Hop In! Let's Go For A Scenic Drive Around Bellingham

Bring A Lunch! We'll Be Gone All Day!

Before we leave for our scenic drive, let's make sure we have everything!

* A lunch? Maybe a few nutritious snacks! Apples, nuts, raisins....

* Water? We may want to get out and stretch a little... maybe take a short hike along the way! Will need water!

* Binoculars! We will be observing some stunning views of the San Juan Islands, so if you want to get up a little closer you will want to take your binoculars!

* Camera! Do you ever have enough pictures?

Ok! So we have everything, including proper apparel for the weather today. And perhaps we should grab a map just in case...... The hiking trails map may come in handy!

OK! We're all loaded up! Seat belts on! Here we go! Leaving Sudden Valley where we live, here, in Bellingham It's a beautiful wooded area in the northeastern part of Bellingham. We are heading out of the gate and heading down Lake Whatcom Blvd.

This is such a beautiful drive. You can never tire of it and it just takes a few minutes to get into the heart of town.

The speed limit is 35 until you get closer to the water's edge of Lake Whatcom, then the speed limit is 25. There are many times I feel it is too fast when I am in a "scenic drive" mood!

At the front of the lake (the starting point in town), there is a gorgeous play ground for the children, a boat ramp, and a community center that hosts many different events all the time. But we don't go there today! We go up Cable Street to Lakeway Drive. It all runs into one another. You can't get lost!

We'll stay on Lakeway till we get to Holly Street. Go down Holly Street to State Street and hang a left. We will see the beautiful Bellingham Bay. We'll keep driving along that till we are in Fairhaven, (south Bellingham). You may notice that State Street turned into 11th Street which will run right up to SR 11, which is Chuck-A-Nut Drive.

Chuck-A-Nut Drive is 20 some miles of Washington State's old Pacific Highway. This drive has been called, "The Wizard's Path" through "Oz" because of it's twisty-turny, narrow road.

This is absolutely my favorite scenic drive in all the US! As a former truck driver, I have been everywhere around the US and parts of Canada...and this drive here has no comparison.

There are trailheads all over. Everywhere you see cars along side the road, more than likely, there is a trail! There are plenty of places to pull over as well, so you can get out and stretch, explore, and take a lot of pictures!

You'll pass through Larrabee State Park where there is plenty of camping sites, picnic tables, beach area, and and boat ramps, too! There are areas where you can get out and comb the beach and find hidden treasure's!!! You just never know, do you?

On a good day, you may see the seals playing and looking for some attention! It's peaceful watching the bay, overlooking the San Juan Islands, and watching the boats, kayakers, and ships go by....

This drive has such a rich history, dramatic coastline, and stunning views all along the way.

The other day when I took the pictures of the San Juans from off of Chuck-A-Nut, it was a little hazy, but still so stunningly beautiful!

You can spend all day on Chuck-A-Nut Drive and time will go by way too fast.

So we better finish our ride before it gets dark!!

Since we forgot our lunch, we can stop into the Oyster Bar and get a really nice dinner! It's just down the road and we can see the bay at another view while we are eating!

All done!?!

There's More Of The Scenic Drive Before The End Of Our Journey

We are getting off at exit 240 to go to Alger! A sleepy little town, but you'll see friendly faces along the way and you can even stop and get an expresso!

Turn right on Lake Samish Road for less than a mile and continue on thru on Alger/Cain Lake Road for approximately 5 miles.

We will come to a Y in the road and since we are heading "home" we will stay to the left!

This is so beautiful, too! All around Bellingham there are many routes to choose for a pleasant and stunning scenic drive. We feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful area! The last few miles of our scenic drive is a lot like that being on Chuck-A-Nut!

The road gets real curvy, here, too, so we'll keep it slow! The only difference is that now we are viewing Lake Whatcom again! It is rich in beauty and stunning as well!

There are many deer in the area through this drive. Perhaps we'll see a mother with her babies!

Well, this pretty much end's our scenic drive around Bellingham! I told you it would take all day! It was fun, didn't cost much or burn too much gas! My kind of day trip!

For more things to do click here! Perhaps you are ready for a night on the town!

Stay In Touch! Subscribe to The Excitement Blog!

Scenic Drive to Bellingham-Subdued-Excitement Home