One of the things I really love about Bellingham is the plethora of entertainment available on a regular basis. So for this time of the lowdown in the hometown, I thought I’d write about some of my favorite places to go for entertainment!
Best Movie Theater(s)
The Pickford Theater and the Limelight Theater are two independent movie theaters both owned and operated by the nonprofit Pickford Film Center. I really love these theaters and have watched the Pickford Film Center grow from a tiny little theater with terrible seats into the three screen theater it currently is. Mostly, there are independent movies shown on a regular basis but the theaters also do the occasional weekend showings of family movies, different film festivals, and regularly show old sci-fi and noir films. Plus, I’ve recently started volunteering there, giving me even more reasons to love this theater.
Best Live Theater
The Idiom is actually located right behind the Limelight theater in downtown Bellingham and is home to some of the most original productions. It was founded in 2001 and has (in my opinion) thrived as a part of Bellingham culture. There are always an array of amazing and original plays being produced there and the small size of the theater really allows for the audience to be caught in the magic of the performances.
Best Bookstore
Village Books is located in the Fairhaven neighborhood of Bellingham, one that’s not too far from where I grew up. It was renovated and made more modern roughly 11 years ago, losing some of the lovely and homey charm I remember from my childhood. But this independent bookstore still remains one of my favorites to visit. Dogs are always welcome (and treats are at the counter!) and there are author readings, story times, open mics, and so many other events. While this bookstore has drastically changed from the one I remember growing up, it’s still one of my favorite places in Bellingham and favorite bookstores out there.
One of the nice things about Bellingham is the proximity to several beautiful locations with numerous things to do. There are so many trails to hike, places to see, great food to eat. So for this lowdown in the hometown, I’ll be writing about my favorite day trips from Bellingham.
The San Juan Islands are comprised of multiple different islands that are each unique and wonderful to visit. I recently just did a day trip out to Lopez Island and spent several hours just adventuring around the island. There were trails to hike, beaches to explore, and while the village was mostly closed during the winter, it was still fun to walk around and window shop. Shark Reef Sanctuary was definitely my favorite part of the island and has about a mile round trip hike through the forest and gorgeous view of the sound. A few of the other islands include San Juan, Orcas, and Freeman.
My parents met, got married, and lived in Seattle for many years before moving up to Bellingham just after I was born so I grew up taking day trips down to the city. There are plenty of things I love about the city and many things I can so very easily live without (traffic being the key for that). But definitely my favorite touristy place in Seattle is of course the Pike Place Market. This market is a must see while visiting the city and there’s so much to see. It’s a permanent market, home to artist booths, fresh food, fish and seafood sellers, restaurants, and other stores. There’s a floor below the main market that’s home to a great comic shop, a magic store, and a few other places that are always there in the market. Just outside the market, there’s the Left Bank Books that I really love visiting. It’s a collectively owned radical bookstore and has this amazing window seat on the second floor that overlooks the crowds going into the market.
