Bellingham (part 1) & La Conner, WA

Buses and trains from Vancouver to Bellingham depart from Pacific Central station.

If you travel from Vancouver to Bellingham by bus, note that it could be delayed at the border crossing in Blaine.

It is necessary to get off the bus with all luggage and foreigners must pay a $6 fee for the documentation to pass through U.S. Customs and Border Protection checks at a land crossing.

 

Bellingham 

Although my bus was late on Wednesday 28 September, 2016, I was lucky to be met at Cordata Station, Bellingham by my second cousin Maureen. She lives in Bellingham and taught theatre at Western Washington University until retiring.

Thirsty weather for Tim on the South Bay Trail

Maureen drove to nearby Fairhaven and we went for a walk on part of the South Bay Trail which connects Bellingham to Boulevard Park and Fairhaven Green.

Driving back later it was time for my first beer in Bellingham, WA, at Elizabeth Station 'beer market and cereal bar'.

There is parking at the side and there are outside tables with bench seating at the front (1400 West Holly Street).

Aslan - Azacca Fresh Hop

The big windows at the front provide plenty of daylight for the tables and bench seating inside.

The main bar has 16 taps and details of the beers are displayed on a blackboard.
The beer I enjoyed (in a 10.5 oz glass, $4) was Aslan Brewing Co Azacca Fresh Hop, brewed in Bellingham.
Elizabeth Station also has a back bar with 8 taps of ciders, meads and gluten-free beer.

Before leaving, I chose some chilled cans from a wide range to take back to Maureen's house nearby where I was happy to be staying as her guest.

It was nice to see some paintings by her grandfather, Roland Ryder-Smith, displayed in the house.

The can of Silver Moon Brewing (Bend, Oregon) Chapter 2 Casual Ale (4.7% ABV) was enjoyed on my first evening in Bellingham.

 

La Conner

On Thursday, 29 September, Maureen kindly drove me south to La Conner, situated near the mouth of the Skagit River. Across the river lies the home of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

First Street, La Conner, has several shops and boutiques and is the location for La Conner Brewing Company.

The premises includes a pleasant brewpub with friendly service which first opened in 1995.  Here we ordered lunch and I was able to taste several beers brewed on the premises.

 A flight of five beers was delivered on a tray with metal handles at each end.

From the beers listed on the blackboard above the bar, I chose Raspberry Wheat (5.5% ABV), Octoberfest (6.3%), ESB (5.3%), Ankle Biter IPA (6.2%) and NW IPA (6.8%). The pale Raspberry Wheat had a full berry flavour and was an ideal appetiser.

Maureen and I both enjoyed the Clam Chowder as a starter. The recipe for the La Conner Brewing version of this coastal favourite has been published online in recipesecrets.net by Chef Tom.

On the drive back to Bellingham, Maureen took the scenic route - Chuckanut Drive. A stop in a layby gave an opportunity to look back towards Skagit County and the San Juan Islands.

Once back at base, it was soon time for another can purchased from Elizabeth Station. This beer was brewed by Bellevue Brewing Co (located a few miles inland from Seattle) to celebrate the Washington Trails Association's 50th anniversary.

Beers with grapefruit are among my favourites so a Tangerine pale ale was also appealing.
Cheers Maureen!