If you had just 48 hours to explore a new city what would you do and see? We recently spent (just over) 48 hours in Bellingham, WA and it’s amazing how much you can get up to in such a short time. From hiking to relaxing at the beach to donuts to coffee to breweries.
Saturday
9am – Smoothies, juice and epic gluten free pancakes at Electric Beet Juice Co. Electric Beet is a little hidden gem that has the most incredible GF Chocolate Pancakes that are topped with a luscious cashew coconut cream; I think these were one of the highlights of our trip. I also highly recommend The Punch Bowl green juice to wash down those delectable pancakes. It was located inside of the Bellingham Public Market sharing a large grocery store with several other local vendors.
10:00am – Grab coffee at Camber. See below for more details.
10:15am – Visit the Bellingham Downtown Farmers Market. Saturdays in April-December from 10am-3pm you can find Bellingham locals at the downtown farmers market picking up local produce and goods. You’ll also find talented performers, mushroom beer and incredible ceramics and other goods.
11:30am – Grab wraps and sandwiches from Leaf and Ladle (to-go). If you don’t find yourself with a pile of food treats from the farmers market head up the hill just above it and you’ll find Leaf and Ladle, a small shop selling soups, sandwiches and salads. I recommend grabbing a Vegan Caesar Wrap to take with you on your next adventure – the beach!
12:30pm – Head to Larrabee State Park for a picnic, hike and beach swim. This spot was recommended to me by Autumn (if you don’t follow her go now). She is local to the area and gave us the the low-down on where we should visit and this was one of the places she suggested. I have to say she couldn’t have recommended a more perfect place. There is hiking, a beautiful beach to swim and relax at and it was so incredibly peaceful.
4:30pm – Happy Hour at Boundary Bay Brewing. If I am being completely honest the beer was just fine but we loved the outdoor back patio/picnic table area. It was so relaxing and if you have little ones like us you will appreciate the play structure that will (hopefully) occupy your child until you finish you beer.
8pm – Dinner at Pepper Sisters. Pepper Sisters is a Southwestern inspired restaurant that has clearly marked vegan options. In a city that doesn’t have the same selection of vegetarian and vegan restaurants as Portland does, this was a nice touch! Neil and I shared the Roasted Potato and Garlic Enchilada and an appetizer special. We both love the enchilada, especially the filling. The kids kept it simple with a mound of guacamole, chips, beans and rice – all of which was also delicious.
If you’re young and/or childless you may find yourself heading out for drinks or other night life but since we are old and have a pack of children we headed to bed at this point.
Sunday
9am – Breakfast at Camber + head across the street to Rocket Donuts for a post hike snack. I fell in love with Camber in Portland at our neighborhood coffee shop and Neil and I have been dying to visit their shop. Little did we know how much we would love it. We came for the coffee and stayed for the avocado toast, cashew cream toast, vegan blueberry muffins and incredible breakfast potatoes. Also yes Rocket Donuts has a vegan selection just make sure to ask when you go in as they are not on display!
10:45am – Hike at Whatcom Falls. A beautiful easy spot to get to that has amazing waterfalls and a great easy hiking path. If you have older children or are without children and are looking for more challenging hikes I have been told that Oyster Dome and Fragrance Lake are both fantastic hikes with incredible views.
1:30pm – Lunch at Big Love Juice. You may be seeing a trend now… We like juice bars and avocado toast. Also while we were surprised at how easily we found plant-based options in Bellingham our variety was still limited. At Big Love Juice I highly recommend the Artichoke Cream Toast and any of their green juices.
3pm – Do a little shopping and/or rest. There are a lot of cute small shops to visit downtown.
5pm – Climbing at VITAL Climbing Gym or a ride on Chuckanut Drive. I will admit I am not much of a climber but Neil is and he visited VITAL while on our trip and really enjoyed it. It’s a smaller gym but a perfect spot to visit if you are itching for a climbing session or just looking for something new to try. If climbing isn’t your thing and you’re up for a bit of time in the car take a ride on Chuckanut Drive. I promise you incredible water views and lush green forest.
7:30pm – Dinner at Aslan Brewpub. We were lucky enough to have grandparents with us on this getaway so we snuck off for dinner and beers at Aslan Brewpub. It was some seriously good food and great beer. I opted for their non-alcoholic beer which was the best non-alcoholic beer I have ever tasted.
9pm – Drinks & Games at Aslan Depot. Once you are done dinner head a few blocks down to Aslan Depot.At this former transit station, you’ll find Aslan’s barrel aging facility as well as several of their barrel aged beers on tap alongside a number of other great craft breweries and an extensive bottle list. Tip: ask the bartender for one of the games behind the bar and add a little fun to your night.
So there you have it 48 fun filled hours in Bellingham!
Tell me have you been to Bellingham? What would are you must do/see/eat/stay?
Where in the PNW should we travel next?
Find more photos from our trip as well as our Family Guide To Bellingham over on Naturally Family.
