April 26, 1999
The Interurban Trails, Parks, and Greenways in Whatcom County, Washington State, are awesome.
This weekend my son and I visited The Big Rock Garden City Park, overlooking Lake Whatcom in Bellingham, Washington. Outdoor sculpures of stone, steel, glass and concrete nestled in the forest setting with rhodedendron and azaleas make this place special and unique. I'm looking forward to returning to this favorite site on Mother's Day, when the musicians and artists will be in attendance and add their crafts to the setting. Adjoining the park is a trail that leads down towards the lake. A perfect place for a stroll and conversation.
After visiting Big Rock Garden Park, my son and I took a scenic route through Bellingham: down Alabama Hill and through the winding byways of Yew Street Hill, past KGMI radio station and onward to Lake Padden, where early-season fishers dotted the lake with small rafts in the early evening air. Lake Padden has a delightful trail circumfercing the park, through the trees and along the grassy shore.
We bybassed the lake this evening and took the winding road down towards I-5 to Connelly Creek. Nestled in a quiet residential setting, Connelly Creek Interruban Trail meanders through a quiet strip of forest from the Valley Parkway to Taylor Avenue. The scent of this glade is that of old-growth cedar, moss, and alder. The muffled sound of the interstate traffic and "city noise" is barely noticed as the songs of birds and rustling underbrush become forefront in the glade.
Taking the route up Sehome Hill, we took in the panoramic view of Bellingham Bay and Whatcom County from the Lookout Tower in the Arboretum: over our right shoulder, the majestic white Mt. Baker can be viewed through the trees, while outward, the bright glint of Bellingham Bay spread before us. Pausing a moment to identify the tiny landmarks: the bright red Whatcom County Museum, the stately Assumption Church, and the refineries in the distant horizon.
We briefly hiked the trails between huckleberries and underbrush and wished for more daylight. What a wonderful place we live, to be able to explore woods like this so near to home.
--Beth Marsau
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