Page 611 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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gallery. The downtown Art
District has numerous restau-
rants, art galleries, and specialty
shops. South of downtown,
the historic Fairhaven district
is an artsy enclave of Victorian
buildings housing galleries,
restaurants, and bookstores.
Just up the hill from
downtown sits the campus
of Western Washington
University, with its famous
collection of outdoor
sculptures, including artworks
Point Wilson Lighthouse, in Port Townsend’s Fort Worden State Park by noted American artists
Richard Serra, Mark di Suvero,
3 Port Townsend 4 Bellingham and Richard Beyer.
From Bellingham’s ports,
* 9,100. 4 from Keystone on * 81,000. k n 904 Potter St,
Whidbey Island & from Edmonds. (800) 487-2032. ∑ bellingham.org passenger ferries leave for
n 2409 Jefferson St, (888) 365-6978. whale-watching cruises and
∑ jeffcountychamber.org Overlooking Bellingham Bay tours to Vancouver Island
and many of the San Juan and the San Juan Islands. Near
This seaport, a National Historic Islands (see pp610–11), this town the city are several waterfront
Landmark, is one of only three consists of four original towns – parks, hiking and biking trails,
seaports on the National Whatcom, Sehome, Bellingham, and recreational areas. South
Registry. A building boom and Fairhaven – consolidated of the city, Chuckanut Drive
in the late 1800s left the town into a single entity in 1904. The (Highway 11) is a scenic 21-mile
with several grand Victorian town’s historic architecture (34-km) loop. Some 55 miles
mansions, which now includes Old Whatcom (88.5 km) east of Bellingham
form the cornerstone County Courthouse on is the 10,778-ft- (3,285-m-)
of its thriving East Street, the first brick high Mount Baker, which
tourism industry. building north of San is a popular location for skiing
Downtown’s Francisco, built in 1858, and snowboarding.
Romanesque Jefferson and the majestic City
County Courthouse Hall. Built in 1892 E Whatcom Museum
with its 124-ft- in the Victorian 250 Flora St. Tel (360) 778-8930.
(38-m-) tall clock Second Empire style, Open noon–5pm Wed–Sun (to 8pm
tower, is claimed to the City Hall is now Thu, from 10am Sat). & 7 =
be the jewel of Port part of the Whatcom ∑ whatcommuseum.org
Townsend’s Victorian Tower of Bellingham’s Museum, with E Western Washington
architecture. Farther former City Hall historical displays University
away, the old City from Bellingham’s n S College Dr & College Way.
Hall is now the Jefferson past. The museum’s main Tel (360) 650-3000. Campus
County Historical Society, building, the Lightcatcher, Information: Open mid-Jun–
home to the city council, as which opened in 2009 and mid-Sep: 7:15am–4:30pm Mon–Fri,
well as an excellent museum. features an iconic translucent 9:30am–2:30pm Sat; mid-Sep–
Other famous buildings include wall, houses changing art mid-Jun: 7:15am–8pm Mon–Fri.
the Ann Starrett Mansion and exhibits and a kid-friendly Closed public hols. 7 ∑ wwu.edu
the Rothschild House.
The Fire Bell Tower, on
the bluff overlooking
downtown, was built to
summon the town’s voluntary
firefighters. Point Wilson
Lighthouse, in Fort Worden
State Park, first lit in 1879, is
still in operation. The fort is
dotted with dozens of historic
buildings and the grounds
make a delightful stroll.
Port Townsend is also an
excellent base from which to
make whale-watching, kayak-
ing, and cycling daytrips. Crab traps on a boat ready to set out from Bellingham Harbor

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