Downtown Art Bellingham, Washington

      I have been noticing how many Arizona residents used to live in Washington.  It is a very large amount really.   Including myself and my family!    When we lived in the area, I kept my own Exploring blog page   full of my own pictures of the amazing area   Please check all of the posts out at     http://exploreb-ham.blogspot.com/     Next we Explore amazing Arizona again  I promise!!   

A lot can be said about the natural beauty of the Bellingham area.  I try to show this daily in my pictures.  But it is something one must witness for themselves.  

The Big Rock Garden Park is full of art.  Both natural and artist renderings. 

Western College campus has great old buildings to enjoy and 27 sculptures spread around campus. 

I just found a book and map of all the sculptures--  so will be posting about both locations very soon.

Water trickles through this entire sculpture on WWU campus.

And of course the nearby mountains and ocean lead to some natural beauty!

                                                                 From sun up to sunset.

                                                                Art is on local cars

                                                            This car is winking at you.


                                                 Art can even be found on the city bus 

Art is even on walls.

"Reading is sexy!"

I recently wrote a blog on my other sight about tagging and it's fine line between art and 

vandalism.  Please check it out 

http://wyomingjack.blogspot.com/2012/05/mini-rant-15-first-hint-of-tagging-sell.html

                                      Above Boulevard Park--just off State Street.

         "Are you not entertained?"   This was found on WWU campus.  And can also apply to my readers at the moment!


     Speaking of tagging, I have been spotting the below tag, all around Fairhaven--does anyone know what it stands for??   I tried looking up "angry gerbil" and spray painted hamster on Google, but got nothing helpful.  I did learn that it is a bad idea to spray paint your hamster if you wish to keep it alive. 

                                                       Art can be found in a classic old car.

                                           Or the many classic buildings all around town. 

                                                          Beauty can be found every were!

    All of that said, today's post is all about exploring downtown Bellingham.   This is 90% of the murals in the down town area.   I just found two more great ones, past The Mission, while driving our family home yesterday.   Finding as many of these as you can is a great way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon after going to the Saturday Market.  It also works well for wearing out your kiddos.  Right now, local kids art is displayed all around downtown ---an extra bonus!   I do not know street names ---so to some extent you will have to roam to find some of these pictures.  Find them all and win a great workout~!

Always on the look out for more pictures!

         Today's exploring started out with coffee of course!   The first statue awaited my buddy and I just across the street from the Flat Iron Building.

                                              And than across the street behind us this great mural.

                        Down the hill ---the city park offers great views and more art. 

                                       Enjoy some more murals on the walk to the park.

                                Follow the many stairs back up by the old city hall.   And look for the mural pictured at the top of this blog.   Half a block down you can see a full mural featuring salmon. 

 And near the post office....

            This giraffe guards the public library.    And the nearby museum has some great art both inside and out.  

   Marvel over "the last supper" near Interfaith Medical.

              This boulder blocking most of an alley-way connects to someones deck.  

       Find both of the above murals in the heart of Bellingham's downtown.  

                      Even the parking garage houses some great paintings.  

   One of my personal favorites on Commercial Street.   Although it does not lead to a coffee shop anymore.  :(

       At the Saturday Market....

    Down Railroad Avenue just before the large pet shop.    Well worth a stop inside to see the many animals.  And almost never ending fish tanks!

    Also watch the alleys near here for more abandoned rail road tracks.  

                                  In front of the bus station, watch this sculpture spin. 

                                             And lastly for today-----up State Street.  

                                                                    My kind of coffee mug!!

   Yet another coffee shop that is no longer in business.  Support your local coffee house!   I have noticed for a town that is so into mom & pop stores, and supporting local shopping, the big coffee places are quickly taking over.  

   In support of bike to work day--I am sure this is why this was painted way above the city.  


  I apologize for the next picture----it is on top of the Up & Up building.  

     And of course the newishly painted greeting along the bay heading back to our home in Fairhaven.

Big Rock Garden Bellingham, WA

              I have really been slacking on local Exploring    although I have been taking lots of pictures.   With vehicles not working, lots of working at work, and just life   I regret to say I have not been on the dusty trail for way to long.  I try to keep this page up to date and very local all around Arizona, but once again I jump to a post from my old Exploring Washington page   tonight.     Please check out all of that pages posts    at   http://exploreb-ham.blogspot.com/

Big Rock Garden Park

   Welcome to all of my readers!   This new page is just about Bellingham and Whatcom county and  fun and exciting things to do here.   I have a ton of ideas and new posts in the works.  I just work full time and have a full family at home, so do not always get the ideas down on paper as quickly as I would like to.  I hope you enjoy the posts so far and will pass on this pages link to your friends and family that live in the area!   Coming up are posts about:  All of the statues on WWU campus, Our trip to the new family fun center on Meridian Street, A post just of my favorite pictures around the area while exploring, sunset pictures, our family trip on an 100 year old train --a few weeks back, and an entire post with useful links to those living here or thinking about moving here.  Plus many many more posts and ideas!   Thank you for checking us out and sharing the link!       While you are waiting for new material, please check out my longer running blog series at     http://www.wyomingjack.blogspot.com/   with 300+ posts to roam through.   

    A few weeks back our two boys and I were out and about exploring and stopped at The Big Rock Garden Park.  The only other time I have been there, was about two years ago.  When I started on some trails behind the Starbucks in Barkley Village-and a long time later ended up in the great park.  I am not sure I could do that again.   There are many great trails between the area.  I can tell you the park is above Lake Whatcom.

   A place I have posted about several times now.  I will not ruin the fun, by explaining how to get to this particular park--that is part of the fun of exploring!  Soon I hope to do an entire post just about the wonderful parks in this great town.  Ranking the better parks in my mind.  One of my favorites is very close to the above area --and Great Falls Park.  I have also posted about it several times, with some awesome pictures, if I do say so myself.  

    Several things have stalled me.  I started work almost two months ago, and it is some what strange to stand in the middle of a park, and snap pictures.  Past posts have talked about many of the parks in the area.  I just hope to ramble about them all in one great post.  I also hope to break out my thesaurus soon, and stop using the word "great" so much.  But I really do like most of the things about this town!

   We soon discovered this was not the best place to explore with kids.  They needed room to run and run and be kids.  And people in the park actually wanted to view the many sculptures and enjoy the peace the park usually has to offer. ;)  Just after this picture was takin' the kiddos were blasting through the park.  I took off in the other direction, not sure if I really wanted to take them back home with me.  The kids ran past a larger group of art critics.  I was way down the trail, but heard the adults raise there voices, and was heading to the area to stop any problems.  The adults tried to yell at our kids, saying something about how they were trying to enjoy the art and beauty of the park.  Our youngest, stopped long enough to pant out "that he was just trying to run!"  And than ran off.   I have to say that it was a great response, and the adults really had nothing to say about this.  

   Out of the parking lot, you are first greeted by the above sign.  It shows were all of the sculptures are and a little about each one.  I believe at one time there were just short of 40 sculptures.  Now many of these are just empty spaces.  The many trees and such make this a great place to find yourself and maybe find some peace while you are enjoying the art.  Many benches can also be found through the park.  

     The main gateway into the park.  The entire area is enclosed with a tall wooden fence. 

The land scaping is amazing.

And even the trees offer great pictures.

   The below very bumpy tree is extra neat to look at, and feel.

                                                The park even has fake trees to view.  

  Just past this half building, is a large deck like area, overlooking the lake and beyond.  With many benches to enjoy.   Each sculpture also has a name tag, and some history into what the art is about. 

                                                             "Freedom is not free!!"

   The sculptures are very varied.    And much time can be spent here just looking and learning.

                                                       This trio is read to play you a song!

This full sized horse is just waiting to be petted.

When you visit the park ---read the story on the next two sculptures.  I find them the most interesting of the entire lot.

                                 This would also be a great place to just sit and read.  Do people still do that? 

This turtle just wants to say "Howdy!"

At first I thought the above was also a sculpture.

I defiantly did not get pictures of every thing. 

So that you can still explore and enjoy the area.  

My next exploring blog post will be about our family's great trip on a old train.