Kirsten Stout

Fairhaven, Washington (or the Fairhaven Village) was founded in the late 1880s and is now part of the City of Bellingham. It is on the south side of Bellingham, and borders Bellingham Bay on the west and Western Washington University on the northeast. Its center is the Fairhaven Historical District, which features a seasonal farmer's market as well as numerous restaurants and shops. The district is a popular tourist destination.

In the summer you can go to an evening movie at the Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema, Presented by Keller Williams Western Realty. The event starts with live music, the movie starts at dusk. Bring your blanket and a picnic and enjoy a fun evening.

Do you love a good book? Fairhaven is home to a favorite local book store, Village Books. Their Literature Live program hosts local, regional and national authors nearly every day of the week. Village Books is a great place to meet your friends, talk books, or just while away an hour or two. If you're in the neighborhood come on in for a browse. Enjoy a lunch or a latte in the cafe upstairs. They also buy and sell used books.

For a calendar of events or dining, shopping and lodging information go to www.fairhaven.com.

Mount Baker provides skiers and snow boarders with the longest season (November-April) the earliest snow in the state, and the most snow (average 595 inches a year) in North America. Mt. Baker has a vertical drop of 1,500 feet with eight chair lifts and one tow-rope. Call 360-671-0211 for the Mt. Baker snow report and ski conditions.

Skiing

Mt. Baker 2010-2011 season pass on sale now. You can get a discounted rate through October 31st. For more information or to purchase online go to http://www.mtbaker.us/

It takes about an hour and 15 minutes to get to Mt. Baker from Bellingham. If you don't ski or snowboard, you can have lots of fun sledding or tubeing outside of the ski area boundaries.