Bellingham (Winter)

About the northwesternmost point in the northwest, the port of Bellingham has all the attributes such a location would suggest: outdoor recreation in spades, a stunning setting, a countercultural ambiance and enough music venues, dining options and espresso joints to keep you busy during the inevitable winter rains. Mount Baker, an active volcano covered by a dozen glaciers, looms over the eastern horizon providing some of the best skiing in the region and world-class snowboarding. Once above snow level, it's easy to get onto trails and forest service roads for excellent cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, too. With an abundance of urban ...

About the northwesternmost point in the northwest, the port of Bellingham has all the attributes such a location would suggest: outdoor recreation in spades, a stunning setting, a countercultural ambiance and enough music venues, dining options and espresso joints to keep you busy during the inevitable winter rains. Mount Baker, an active volcano covered by a dozen glaciers, looms over the eastern horizon providing some of the best skiing in the region and world-class snowboarding. Once above snow level, it's easy to get onto trails and forest service roads for excellent cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, too. With an abundance of urban trails and nearby lakes, Bellingham is also excellent for winter walks and some top-notch winter bird watching. The town of 70,000 is actually an agglomeration of several old milling communities, including Fairhaven, a pocket of 19th-century buildings on the south side of Bellingham Bay. From its hilltop perch, the campus of Western Washington University looks over the island-scattered bay, and on those special clear days, the views of the nearby Canadian mountains are stunning from the campus and other high points around town.

About the Expert

Myra Ingmanson and Daniel C. Schechter worked together on various titles for Lonely Planet, particularly the Pacific Northwest and Mexico books. Together they coauthored chapters for Lonely Planet's Eastern Caribbean.