Whether you’re looking for a destination drive or just a pretty route to take to Bellingham, Chuckanut Drive is certainly a beauty.

There’s plenty to see as the curving road hugs the Chuckanut Mountains and winds its way along Samish and Bellingham bays. There are countless scenic vistas on which to feast your eyes, whether you’re in or out of your vehicle. Designated  pull-offs make it easy to stop to admire the view or to park and hike, or you can follow the lead of other nature lovers and find a wide shoulder to park on.  A word to the wise, get an early start if you’re looking to spend a few hours — the roadside spots fill up quickly on beautiful Pacific Northwest days.

Opened in the spring of 1916, Chuckanut Drive had been around long before, albeit in a more rugged form. (Prior to the late 1890s, the only way from Bellingham to Mount Vernon or Seattle was by boat.) A very primitive road, or trail, had existed since the 1860s, the only thoroughfare between Fairhaven (now part of Bellingham) and Blanchard (approximately three miles northeast of Edison). The route became a rough logging road in the 1890s.

Railroad service came to the area in 1893, connecting Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia by rail at least. Today the tracks still follow the shores of Samish and Bellingham Bays, about 200 feet below Chuckanut Drive.

The state legislature allocated funds for improving the road from Bellingham to Bow in 1905, but  the funding ran out and only a few miles were completed.

In 1907, Charles Larrabee, a wealthy Bellingham resident, and his business partner, Cyrus Gates, obtained funding to build the section of the road that ends in Fairhaven. In 1910, convicts were used to pave the southern end of the road, but only about five and half miles were completed.

The state highway department eventually took over the project, completing it in 1916. It was already known as Chuckanut Drive, although it technically became U.S. Route 99 in 1926; U.S. Route 99 Alternate in 1931; and State Route 11 in 1964, a Washington State Scenic Byway.

Getting there’s half the fun

Depending on where you’re coming from, there are a few different routes to take to get to Chuckanut Drive.

The fastest, and probably the most utilitarian route, is to follow Interstate 5 to Exit 231 north of Burlington.  The road will take drivers through about eight miles of Skagit Valley farmland before it starts to rise and follow the mountains.

However, anyone coming from Whidbey Island has a choice of two different routes that will both end in roughly the same place.  Following Highway 20 east toward Burlington, the first option is to follow Bay View-Edison Road.  The road meanders through the countryside, passing Bay View State Park, the Breazeale Interpretive Center and the Padilla Bay Shore Trail, any of which are a tempting spot for a picnic. Following the road will bring you to a “T” – go left to explore Samish Island, which is primarily residential but does offer wonderful views of Samish and Padilla bays. Take a right and follow the road to the historic town of Edison, established in 1869.

The second option from Highway 20 is to turn north on Farm to Market Road. It’s a faster, straighter shot to Edison, but still offers that country drive feeling as you enjoy miles of scenic farmland. You will pass several farms and dairies along the way.

Edison

Either of the options from Highway 20 will lead you to the town of Edison. But many who take the I-5 route will also hop off Chuckanut Drive to take the one mile detour to explore this little community, most famously known as the home of journalist Edward R. Murrow.  Here one will find no shortage of eclectic eateries, shops and galleries.

“Edison has become quite a destination for people looking to eat and get off the beaten path,” said Jim Kowalski, owner of Farm to Market Bakery, known for its homemade soups and baked sandwiches, not to mention the bakery’s signature item, lime-soaked polenta cakes.

“Edison was probably here before Chuckanut Drive, but being right off a designated scenic byway surely helps,” said Kowalski.  Farm to Market Bakery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A word to the wise: The sticky buns and cinnamon rolls are huge and they don’t take credit cards.

“I think it’s a combination of its proximity to Chuckanut Drive and just the fact it’s a good thoroughfare,  being the back road between Bellingham and Anacortes,” said Edison Cafe owner Lisa Ash of Edison’s blooming popularity.

“The variety of people is great. I’ve had people in here from Denmark, Paris, Germany, and then I have people from La Conner,” she said.

Edison Cafe has been in business since 1939. Ash bought it in 2007. She said the cafe’s specialty is all-day breakfast, and Bistro Night every Wednesday during the summer from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Regular hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Points of interest

You don’t have to go out of the way to find the Rhododendron Cafe, which is at the corner of Bow Hill Road and Chuckanut Drive. In business for 28 years, the cafe specializes in helping customers travel  the globe — culinary-style.  Each month focuses on cuisine from a different region, and each week features different ethnic meals from that region. Customers can get a passport from the cafe and have fun tracking their way through a taste-tour of the world.  Rhododendron Cafe is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday and for breakfast on the weekends.  The Rhody too! gallery next door features a collection of art by Northwest artists.

As you approach the base of the Chuckanut Mountains and just as the road begins its climb, you’ll find the small community of Blanchard, founded in 1887.  The town boasts one of the oldest wooden train stations  in the state that is still in use. Hang gliding off Blanchard Mountain is popular and it’s easy to catch a glimpse of people enjoying the sport.

There are three well-established restaurants within just a few miles as you head past Blanchard. Chuckanut Manor, which was started in 1963 by retired Navy Chief john Harold Paulson,  is followed fairly closely by the Oyster Bar and Oyster Creek Inn. Taylor Shellfish farms is immediately past Oyster Creek Inn.

As the names may suggest, local shellfish is a hot item on the menu.

“All our oysters come out of the bay, but our menu changes quite a bit,” said Chuckanut Manor owner Pat Woolcock.

And don’t think the scenery is limited merely to the views visible from the hiking trail or the highway.

“Chuckanut Drive is a scenic, wonderful drive,” Woolcock said. “But I think the view we offer here of the sunsets are absolutely beautiful.”

The restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, and on Sundays, and opens at 8 a.m. on Saturdays.

As you head past Taylor Shellfish Farm on the twisting, turning road, there are plenty of picnic spots available to pull over and enjoy.  Depending on the season, you can come across small waterfalls and there are hiking trails galore to explore along the way.

Larrabee State Park

A big draw to the area is Larrabee State Park. Originally established in 1915, it was a 20-acre site called Chuckanut State Park, and was the first state park in Washington. The name was changed to Larrabee State Park by the State Parks Committee in honor of Charles Larrabee, who donated the original land. Over the years the park has grown to more than 2, 680 acres and features eight miles of hiking trails, beach, camping, picnicking, playground, amphitheater and a boat launch.

Clayton Beach day use area is part of Larrabee State park. The dirt trail to the beach is located across the road from the parking area and is steep at some points. There are no restrooms, tables or trash cans on the beach, so try to travel lightly and remember to pack out everything you brought with you. The beach is open from 6:30 a.m. to dusk.

Almost done

As you head north, you know you’re nearing the end of the drive when you see Chuckanut Bay Gallery and Garden Shop, owned by Army veteran and well-known Northwest potter Don Salisbury.

The shop features a variety of work by Northwest artists and craftspeople, paintings and limited edition prints, woodworking, hand blown glass, contemporary jewelry and unique yard and garden accessories.

Salisbury  said he didn’t want to have to keep traveling from show to show and picked the spot along Chuckanut Drive to open his gallery 25 years ago.

“I wanted to see if I could do a gallery and make it go,” he said as he planted flowers on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the gallery’s garden. “It’s a nicer way to sell my work.”

Chuckanut Bay Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The gallery is just a few blocks away from the end of Chuckanut Drive, bringing you into the Fairhaven district of Bellingham, which many find is worth a trip all by itself.

The six square blocks that make up the Fairhaven district feature distinctive red-brick buildings that are home to restaurants, art galleries, book stores, antique shops and much more. The Victorian-style architecture speaks of a colorful past — stories of which include a former rum-runner and 1880s developer named “Dirty Dan.”

The lumber boom in the 1890s and demand for coal and fish helped Fairhaven bustle with hotels, taverns, restaurants and brothels. But when an expected railroad terminus wound up crossing the mountains further south, the boom went bust.

Today Fairhaven bustles with activity again. It is a popular residential area and is also Bellingham’s  transportation hub, featuring the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and Fairhaven Station for Amtrak and Greyhound. The Alaska Ferry leaves from the cruise terminal each week and whale watching and chartered cruises leave for the San Juan Islands daily during the summer.

There you have it — whether you want to get back to nature, enjoy a picnic, try a new restaurant or do a little shopping, give Chuckanut Drive a try. It’s 21 miles of twisty, turny, terrific.