Bellingham: The City of Subdued Excitement

            Everyone calls it “the city of subdued excitement”. It never occurred to me how ironic the city’s title really is. Bellingham is a city that sits hushed up in the most north-western region of the United States and is home to a community that thrive on experiencing the outdoors in its entirety.

            Luckily for us Bellinghamsters, our quaint city is located in a corner of the world that offers outdoor adventure on a limitless scale. Sitting between the San Juan Islands to the west and the North Cascade Mountains to the east, there is no such thing as subdued excitement within miles of this beautiful northwest country.

            In the winter, we live on the mountain. Just an hour’s drive east and you’ve found Mt. Baker, 10,781 feet of cascade beauty. Half of Bellingham spends December to January in the Mt. Baker Ski Lodge, drinking booze and hot chocolate between turns on the slopes. When we’re not skiing or snowboarding, you’ll find us exploring the majesty of Mt Baker, climbing frozen waterfalls and summits up to Grant’s Peak.

            By spring, our lovely snow has gone, and it’s time to hit the trails. Wildflowers cover meadows for miles and the cool mountain mornings are not only breathtaking, but extremely accessible to locals and visitors alike. As the snow continues to thaw, so does the city. Local shops, restaurants, and breweries extend their opening hours as the days grow longer.

            When summer rolls around, we take advantage of every second. With weekend morning markets in full swing, Bellingham is alive from sunrise to sundown. By noon on a summer day, you can find us in the water. Whether it’s kayaking in Chuckanut Bay or paddle boarding the shores of Lake Whatcom, Bellingham will be out soaking up the sun. As long as we have one of our local craft beers in hand while doing so.

            At the end of a long day you’ll find most of us down on the shores of Bellingham Bay, watching the last light illuminate the water and the city behind it. A more appropriate name for this place would be “the city of Subaru lovers and craft beer snobs”. I suppose one would need to visit Bellingham in order to understand that reference. As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing subdued about it.

Written by Alexander Powell.

Alexander is a thisworldexists Adventure Ambassador. Want to see more? Find Alex on Instagram: @inthetrees_