Great Falls Park And Beyond Bellingham Washington

  **I try to keep this page local and fresh.  Full of pictures and Exploring around Arizona.   In the past I had a similar page in Washington state focusing around the Bellingham area.  I have noticed since moving back to Arizona that a ton of residents or those passing through are from Washington ---so thought some of these posts would make them smile.  All of my water pictures make me smile.  As in my new page, all of the pictures are my own.  And many of them will be up for sale in the very near future.   To check out more of my pictures and much more Washington Exploring please check out yet another page of mine at   http://exploreb-ham.blogspot.com/    Next we come back much closer to home and Explore the  amazing Grand Canyon!   Thank you for supporting and sharing this very page!

     Out of all the parks and places to explore in the area, Whatcom Falls Park is one of my favorites for sure!   I have talked about the great place before.  Please check out 
http://wyomingjack.blogspot.com/2011/03/falls-park-go-and-take-fall-and-enjoy.html

     This park has everything from multiple trails to water falls obviously something to do with the areas name sake.   Multiple water falls.  Above is the main fall.   And right now the water levels are way up with the warm temperatures and lots of current rain.  Two large playgrounds are in the park.  Several buses go right by the park or very near.  You can also get off near Bay View Cemetery and wander you way up.  I always find cemetery's an interesting place to roam around.  They are very peaceful if nothing else.   Turn at the above sign to be very near the main parking lot and the falls trails.  Up a little farther is another large parking lot, by the 2nd playground and some basketball courts.
      Besides the amazing views, pools of water to cool off in, and great trails---  the first time I spent any time in this park was about six years ago.  My girl friend at the time, now she happens to be my wife, was packing up everything she owned into her Buick.   We had meet months before that and now her and her three kids were moving across the country.  So the park has some special meaning to me also.   

                                My exploring partner for the day----Our oldest

    Saturday was a very nice and sun filled day.  I believe it was near 70 outside that day.  So we set out off the bus, down the narrow roadway to the main parking lot.  

     A decent sized fish hatchery is just above the parking lot.   Right now most of the ponds are full of larger fish.   The tank of Rainbow Trout was a sight. 

  

Leading over the old bridge from up above.

This bridge makes for some great pictures.  Most of these are from the trails just above the bridge before crossing it. 

    This is right above the falls and makes it almost look like the water is dropping off to no-wheres-ville.

       I love this picture.  It is much more of a challenge to get down to the river once you cross the bride.  But well worth it.  

Just to the left of the bridge looks like what might be the greatest water

slide there is?

   Once you cross the bridge you can take trails to pretty much any part of town.  We followed the water up past the next two smaller falls.  

     Just past the third waterfall is a bridge that crosses a large pond.  This is usually full of ducks and is supposed to be a great fishing sight.   

    Trails lead on both sides of the pond.  If you stay to the left you soon end up in swamp land.   Relics of the old train tracks can be found all around this area.  We crossed the large bridge and than the road.  Bringing us to Donavan Park.

My hike partner was worn out.

     The full on sun led for some very bright blue water at Lake Whatcom.  

                                                                     My new buddy!

      If you really have some skill, try and cross the floating logs.   This divides the swimming area from were people can boat.    A nice sized playground and pit of sand for playing volley ball is near the lake.  Much of the area is full of sunbathers and swimmers once summer really kicks in.  This is much better an area to wade, than Falls Park which is full of overly sharp and slippery rocks.  But when the temperatures rise, expect to walk before you can cool off.   Some great trails lead around the lake.   Big Rock Park sits on the hillside near Lake Whatcom and will be the focus of a blog in the near future.   This was a very enjoyable day.  And I came away with some great pictures.   These pictures are getting me threw days like today, were it is all out rain outside.  






            Please check out my other blog at  http://wyomingjack.blogspot.com

                        Now it's your turn to guess were I was out exploring last!  

Further Down The Road And A Plug.

 
      **I try to keep this page local and fresh.  Full of pictures and Exploring around Arizona.   In the past I had a similar page in Washington state focusing around the Bellingham area.  I have noticed since moving back to Arizona that a ton of residents or those passing through are from Washington ---so thought some of these posts would make them smile.  All of my water pictures make me smile.  As in my new page, all of the pictures are my own.  And many of them will be up for sale in the very near future.   To check out more of my pictures and much more Washington Exploring please check out yet another page of mine at   http://exploreb-ham.blogspot.com/

         Today we explore just beyond Bellingham and Whatcom county.  I have lived in this area off and on for many years, but until just recently have never made it to this great festival.  Great for all of the senses at once.   Our daughter and I had a free weekend about two weeks ago and set off to beautiful Mt Vernon.   

   Usually when I am going just down the road into Skagit county, I am going to the casino.  Although I love the casino I work at, Skagit offers a free beverage bar, good paying games, and   a great snack bar.   They also offer a free ten dollars when you buy in with twenty dollars on Tuesdays.   Maybe I should have joined there advertising team or work force.   Maybe my wife is right, again, and I think about gambling just a little to much since getting a job at a casino.  Or we end up at the mall.  Malls are never an enjoyable experience for me.  But this mall has some interesting features including a church inside the mall.  In all my travels I do not believe I have seen this before.   Whatever takes you there, Mt Vernon is literally just down the road from beautiful Bellingham, and has some great sights to explore any day.

    Just before the town you can branch off the highway and wind down Chuckanut Road.   A long but very worth it drive.   Full of great views.  We had hoped to return home this way, but our time schedule did not allow it.  

    Our daughter took it well that I had to stop in the middle of no were to snap a few pictures along the way.   I must warn all my readers now, that I got very trigger happy with pictures on this journey.   So this is a very picture filled post.  I hope you enjoy them even half as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Every time I pass this bridge I have wanted a picture of it.   

Just beyond the bridge was this great homestead with a shack in the back falling down...

    We started out in downtown Mt Vernon, just past the bus depot.  Were we got an amazingly accurate map to the tulip fields.  Close by was the old court house.   Old buildings are always amazing to me.  But it seems like the best molds are set aside for court houses and city halls.  

        Yes we have some great modern weapons, but can you imagine coming out of the woods and suddenly being eye to eye with one of these?

Easily the most recognizable building in town. 

                                                           Old theatre down town.
                                                       Just past the visitors center and the above building you hit the water front.      

                                                                 Huge tulips!

                                         I spyed this while sitting in traffic heading to the tulips. 
                        Yes the drinking parrot is kool too---but just behind him is the huge sign
   the bucket list of sorts is a huge chalk board and can be continually changed.  

                                                  Over the bridge to the country side.   
                                 The farm houses along the way were amazing.   And huge.   

I am a sucker for old barns.

This one sits right across the street from our destination 

Tulip Town.

                                          Of course the flowers were beyond amazing
                                                     But so was the landscaping.   

On to the stars of the show!

                                      As I said, I snapped many a picture.   ;)

Row upon row of amazing beauty.

The pictures do not even begin to show the size of the fields. 

And this is only one stop in all of the tulip fields.
We never made it to any of the others.

My favorite color is red and my wife's is purple   so I could not resist this shot.

                               Another great shot--sneaking in the surrounding old barns. 

Tired of walking through the rutted fields?

Jump on a wagon.

Close up!

Last shot.

Shows that all beauty dies.  

But is still purty and amazingly important in someones eyes AND in Gods eyes. 

With our cross country move coming up very soon--I will definitely be working on new posts.

But actually posting them will be delayed.   

Please check out old posts on this page and my first blog page  www.wyomingjack.blogspot.com

And this summer I will be starting a 3rd exploring page.   

All about exploring Arizona.