After arriving on Orcas Island, we headed directly to Moran State Park up to Mount Constitution…read more(9/16/26). It helps to have a vehicle in decent condition to make the drive to/from the top. Be cautious as there are also cyclists making the same trek on the narrow paved road. At the top, the visitor center was not open during our visit. It is required to have a Discover Pass (annual with your car registration) or one can buy a day pass for $10 via cash or card. Don't take your chances to get a ticket. The observation tower and viewpoint are accessed via a gravel trail (not paved and at an incline). I have a bad knee and made it up there, albeit slowly. There's a small bench midway. Later, I saw another person with crutches who opted to remain by visitor center for safety reasons. Beautiful views of Mt. Baker, the other islands, and even towards Canada. There are also a few picnic tables and various trail heads. Amazing views and fresh air. We've visited before when there was snowfall or recently on Sept 16th where the fog & clouds cleared by the time we reached the top. No issues from any wildfires, thankfully! As we were headed back down, there was considerable traffic headed upward. Recommend going there early regardless of season.

Unbelievable 360-degree views! Visiting Mount Constitution…read moreand climbing the historic stone tower was easily the highlight of our trip to Orcas Island. On a clear day, the 360-degree panoramic view of the San Juan Islands, the surrounding water, and Mount Baker in the distance is absolutely breathtaking. Whether you drive up or hike, it is 100% worth the trip. Don't miss this spot if you're on the island!

For the ladies that act as docents for the Pickett house, this is truly a labor of love. Their…read moreexcitement about the house and it's history are contagious. When you visit, donate well, as the house needs a lot of care. Many of the repairs are done by the ladies themselves.

These guys are great! I own a little bar here in Bedford Falls and never could scrape enough up to…read morebuy my own place. With the help of of Bailey Brothers Building and Loan, I now have one of the cutest little places you've ever seen. (Shout out to George and his Uncle Billy.) Please know that you have a customer for life in Giuseppe Martini. Come by the bar any time - free flaming rum punches on the house!

I spent years living and working in Bellingham, Washington, and despite all the praise the city…read morereceives, I am leaving with one overwhelming feeling: relief. I arrived expecting the welcoming, community oriented city that people constantly talk about. Instead, I found a place that often felt closed off, performative, and surprisingly difficult to connect with. As someone whose job required me to spend years interacting with thousands of local residents, schools, parents, businesses, community organizations, and young adults throughout Whatcom County, I had a front-row seat to the culture. The longer I stayed, the more disappointed I became. Bellingham has built an identity around being inclusive, progressive, and compassionate. Those words are repeated constantly. Unfortunately, I found that many people were far more interested in being perceived that way than actually living those values. There was often a noticeable gap between what people said and how they treated others who were outside their social circles or who held different views. One of the most frustrating aspects of living here was how difficult it was to build genuine relationships. People were usually polite enough on the surface, but many interactions felt transactional or guarded. Established social groups seemed uninterested in welcoming newcomers, and years of living in the community often felt no different than the day I arrived. For a city that talks endlessly about community, I found remarkably little of it. The culture also felt deeply judgmental. There was a strong sense that certain opinions, lifestyles, careers, and backgrounds were considered acceptable while others were quietly looked down upon. The judgment was rarely direct. Instead, it came through passive aggression, social exclusion, and subtle condescension. Disagreement was often treated as a moral failing rather than a normal part of living in a diverse society. What made this especially disappointing was the contrast between the people and the place itself. The scenery is incredible. The mountains are breathtaking. The waterfront is beautiful. The trails, forests, and islands are some of the best I have ever experienced. Nearly every visitor who came to see us understood immediately why people fall in love with the area. The problem was that the beauty of the landscape could only compensate so much for the culture surrounding it. Bellingham often struck me as a city completely convinced of its own virtue. Criticism was not welcomed. Self-reflection seemed rare. Many residents appeared convinced they lived in a uniquely enlightened community while displaying the same flaws found everywhere else. The difference was that those flaws were frequently hidden behind carefully crafted appearances. After years of investing my time in the community, volunteering at local events, working with schools, participating in public activities, and trying to build meaningful connections, my lasting impression is not one of warmth or belonging. It is a feeling that Bellingham cares far more about maintaining its reputation than examining whether that reputation is deserved. As my family prepares to leave, I find myself surprisingly emotional. Not because I am sad to be leaving the city itself, but because I wanted so badly to love it. The Pacific Northwest landscape delivered everything I hoped for. The community did not. I will miss the mountains. I will miss the water. I will miss the forests. I will miss the sunsets over the bay. What I will not miss is the culture that turned one of the most beautiful places in America into one of the easiest places I have ever left behind.

Here we are, at the 1,000th review…read more What better way to ring it in is to review my hometown, Bellingham, Washington, where I was born, raised, and spent a majority of my life? It's known as the "City of Subdued Enthusiasm," but my enthusiasm can't be subdued. It's really the perfect location -- 45 miles south of Vancouver, B.C. and 90 miles north of Seattle ... not to small, not too big. I grew up overlooking Bellingham Bay, and seeing it up close and personal at Boulevard Park. It's a great mix of people. About 20 of the 80k in the town come from Western Washington University. That means a big chunk of the town is gone in the summer, when the rain disappears and it's 70 degrees and sunny for about 90 days. The Fairhaven District -- although not as hippy as it once was -- is still a great area, with famed Village Books that intermingles with the Colophon Cafe (and their great sandwiches and soups). It's also got amazing parks and trails for walking and biking. Even in the dead of winter, the mild high thirties make almost any day great for a walk. So, if you're thinking of moving to Bellingham, I highly recommend it. I love going back and can't wait to move back (someday, hopefully soon)! Still, after all these years, it's a great place!

I periodically pay our water bill in person at City Hall. The staff is always efficient and very…read morefriendly.

Absolutely go here to get your vehicle registered vs. the other registration place. No lines for…read morethe most part, the people are friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient, and supposedly it is slightly cheaper here. Plus easier parking! Just keep in mind that you need to bring cash or check, not even debit, to avoid an additional fee.

Had a bit of confusion w/a mailing address and was worried as the holiday season had begun. Thank…read moreyou for fixing it

I've lived all over the country. This is one of the best little post offices with the most helpful…read morepeople that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Miss the days of yesteryear when a post office really meant something? When it wasn't an industrial…read morebuilding made for efficiency instead of a quaint fixture in a small town? Well, there are still thousands of adorable little buildings that dot the landscape and remind us of a simpler time when the mail was such a form of entertainment and interest. And one of them is right here on Orcas Island. Have a card to send? A postcard to make people jealous? This is your stop. I wanted to send some cards from the island and so I popped them in the box here before boarding the ferry. You can walk while you're waiting for the ferry to dock; it's just outside the normal Orcas Village development. This building was also the first one I saw when I arrived. It was dark, and as I exited the dock my headlights registered Post Office. It seems a lovely sentinel to a simpler way of life and a slower time--the things that island life represent. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go into the building, but I they drive up box is convenient. They have a few parking places there as well, if you're driving in. Cute, and perfect.

There's something very special about a post office in a faraway place. It's a link to someone else;…read morean unseen string that connects you to them with nothing more than a few strokes of the pen, and a stamp. It also seems like a connection to a different time; a bygone era when we chose paper over pixels, cute cards over keyboards, and real connection over virtual reality. Perhaps today, as our society currently sits in isolation, a post office feels a little less distant in the past. Yes, a post office is a place where you send and pick up greetings from afar, and for a just a moment, that stamp connects your minds and hearts. Maybe you send a postcard from a trip. Maybe it's a letter from an overseas assignment. Or maybe it's a birthday card, painted with beautiful daffodils, or daisies, or dahlias; just to tell someone that you're thinking of them, you're glad they're doing well, and to wish them the very happiest of everythings. Yes, this post office has all of that charm. Located on "20 Jack and Jill Place," you couldn't ask for a more picturesque place. Perched on the incline headed out of Deer Harbor on Orcas Island, it houses just a few PO Boxes for this tiny community. There are three post offices on the island, actually, and it says something about my affinity for snail mail that I've been into two of them, and been by the third. I actually use the one right up the road from the ferry most often, as I sometimes send cards to friends on my way off the island. Especially today, I'm thinking about this post office and that connection it makes between two people.

The San Juan islands are really a special treat in the heart of north west Washington. I took a…read moreferry, as you must, to get to Deer Harbor. After a slow and winding drive through the hills and valleys, I ended up at the post office. This office sits up on a hill overlooking the street below. It is across the street from which appeared to be a market or maybe a tavern. There really isn't any parking here and the hill is quite steep. The post office itself is really cute and well maintained and the workers are really friendly. They kind if give off a small town feel but it's to be expected from the people that live on the island. Really friendly.