While we were in Washington for Thanksgiving we got to visit the cutest little town called Fairhaven. Fairhaven was founded in the late 1880’s and has earned its title of a charming small town. The old architecture is fun to look at and placards on the ground tell you about some of the town’s history. Fairhaven is the historic district of Bellingham, Washington.

I found the town adorable and the history to be fascinating. Did you know Fairhaven used to have a Chinese Mafia?? Well, they did.

With the mafia problems taken care of the streets are currently strewn with restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, antique stores, and old time pharmacies. It was so fun to walk the streets and duck into the nearest inviting shop as the cold air nipping at our noses got to be a bit too much.
One thing I found to be pleasantly surprising is that the prices in Fairhaven are reasonable. Of course, there is always the exception to the rule, but for the most part shopping in these cute boutiques was affordable, which made our Christmas shopping experience fun and unique.

However, if you’re not in the mood for shopping, you can always take a stroll along the water. Walking on the boardwalk promises views of boats, the occasional seal, and if you’re lucky a beautiful sunset.

To get to and from Fairhaven from where we were staying you could take the boring interstate or you could take Chuckanut Drive–one of my favorite drives in Washington. The views are astounding and we were blessed with a nice clear day.

All in all it was a perfect way to spend a winter afternoon in Washington.
