It was Friday evening on our second wedding anniversary. I was ready for a cozy evening in, but then Chi told me to pack my bags for a weekend getaway! He told me we were heading towards Bellingham, a small town south of the Canadian border. More specifically, we drove through Chuckanut Drive and it was unexpectedly scenic. Our cozy AirBnB, a newly renovated studio with a tiny kitchen and bathroom was romantic, stylish, and perfect for us. Chi really outdid himself.

And it got even better… He planned a romantic lobster dinner because I was surprised to learn he knew how to cook lobster. It was such a sweet gesture and tasted great We spent the evening chatting, looking at our wedding album, and watching our wedding video with bonus unedited footage.

Saturday October 24, 2020

We woke up pretty early to get a head start on breakfast and a hike at Larrabee State Park. Our first stop was Mount Bakery in Fairhaven. To be safe, we took away my croissant and Chi’s biscuits and gravy to enjoy at our AirBnB. 

We started our 4-mile hike to Fragrance Lake. It was a solid workout in brisk weather. The lake was lovely with some autumn colors and it was great to be outdoors. 

We picked up wood-fired pizzas for lunch and fresh juice. The pizza from Övn in Fairhaven was good and we had more than enough. After relaxing from a heavy lunch and active morning, we ventured out again to explore Bellingham. To my disappointment, it was not as charming as Fairhaven or Port Townsend, but it might have been due to Covid-19.

Our next exploration spot was Teddy Bear Cove. It was a short hike to a beach that crosses a railroad track. It was more beautiful than I expected. We even got dangerously close to passing-by train!

With still some time to spare, we return to Larrabee State Park to explore their beach. Our timing was impeccable and we caught the sun setting over the San Juan Islands. 

We ordered dinner from a local sushi shop and it was surprisingly really tasty and good value! My unagi bowl was huge and priced at $16. We rested afterward and even played a game of Ticket to Ride on Chi’s tablet. 

Sunday October 25th, 2020

We finished leftovers for breakfast and then checkout. We headed to Whatcom Falls Park which was a hidden treasure for colorful leaves. While it wasn’t as vivid as Ontario or New York, it was as good as it gets in our evergreen state. 

We had an outdoor lunch at Magdalena’s Creperie. And after that, I made Chi wander Fairhaven with me. It was such a charming historic town! There were little boutique shops and cafes —such a cute little gem that I just learnt about.

We drove home shortly after and it was a memorable surprise weekend. Honestly, I don’t know how he’ll top this for our future anniversaries. It was perfect in so many ways —from the sweet gestures, yummy meals, scenic hikes, and the excitement of exploring a new place. Without a doubt, within the top two best weekends of 2020 (the other being Stehekin).