Month: May 2016

Lummi Island, located at the southwest corner of Whatcom, is a quaint, historic little island to adventure to when living or visiting Bellingham or Whatcom County.  With just a short ferry ride over to Lummi Island, you have a variety of events, activities,  a thriving art community and beautiful places to explore.

We love to take a little two to three day trip over to Lummi to hike, explore the beautiful shores and taste a little wine.

Whether your a Washington native, visiting, or just moving to the area, Lummi Island is a great relaxing getaway with shorelines to explore and naps to take.  There are not bars, clubs, shopping extravaganzas, or tons of restaurants, but there are friendly people and a quiet paradise to take advantage of.

How to get there:

A quick 6 minute ferry will deliver you to the 9 mile, 1000 resident island. You can take you rcar, bike or yourself for anywhere from $7 to $13.

What to do:

Relax!

Ride a bike, take a hike, or go for a stroll on the shore

Take an Art Studio Tour…Memorial Day and Labor Day. A variety of artists showcasing their work at many locations throughout the island.

Taste Wine..Visit Legoe Bay Winery or Artisan Wine Gallery, or Both!

Where to stay:

Willow Inn (dining available at the Inn), Nettles Farm

Please keep in mind that Lummi Island is small. There is a general store and a few places to eat, but think about bringing some of your own supplies.  When you need to escape chaos and enjoy some peace and quietness, visit Lummi Island.

 

School districts are an important part of the home buying decision, even if you don’t have children. A good or bad school district directly effects the cost of a home. So how are the schools in Whatcom County rated? What is the student to teacher ratio? And so on.

Today we will explore the schools in Whatcom. We will cover statistics, as well as some inside information from a friend of mine, Rebecca. She is a Bellingham Realtor, with kids that attended public schools in Whatcom County. Becca’s children attended elementary school and high school in Bellingham. One continued on to go to Western Washington University, while the other moved to Arizona and is a real estate agent and co owner of a carpet cleaning company in Tempe, AZ.

There are 97 schools in Whatcom County. The public schools average A and B ratings.  The average student to teacher ratio is 18:1. The Bellingham School district, with 24 schools,  is the 29th largest school district in Washington and ranks higher in education achievement than the state average. It has a 7 out of 10 GreatSchools rating. Bellingham High School ranked 1887 in the national rankings.  This earned Bellingham High School a silver rating. Sehome High School ranked 1307 nationally and also was awarded a silver medal. (more…)

As I wrote in my last post, Whatcom is an outdoor lovers Haven.  It also is home to many breweries for the beer connoisseurs out there.  Let’s explore some great place to enjoy the outdoors, whether you hike, bike trail run, or fish.  We will follow it up with few breweries to check out after the great outdoors.

Some of the must see/must do hikes include:

Whatcom Falls Park– We love this because not only is there something for everyone and every fitness level, but there is water! With three and a half miles of trails, you can explore the creek, meadows or wind through forests.

Lake Padden Park– Located in Bellingham, a great place to catch some fish….rainbow, cutthroat and kokanee trout.

Chuckanut Mountain Park-Just south ofBellingham you will find the Chuckanut Mountains.  Here you will find numerous trails that access beautiful forests, waterfalls, streams and views of surrounding mountain areas.

Find more at Whatcom County Parks

Visit any one of the above areas, and get a little exercise out in the beautiful Washington weather, even if it rains a bit!  And then head on over to one of our local breweries to enjoy a frosty cold one or a great burger (meat or veggie)

Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen– Great award winning beers, and locally sourced delicious food

Aslan Brewery– A fave. We love the Batch 15 IPA and the Portobella fries

Boundry Bar Brewery and Bistro– Smoked Salmon Chowder-yum! Especially if you get a little rained on!

There are many awesome places to check out in Whatcom. The area boasts laid back fun. With a variety of outdoor activities and places to visit, we Whatcom should be “Here I Come!”

 

Bellingham is Whatcom County’s largest city, with a population of over 85,000 people.  Bellingham sits on Bellingham Bay, and opens into the Strait of Georgia and is the northernmost city in the United States. Being that it is just 100 miles north of Seattle, it shares the same weather, with a little less annual rainfall.

Bellingham has a culture of outdoor recreation, abundant attractions and beautiful scenery. With Whatcom Falls, Lummi Island, Lake Padden, numerous trails for hiking, biking, and lakes for boating, the outdoorsy types are in a great place to explore. For city lovers you have the amenities of a larger city without the large city population.

Bellingham is fitness friendly with diverse neighborhood styles and the school systems are highly ranked. It also house many private schools. There are a mix of families and working singles that make up of the majority of the population. The average people that reside and work in Bellingham work for the government, being there is not much of any particular industry. Otherwise residents commute to Seattle for work. The housing industry has had it’s highs and lows. Although Bellingham is much more affordable than Seattle, the inventory of homes has decreased, driving up the prices slightly. The median home sales price is $247,750.

The Median annual household income is $47,648, while the average annual income is $61,925.

Bellingham over all tends to be at or below average in crime, versus the national crime rate. It is a great option for young families, active folks and those looking to enjoy local business….including craft beer.  There are many independent breweries throughout Bellingham.