Around the Northwest, Whatcam Falls Park & Fairhaven District

It was a perfect sunny day, just right for being outdoors so last weekend we decided to explore a new place we had never been before.  I had been hearing about a lovely park with waterfalls up in Whatcam County that I really wanted to see, so we joined up with some friends to drive up to the town of Bellingham, WA located about 60 miles south of the Canadian Border.  Upon arriving we found our way to the Whatcam Falls Park which turned out to be a really beautiful large city park filled with walking trails.

The moment we stepped out of our car and onto the trail we felt like we were in the middle of the national forest rather than the middle of town.  We could hear the stream in the distance and it didn't take us long to start heading in that direction.

Soon we found our way to the old stone bridge.  Built in 1939, it is a one of the landmark spots in the park.  From here, the falls can be easily viewed.

 

 

  

Because we have had such a long dry spell the falls didn't have as much water as I had expected.  Still, they were quite lovely.  As we continued on our way we saw these beautiful red rhododendrons which reminded us that we were still in a city park.

Soon the trail took us to a place where we could walk along the top of the falls.  From here we could see from the falls back to the bridge.

A little farther up the trail The Investigator discovered another small waterfall.  This one looks like a favorite swimming hole for the town.

Soon we left the rushing sound of the falls for the more tranquil ripple of the stream and the dappled sunlight through the leaves of the trees along the trail.

 

 We wandered along the trails for a couple of hours and could have easily spent more hours there, but it was time to move on, satisfied that this is a place that we will return to again and again. 

 From here we headed to one of my favorite parts of the city, Fairhaven Village. The village, which is located in the historic section of Bellingham, is home to an assortment of small shops and restaurants all waiting to be explored. 

 There was the Flower Shop,

This shop where we could have tasted different combinations of oil and vinegar, so good for dipping crusty bits of bread, yumm!!

 And of course, The Investigator and company had to check out the ice cream shop.  It's his favorite dessert but he was good today and only took a peek without tasting.

I loved the name of this little shop and want to come back for a look-see some day, but there was no time to dally today.  Our goal was to head down to the waterfront for more walking.

  

 We were into the late afternoon and the sun was casting reflections on the water.  We could see the ferry boat that goes to Alaska across the bay..

There is a long pier and walking trestle that goes out over the water and then connects to the trail on the other side.  

With the water on one side and the cliff on the other, it's a really lovely walk and there is a wonderful coffee shop at the end where you can stop for refreshment.

This is where we sat for more than an hour just soaking up the sunshine as we looked out over the bay.

As we were relaxing, I spied this young couple sitting on the bench gazing out at the water.  It looked so romantic I just had to snap a picture. 

The trail continues on from here but the shadows were definitely starting to fall now and it was time to walk back to the car.  Even so, there was still at least a couple of more hours of daylight left.  That's what I love about summer.

One last stop along the Chuckanut Drive before heading off to a late dinner.

  A view out over Puget Sound with the San Juan Islands in the distance, and a perfect ending to a perfect day.