Our Border Corner Tour takes us just north of Bellingham as we near the southern Canadian border. We will first go to Lynden, just five miles south of the border.
Lynden hosts the Northwest Washington Fair is held every year and attracts 200,000 people.
Our next stop is on the outskirts of Lynden and Berthusen Park. This is a great place to take the family, with a covered picnic area, and an old growth forest for epic hiking. The educational buff in you will be entertained with a historic barn which houses a mini-museum of antique tractors and other equipment on display. The wooded trails are courtesy of the Eagle Scout Troop of 2010. This is a small network of trails that loop around – great for tiring the little ones in your group!
From here we journey about 20 minutes by car to the City of Blaine. The northernmost town just at the Canadian border. Here we will visit Peace Arch Park, and the Peace Arch International monument. But this is only half of the monument. The other half, of course, resides just across the border in its sister park, Peace Arch Provincial Park. As the name suggests, the monument is a symbol of the cooperation between both countries in keeping our border safe. It is the only arch erected in the interest of peace among nations, and many wedding and family celebrations take place here.
Now it is on to Semiahmoo Resort. Hugging the water south of Blaine, the resort is located a short drive at the end of a tiny peninsula at Semiahmoo Bay. A true oasis-like getaway, where we are surrounded by the calming waters of the bay, with the backdrop of evergreen trees and the snow-capped mountain beyond. The property has a marina, a beach and plenty of activities such as golf, kayaking and bird watching. The resort itself offers a spa and plenty of activities for the family to enjoy year-round.
Our last stop is protected area of Birch Bay. It is a headland created by the refraction of incoming waves on the land on either side of the bay. As the waves enter the bay, their energy decreases, creating a half-moon shape on the land, and a gentle sloping beach. To the west across the water are the islands off of Vancouver Island in Canada. This is a great place for relaxing by the water, birdwatching, or taking a hike at Birch Bay State Park.
This tour is a scenic and informative way to spend a day along the northern Washington border.
- Lynden
- Berthusen Park
- Blaine and Peace Arch Park
- Semiahmoo
- Birch Bayhosts