Bellingham Day Guide
The first time I ever visited Bellingham, I was merely passing through on my way to Vancouver, BC for a family trip. I believe we stopped for a coffee at Woods Coffee and got lunch at an Olive Garden (unlimited breadsticks. ‘Nuff said.). Needless to say, I was unimpressed; Bellingham felt like any other small pitstop town. Fast forward several years, Brenna mentioned that she would like to see Bellingham, since she had heard great things about the food scene, beer, blah blah blah. I shrugged and said we might as well, but did not show much excitement at the prospect. I could not have been more wrong. Bellingham is a hidden gem with quaint neighborhoods, a killer food and coffee scene, and natural beauty.
Bellingham is situated near the Canadian border, and a mere 1 ½ hour drive north of Seattle, making it a great day trip from Seattle, or a passthrough on your way to Vancouver and beyond.
Without further ado, here is our day trip guide to Bellingham, WA
As we do with every trip, our first stop was for some much needed caffeine and grub. Cafe Hitchcock is located just 2 minutes away from the ferry station on Winslow Way and is a great location for brunch and lunch. The reuben was extremely delicious and boasted house-smoked pastrami; I would highly recommend it. And if cafe food isn't what you are craving, Winslow Way has several other food options, including where we ended up going for dinner. But I am getting ahead of myself.
What a better way to wash down coffee and sandwiches than with more coffee. A short walk away is the renowned Pegasus Coffee, with its ivy shrouded storefront. Pegasus Coffee was founded on Bainbridge Island in the 1970’s and has been a staple in the community ever since. They have since expanded with a downtown Seattle location, but nothing can match the charm of the flagship store. The shop was packed with people trying to get their coffee fix, but luckily we were able to enjoy our lattes outside.
Now that we were properly dehydrated and charged up, we proceeded to walk around the Harbour Marina to catch some drone footage and view the multitude of fishing vessels and yachts. And if boats aren’t up your alley, there are a few nature preserves and forests on Bainbridge as well. We drove up to the Grand Forest and had a relaxing and easy hike around the forest trails (a great way to walk off the impending dinner and drinks).
However, above and beyond, our favorite place in Bainbridge for nature and views had to be Fay Bainbridge Park in the north. The views of Rainier were insanely gorgeous. We were lucky to find some chairs on the beach and soak it in. The park also has a small campground that we hope to stay at sometime in the near future.
After we saw the sunset, we made our way back to Winslow Way for dinner. We would highly recommend trying to get a table at BASA Restaurant, which is conveniently near Cafe Hitchcock. Know that there will be a line and get on the waitlist and kill some time at one of the other bars or shops. We decided to go to Bainbridge Island Alehouse and were super happy that we did. The alehouse has a well-designed modern interior and a bunch of beers on tap. I really enjoyed their City Lies in Dust Hazy IPA, while Brenna had a flight. After leisurely sipping on our liquid bread, we made our way back to BASA. The food was stellar. We ordered far too much, but we love asian fusion so we just had to. We came there especially for the famous chicken buns, but after trying several of their other dishes, we would have to say the chicken buns were the most underwhelming. That being said, the meal as a whole was 5/5 and we will for sure plan to come back again next time.
Bainbridge Island has so much to offer that we couldn’t cover it all in one day. Bainbridge, as with the other neighboring islands, has something for everyone. The scenery, food, and overall vibe of the island life is something special. So if you are only in Seattle for a short stint, or even if you are a local just looking for a weekend away, Bainbridge Island is a great option. We will definitely be back again soon, hungry for more.
Bainbridge Island Checklist
Ferry from Pier 52
Breakfast/brunch at Cafe Hitchcock
Grab a coffee at Pegasus Coffee
Walk along Harbour Marina
Optional: small hike in the Grand Forest
Visit Fay Bainbridge Park for killer views of Rainier
Drinks at Bainbridge Island Alehouse
Dinner at BASA