Bellingham, the Special Jewel in the Northwest Corner of Washington State
Table of Contents
Story and photos by Scott Kendall (unless otherwise indicated)
Chuckanut Bay Drive to Beautiful Bellingham
Head north from Skagit Valley along the western coast of Samish Bay through some of the most scenic areas of the Pacific Northwest. Chuckanut Bay Drive (also known as Highway 11) is a fun, easy drive up to Fairhaven and beautiful Bellingham, Washington. About 30 minutes before hitting the Canadian border, this secluded area is the home to Western Washington University, cool coffee shops, breweries, restaurants, and the awesome Chuckanut Bay Distillery.
Chuckanut Bay Distillery and Penny Farthing Restaurant & Bar
Chuckanut Bay Distillery is located in a historic 18,000 square foot building in the heart of beautiful downtown Bellingham, Washington. This delightful enterprise features a large scale production facility, a tasting room, and a modern restaurant and bar. In addition, a large event venue will be opening in 2023. Chuckanut Bay Distillery must be doing something right. In fact, among other awards, they were named the 2022 Washington Liqueur Distillery of the Year at the New York International Spirits Competition.
Founders Matt Howell and Kelly Andrews, along with a team of dedicated team members, started with a vision and have turned this old historic building into a thriving destination. The onsite distillery tours take you through the details of producing and aging award-winning bourbon, vodka, gin, and other spirits.
Penny Farthing Restaurant and Bar
Penny Farthing is the outstanding restaurant and bar of the Chuckanut Bay Distillery. This modern, comfortable space specializes in shareable plates and creative craft cocktails. With a full bar and a menu that features fresh products from the local area, Penny Farthing is the perfect place for any occasion.
After our fascinating tour of the distillery led by Ethan Lynette, one of the partners at Chuckanut Bay Distillery, my wife and I sat down at a cozy table on the second level of the restaurant. We started with two special drinks on the menu: the traditional Old Fashioned and the innovative Fig It’Me Not, a refreshing drink with fig vodka, lemon, honey, vanilla, and a sparkling rose.
We also ordered the Distiller’s Mezze Platter, a delightful combination of grilled and chilled seasonal market-fresh vegetables, exotic fruits, roasted garlic rosemary flatbread, green mint hummus spread, eggplant baba ganoush, raita cream, citrus oregano feta cheese, and cold brined olive tapenade. The Mezze Platter was a wonderful medley of flavors and sensations that paired so well with our drinks.
To finish off our meal, our server brought us three Dock Street Filet Sliders. These tasty treats consisted of medium rare beef tenderloin slices, melted brie, carmelized onions, crisp arugula, butter toasted local brioche, and a side of French Bernaise Sauce. Other items on the menu include Cast Iron Catalan Shrimp, Tuscan Ribs a la Rosticceria, Spanish Flatbread, and the Muzzleflash Whiskey Queso Dip served with Rosemary Crostinies. We were full from the excellent platter and sliders, so we skipped dessert. However, the Spiked French Vanilla Custard Risotto and the Krampus Ice Cream Sundae both sounded delicious!
Chuckanut Bay Drive
Chuckanut Bay Drive, also known as Highway 11, was built in 1896 and was the first road to connect Skagit Valley with Whatcom County. In addition to being a scenic route along the coast of Puget Sound, Chuckanut Bay Drive became a vital transportation route for area farmers, residents, manufacturers, and tourists.
This 21 mile road goes north from Burlington in Skagit Valley to Bow and along the coast up to Fairhaven, near Bellingham. There are many marked and unmarked pullouts to enjoy fabulous views. Dogfish Point is a good choice. Also along the route are Larrabee State Park and trailheads for hikes to Fragrance Lake, Lost Lake, and other scenic walks.
Village Bookstore and Paper Dreams in Fairhaven
What better way to spend a few hours having coffee, browsing through a three-story bookstore, and having lunch in a homey café with some of the best food around? Village Books and Paper Dreams is a delightful bookstore in downtown Fairhaven, just a few miles south of Bellingham. After coffee at the adjoining Colophon Café, we explored, browsed, and read sections of books from their wonderful collection.
My wife especially enjoyed the Romance and the Cooking sections, and immersed herself looking at dozens of new recipes. I spent most of my time in the historical fiction, mystery, and biography sections, but also found myself browsing aimlessly until something eventually caught my eye. Village Books also has a nice area on the third floor where they serve pastries, coffees, and other treats.
Colophon Cafe in Fairhaven
Saturday morning we started with coffee at the adjoining Colophon Café. A mainstay on 11th Street since 1985, the Colophon Café fit in perfectly with our plans. After browing through Village Books for several hours, my wife and I went back to the Colophon for a light lunch. It was a cool day (at least by Texas standards), so a salad and a hot cup of soup sounded good. All of the soups on the menu looked delicious, and then I noticed they offered a “flight” of 3 soups for $16.
I decided to try the Peanut Soup, which the café is known for, along with the Split Pea Soup and the Southwest Green Chile Stew. Served with a freshly baked baguette, the soup definitely hit the spot. My wife was happy with her Superfood Salad, made with quinoa on a bed of fresh mixed greens with feta cheese, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, red onions, carrot ribbons, and served with their carrot miso dressing.
We couldn’t resist a slice of the Colophon’s decadent Chocolate Chunk Cake to finish off our meal – delicious!
Boulevard Park
Boulevard Park is the perfect place for a seaside stroll, a picnic on the water, or a hangout to enjoy the scenic views. You can even grab a coffee and snacks at the Wood’s Coffee conveniently located inside the park. Clean restrooms, park benches, a stage by an open field, and a long bridge beside the water combine to make Boulevard Park a delightful destination.
Sehome Garden Inn in Bellingham
Sehome Garden Inn in Bellingham is near downtown but tucked in among the trees in a park like setting. Since this was our first visit to Bellingham, we wanted a more personal experience in a BnB rather than an impersonal hotel. With glowing reviews online, we booked a night at Sehome Garden Inn.
On a quiet residential dead-end street just minutes from downtown, we were more than pleased with our stay. We had a room with a private bathroom upstairs decorated in a colorful mosaic of native Indian décor. The comfortable bed and full but soft pillows gave us a wonderful night’s sleep.
This pet-friendly property itself included scenic walks through a meticulously tended landscape, and gardens were being prepared with plantings to ready for the spring harvest. Fressh strawberries are among the produce grown at this sustainable BnB.
Our gluten free breakfast was just right. Fresh brewed coffee started our morning, and the awesome aromas of fresh baked biscuits filled the air. A couple of mini quiches, fresh orange juice, and two large biscuits just out of the oven were some of the best I’ve every had. The home made strawberry preserves with the berries grown onsite were the perfect topping for the flavorful morsels – oh, so good!
Come See Beautiful Bellingham in Northwest Washington State
Julie and I truly enjoyed our first visit to this extreme northwest part of Washington State. The whole area around Chuckanut Bay Drive, Fairhaven, and Bellingham are national treasures to cherish. And Chuckanut Bay Distillery with the Penny Farthing Restaurant & Bar was so much fun with the fabulous drinks, food, and friendly folks.
We’ll be back!
Thanks to Chuckanut Bay Distillery and Penny Farthing Restaurant & Bar for hosting us. All opinions are my own.
Scott Kendall is the Founder, Editor, and frequent contributor to PlayStayEat. He is a former Navy Officer, teacher and tennis coach who is an avid traveler and writer. Scott has traveled extensively throughout the United States and overseas to Italy, France, England, Croatia, Slovenia, and others. In addition to his contributions to PlayStayEat, much of his published work can be seen at scottkendalltravels.com.
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