Fun in Fairhaven

This morning we are off to get our ferry tickets and then we’ll explore the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham. We were amazed - there was no line at the ferry ticket window and we picked up the tickets and felt like we were on our way.

With tickets safely in hand we walked up the road to Fairhaven. The district sits on a hill above Harris Bay. It all began in 1853 when Daniel Jefferson Harris, 27 years old, set up camp on the beach where Fairhaven is today. He was a visionary and knew the place had potential. Beautiful brick buildings dating back to the late 19th and 20th century were built around the land boom of the 1800s. It was a raucous town and was as colorful as any in the gaslight West. Before heading to the Alaskan gold fields Mark Twain spent time in a Fairhaven billiard parlor. They thought the railroad was coming to town… it didn’t - it went to Seattle instead. In 1893 all construction in Fairhaven stopped. Today it bustles with life as people browse the shops, galleries, and cafes.

We roamed through little shops and found ourselves in a gallery where people were working on ceramic pieces. Walking through the store a staircase took us down into a small English Tea Room. We had lunch here and it was a really neat place. English lace curtains hung in the windows and an eclectic group of antique tables and chairs made you feel at home. We chose a table near the window looking out onto a little garden alley way. We ordered tea (which came in our own tea pots with cozies) and had a mixture of different tea sandwiches. It was really nice. After lunch we sat in the park for a while and I roamed through a nice old bookstore.

Later we went back to camp and started to get things ready for tomorrow. About 6pm we drove into Bellingham to D’Annas Italian Café for dinner. It was a cute little neighborhood place and very friendly.

Today was a really great way to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. Thanks to everyone who called and sent wishes. We couldn’t have had a better day!

Pictures: Alaska Marine Ferry Terminal, Tea Room, Ken lounged in the Fairhaven Park in front of mural