom Falls Park in the city's east side is a 241-acre natural park with sandstone waterfall canyon accessible from the middle of town. The Bellingham Cruise Terminal is one of two Alaska Marine Highway System ports in Washington, offering multi-day sailings to Alaska. Nearby Lynden and Ferndale preserve Dutch farming heritage from the 19th century, with working tulip fields and cheese dairies.