Days for Girls Tackles a Taboo
The non-profit organization was founded in 2008 by Celeste Mergens of Lynden who saw the need for feminine hygiene kits while she was working with a family foundation in Kenya.
New Flexible Event Space Highlights Lynden’s Historic Charm | Rübus Events + Gatherings, Inn at Lynden
Last November, the Inn at Lynden unveiled its three newly renovated gathering spaces: the Waples Room, the Edson Room, and Rübus. Situated on the Inn’s lower level, Rübus is now the Inn’s largest meeting space, perfect for special events and memory-making of all sorts. The Inn at Lynden opened in 2015 after Owners Jeff and Deb McClure and Matt and Teri Treat hired RMC Architects to renovate the historic Waples Mercantile Building, previously the Lynden Department Store. The…
Marine Life in Anacortes
Women Researchers at Shannon Point Inspire Students Not far down the road from the Anacortes ferry landing is an important marine research center that has studied everything from seaweed to ocean…
Fighting Bathroom Splash
The challenge: Designing and remodeling a bathroom that involved a rotting floor due to water splashing from the shower curtain enclosure. The first question was “How do we keep the water in the tub?” My clients wanted to keep the large bathtub, so swapping it out for a shower was not an option. I am always looking for inspiration when I travel and remembered a trip to Asia not long ago. The hotel room where I was staying had a…
Is Low-Carb the Way to Go?
Proteins, Fats Give Energy Too These days it seems that every other news story is talking about the merits (or pitfalls) of the low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet, also commonly referred to as the Keto Diet. So what is it and should you follow it? In a nutshell, the majority of the calories you consume in a day are primarily from foods that are low in carbohydrates, historically thought to be the main fuel (energy) source required by humans…
More Than Great Beer
In downtown Anacortes, the 105-year old building at 902 Commercial Ave. has been home to a flooring company, an antique store, a hair salon, and, since January 2016, it’s housed The Union Tavern, the town’s beer-centric bar. Owner Joseph Lopez intended to establish a local watering hole that…
Passion Plates
Thanks to renowned chef Sabrina Tinsley, cuisine from the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy can be found right in Seattle. Tinsley…
Best of the Northwest 2018 Celebration
Bellingham Alive’s Best of the Northwest is both our biggest magazine issue and biggest shindig of year. The Best of…
Esthetician to the Rescue
Many people wonder what exactly an esthetician does or how regular facials can help their skin. I am passionate about changing skin through proper education, treatment and most of all, addressing the misconceptions…
Fusing Glass in Custer
Jenny Reich started experimenting with stained glass in the 1970s in Atlanta as a creative outlet. Today, you can find her with her dogs Lola and Salem in northern Whatcom…
Five Faves
1. KEENAN’S AT THE PIER …
Chef With Sense of Place
Chef Jason Wilson is renowned in the Seattle area. His three local restaurants, Miller’s Guild, The Lakehouse, and Civility & Unrest, keep the locals satisfied and the tourists coming back for more. He will soon be adding another restaurant to his ever- expanding Seattle presence with a Pike Place Market addition,…
A Taste of the Mediterranean
From her stove in Bellingham, Samantha Ferraro has cooked up a gourmet selection of Mediterranean dishes highlighting world cuisine and cultural favors. Her recipes have found their way to…
Walking With the Nooksack River
Just under two miles past the town of Glacier, after crossing the North Fork of the Nooksack River, a gravel lot sits to the right of Mount Baker Highway. Here, directly across Douglas Fir Campground, is the start of a must-do trail: Horseshoe Bend. Shadowing the Nooksack, Horseshoe Bend is an easy to moderate trail that’s both family- and dog-friendly. With an elevation gain of…
Hoping to Shake Up Bellingham’s Art Scene
He created the Rocket Donuts’ rocket in downtown Bellingham and has been a contractor for 25 years designing multimillion-dollar homes in the Pacific Northwest. Now, Alexei Ford has just opened Ruckus, a downtown art gallery just a stone’s throw from the Bellingham Farmers Market. Ruckus prides itself on combining an authenticity of the West with a modern organic appeal and rugged functionality. A love for weathered wood, leather, rust and canvas…
Attorney at Law, Humanitarian at Heart
Immigration is a hot issue not only nationally, but locally. And lawyer and teacher Hannah E. Stone has been at its center in Whatcom County. Stone, 42, has worked in immigration and citizenship law in Bellingham for 11 years and has served as chair of the Whatcom County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Her clients’ countries of origin range from Canada to China. She has hundreds of cases…
Forest Fighters
Amid the economic crisis of the Great Depression, 200 young, unmarried men ages 18 to 25 labored long days to build access roads, fire lookouts, and other structures on some of Whatcom County’s most prized public lands. Eighty-five years later, the young men’s work is being recognized with a statue at the Glacier Public Service Center, a visitor center now housed in a building constructed by the young men off…
An Anacortes Home for the Sunset Years
Here is a quick glimpse inside this beautiful home in Anacortes, with amazing detail to design and even more incredible views.
Tri-Cities and Prosser Areas: A Haven for Washington Wine Lovers
Western Washington wine lovers in search of a wine-related getaway should look no further than the eastern side of the state. The…
Restoring Marine Habitat, One Crab Pot at a Time
Bryan Dealing yells, “Stand by! Let it go! Twenty-six feet!” and then, splash! The diver, with his hand gripping the weighted rope that leads into the sea below him, steps off from the back of the boat into the cloudy, dark waters of Everett’s Port Gardner. It’s the middle of February. While not raining, the wind blows hard across the chilling water and the boat deck offers little protection. Fully covered in neoprene,…
Bringing the Beauty Home with You
Meraki Boutique in Victoria, B.C. offers locally crafted goods and high-quality fashions in the Uptown Shopping Centre.
Red Rum Tiki Bar | Mixing Tin
Heeeere’s Johnny! (With Your Cocktail) Are you ready to be transported to an island oasis? Take one step into Red Rum, the new tiki bar in downtown Bellingham, and you’re greeted with bamboo huts, tiki torches, and no visible windows hinting at what the outside world holds. You…
Humor Without a Safety Net
By its nature, Bellingham Alive is designed to be a perpetual work in progress. As our community changes, Bellingham Alive will always change with it. Few may have believed that Bellingham Alive would succeed when we published our first issue 10 years ago in the Great Recession. I did, however. I had faith in my wife, Lisa, and her vision and determination. Our goal was simple—to simply make a difference in our community, to celebrate our community, and to help drive business through the doors of our community. Certainly, we hope that our magazine has become a source of pride for our local counties. That is our goal. That is our commitment to you.
Lasting Image | Kerry Butowicz
Beltane is celebrated with a maypole dance. This shot was achieved by standing in the middle of the dancers underneath the interwoven ribbons. Feeling the joy of the community surrounding me brought this festival to life in its purest form.