Jackie Granger

Family gathered around a stone fire pit with red Adirondack chairs beside Lake Whatcom at sunset

Managing a Legacy Vacation Home Responsibly: A Lake Whatcom Guide

Managing a legacy vacation home responsibly starts with a conversation you can’t really prepare a script for. One family on Lake Whatcom came to us with theirs already half-decided: their mother had bought the home later in life, and when she could no longer live there on her own, her two sons inherited the decision. […]

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Mt. Baker seen from the Nooksack River near Glacier, WA

What to Do in Glacier WA: Beyond the Highway Stops

Most people driving Mount Baker Highway have one destination in mind: Artist Point. They pass through Glacier at the posted 35 miles an hour, stop for gas maybe, and keep climbing toward the overlook everyone’s already seen online. The town itself gets treated like a bathroom break between Bellingham and the mountain. What to do

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Low late-summer sun over Birch Bay WA with driftwood and beach grass in the foreground and a forested point across the water

Best Things to Do in Birch Bay Before Summer Ends

Labor Day comes and Birch Bay changes character almost overnight. The day-trippers thin out. The state park lot has open spots again by mid-morning. The water, which took all summer to warm up in this shallow, west-facing bay, is at its best right as most people stop coming. That gap between the calendar and the

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Alpine hiking trail near Mt. Baker in late summer with green fir trees and mountain views, Whatcom County WA

Mt. Baker in Fall: Things to Do When the Crowds Thin Out

Winter is the obvious peak on Mt. Baker — the snow record, the ski season, the crowds that come with it. But for the hiking corridor, summer gets the traffic. Mt. Baker in fall — after Labor Day, once the crowds thin out — is better than both. The crowds thin out after Labor Day.

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Heavy storm clouds rolling over the water at dusk on Lummi Island in Whatcom County Washington

Storm Watching on the PNW Coast: A Fall Preview

Whatcom County has a reputation built on its summers. Blue skies over Bellingham Bay, long evenings in Fairhaven, kayaks in the water and bikes on the trails. It earns it. But the county has a different season that doesn’t get nearly as much attention — and if you’ve ever watched a storm roll across the

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Living room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lake Whatcom at a vacation rental cabin in Whatcom County

Vacation Rental Management Near Lake Whatcom: What Cabin and Waterfront Owners Should Know

When a couple from the Seattle area bought a cabin on Lake Whatcom a few years ago, they had a clear picture of how it would go. The property had been a vacation home for a previous owner. The bones were solid. The setting was extraordinary. They’d list it on Airbnb, handle things remotely, and

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Sunset over calm water at Birch Bay WA with the beach and tidal flats visible in the foreground

Things to Do in Birch Bay WA This Summer

The best things to do in Birch Bay WA all start with the water. This shallow, west-facing bay along Whatcom County’s western edge warms up faster than the open coast, which is why it turns into the county’s beach town every summer. Bellingham locals drive up for the day. Guests staying nearby build whole weekends

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