20230505: NW Washington Trip – Day 2

Our Excursion: 20230505: NW Washington Trip – Day 2 (Part of trip: )
Date of our excursion: 2023-05-05
Location: Bellingham, Washington

Our Planned Itinerary: Relax in the morning and watch the down pour from the window seat while sipping tea and scarfing down donuts. When the rain lets up take a stroll up a mountain - either Chuckanut or Oyster Dome in prep for don't get dead hike. Weather Forecast: Rainy and humid.  Low 50s.   Our Actual Itinerary: Miles Traversed: 15 Get up with the early train rumbling by EAT! (Fill pockets for "short" walk) Rain Gear up and set out for stroll Wander through the forest and hike down to Teddy Bear Cove Return to Hotel along Interurban Trail dodging rain drops EAT lunch - PBJ and snacks Prep for Afternoon Hike Nap and work on morning walk web update Walk to Haggins for Epson Salt and canned veggies Drop off food and adventure down rain soaked water path Cook veggie soup in make shift kitchen Eat.  Shower. Sleep. Actual Weather: Light Drizzle to light rain.  Breezy.  Cold.  Hot.  Sweaty. Everything in between.

Travelers on this Excursion:

We hit some cool places.

Continents: North America Countries: US States/Provinces/Cantons/Regions: Washington Cities/Villages/Towns: Bellingham

Some featured areas we visited:

Some points of interest we hit:

We learned from our rainy adventure in Kandersteg that long hikes in the frigid downpour are just miserable. As it was supposed to be rainy and overcast today, we planned to watch the rain and the bay from the room’s windowseat. However, we can’t just sit around so we decided to take a quick easy stroll. The rain looks like it is only slowly coming down, if at all. We grab some crackers, oranges, and granola bars and head out in our raincoats and hiking boots. The ground is all wet so we want to keep our feet dry, even though we are just planning to walk on sidewalks.

Well, good thing we headed outside because it’s not actually raining. Maybe a few drizzles and some drops from the overhead leaves. First stop on our list is to explore the tiny park and walking trail right next to the hotel. It’s a nice stroll with bunnies and birds. We saw a deer in the park from our window earlier but we didn’t see the deer during our walk.

We were going to walk a bit on the South Bay Trail over the water, but the day is so nice so we decide to head down the road to check out some other paths and Post Point Heron Colony site. On the way, there are a lost of interesting historical plaques and markers noting the area’s history. We get a nice view from Padden Lagoon. We see a company called “EVIL”. Their logo looks like angry eyes. They look like they might be a bike shop but that might be a front for their dastardly deeds. At the heron site, we see geese with baby geese, but no herons. Maybe the geese ate the herons. We walk a bit and hear the heron up in the treetops. The treetops are filled with nests. A lady we meet says she heard them squawking and was trying to get a video of them for her husband so she can tell him “At least I don’t sound like this in the morning!”.

We look at the map and decide it does not look that far to Teddy Bear Cove. So, we head off. We take a roundabout route through some neighbourhoods and admire the houses and views. We walk a bit through Fairhaven Park, which on G Maps looks like it is just this small park that we see so we leave the park and continue down the road. And then, the sidewalk ends. But, there is still a shoulder. So, we use the shoulder until we see a small path into the woods. Well, G maps says there is nothing there so we pull up maps.me which reveals an extended version of Fairhaven Park with a vast network of trails! It’s not at all straight towards our intended destination, but it is too enticing to pass. So, of course we veer off into this magical forest. It is actually quite beautiful. There are a LOT of trail splits and mountain bike ramps. We keep hiking along, choosing new paths, and referring to the map for general directional guidance. We are still on the way to Teddy Bear Cove, but have decided to take a detour to the Chuckanut Trailhead so we can see how far it is from the hotel.

The hike is very beautiful. At one point, we find a bridge that is closed. The rocks and logs in the stream are all wet and slippery so it would not be wise to try to cross the stream. We can’t go through the stream because it is salmon spawning season. The bridge looks sturdy enough so we hop up, cross carefully, and jump off. Phew, safe.

There is a lot of elevation gain and loss. We need our energy so we eat the granola bars. Good thing we grabbed those before we left. After a while we see the turnoff for Teddy Bear Cove. It’s basically straight down a hill, across a semi-busy street, down another steep hill and across the train tracks. As we head down the hill and the steps, we keep remembering that we are going to have to climb back up this!! The view better be worth it. It is. It’s a nice little cove, well, 2 coves really. Not sure which or if both are Teddy Bear Cove? Doesn’t matter to us. We find a nice log and have our next snack of peanut butter filled crackers. It’s getting chilly, windy, and drizzly again so after looking around some more, we head back up the hills. Well, this is as muscle-destroying as we anticipated. At this point, it’s been about 3 hours and 7 miles so we decide to stop exploring too many new destinations and head back tot he hotel (but not straight back of course!).

The way back was pretty. We took the Interurban trail back, once our path met up with it. I don’t think anything crazy or monumental happened on the way back. We did walk back in a drizzle, which felt refreshing. Back at the hotel, we relaxed, ate pbj sandwiches, and thought about what hike our afternoon would hold. It is not even noon yet so we can fit one more hike in today!

After relaxing in the room for a few hours, we headed back out to find some vegetables and walk along the water. We took the route down the main road to the grocery store and found some veggie ingredients to make a soup. On the way back to the hotel, we traveled by the trail – a much more pleasant walk. We dropped the food off at the hotel and took a short stroll down South Bay Trail. It was chillier and rainier and breezier than before but it was still a nice walk.

For dinner, we mixed up white corn, yellow corn, green beans, and mixed veggies with a bit of spice. These were all in a ziploc bag that we ‘cooked’ in a hot water bath (using boiling water from our teapot). It turned out to be quite delicious and was a much needed variation from pop tarts and the like.

Now, we must plan and pack for tomorrow and hope our old muscles hold out a few days longer.

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Here's an overview video!

If the video isn't showing, it needs to be refreshed. Click this: Check out Bellingham Leisurely Rain Stroll! https://www.relive.cc/view/vXvLPG4nG1v

If the video isn't showing, it needs to be refreshed. Click this: Check out Bellingham Water Walk! https://www.relive.cc/view/vPv4AgX1eRO

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Here's a mapped route!

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Here are some of our pics...

Click the button to see pics here. This pulls from google photos so it is a bit slow. It should load eventually.