Destination Birch Bay: Come along for waterfront dining, fantastic hiking and fun shopping
Summer has reached Whatcom County, and The Bellingham Herald is exploring local cities, islands and other destinations within a day’s travel from Bellingham in a new series of Destination profiles for you to enjoy.
Last month, we explored Lynden and found a fairy tale forest, delicious pastries, sweet locally-owned shops and beautiful scenery.
Now, we’re taking you to Birch Bay and the Semiahmoo area to explore a waterfront restaurant, scenic resort and beautiful cliff-side beach.
Stop 1: Semiahmoo Resort and cafe
You don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the scenic views and a latte at Semiahmoo Resort. Head inside the resort’s lobby, walk straight back towards the large windows and on your right, you’ll find Seaview Cafe.
This casual coffee shop and cafe serves coffee, ice cream and baked goods and offers beautiful ocean views.
Once you grab your coffee, explore the resort’s beach and courtyard, or walk along the edge of the beach to explore the Semiahmoo Marina.
Semiahmoo Resort’s Seaview Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 9565 Semiahmoo Parkway.
Stop 2: The C Shop
The C Shop is a small-town ice cream and sweet shop that makes you feel like you’re in a Hallmark Movie. The candy store first opened in 1971 and is only open during the summer months.
Visitors can enjoy housemade caramel, cinnamon rolls, chocolates, peanut brittle, cookies, fudge, caramel apples, and even nautical-themed sweets like a “clamshell,” “salted snail,” or “almond boat.”
Most of the sweets are made in-house, and can be seen being crafted through a large window into the kitchen area.
The C Shop is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily this summer until Labor Day, Sept. 2, and is at 4825 Alderson Rd.
Stop 3: Bay Breeze Restaurant and Bar
Bay Breeze Restaurant and Bar offers unique food, colorful cocktails and a beautiful oceanside view inside a modern restaurant.
The restaurant officially opened on March 23 after its landlords decided to open their own restaurant after 25 years of renting the space to various tenants.
“We realized that we could not lead a successful business without running it ourselves. Therefore, we started a soft opening, focusing on the two core values we learned during this time: providing service that satisfies guests and offering good food at a reasonable price,” Hun Hur, manager of Bay Breeze Restaurant and Bar wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
The new restaurant features a unique cocktail menu and dishes such as clam chowder, halibut ceviche, cod fish and chips, grilled chicken sandwich, smoked salmon pasta and crepe cake.
“Bay Breeze’s stunning view is undeniable without a doubt! Our menu was put together by a talented team with a BIB Gourmand Chef in Jeremy Kiens. Our Bar program is creative and always evolving and our service staff is passionate and devoted to giving excellent service,” Hur wrote.
The restaurant includes a dining area, bar and patio upstairs to enjoy the scenery.
Bay Breeze Restaurant is open from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 7829 Birch Bay Drive.
Stop 4: Beach Cat Brewing
Just down the street from Bay Breeze Restaurant is Beach Cat Brewing, a brewery with housemade beer and ocean views. The brewery has an outdoor patio where you can enjoy your cat-themed beer, with names such as “Shabby Tabby WC IPA,” “Just Kitten Hazy IPA,” “What Paw Hard Seltzer,” or “Bagheera Black Lager.”
Local food trucks also rotate at the brewery, such as Lumpia Luv Filipino and JT’s Smokin BBQ. Beach Cat Brewing is open from noon to 9 p.m. daily at 7876 Birch Bay Drive.
Stop 5: Salt + Shore
Across from the beach don’t drive too fast or you may miss this simple, nautical-themed shop on Birch Bay Drive, Salt + Shore. This small shop is full of beach-themed decor, apparel and gifts that fit into its beachside setting.
The shop also has a candle bar with homemade beach-themed candles, capturing the scents of the ocean and island living.
Salt + Shore is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 7900 Birch Bay Dr.
Stop 6: Birch Bay Beach and State Park
Birch Bay State Park is a beautiful park whether you enjoy the forest or beach. The park is a total of 195 acres, with 8,000 feet of oceanfront beach open year-round for visitors.
The state park has multiple campground areas, some with ocean views, as well as trailer sites, multiple picnic shelters, a basketball court, restrooms, a playground and large fields to play in.
Travel south Birch Bay Drive and you’ll come across Birch Bay Beach and the Heron Center, a covered shelter area with picnic tables, a playground, restrooms and beach access.
A Discover Pass is required for most of the park. The park is open from 6:30 a.m. to dusk in the summer and from 8 a.m. to dusk in the winter at 7290 Birch Bay Dr.
Stop 7: Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve
Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve is a hidden gem in the outskirts of Birch Bay that is worth seeing. Once you park at the trailhead you’ll enjoy an easy stroll through 54 acres of forest on wooden bridges and gravel.
The trail is only 0.75 miles and has no elevation change until the final 0.1 mile decline down to the beach.
Once you head down the stairs to the beach, you’ll reach a beautiful cliffside ocean view.
The trail and beach is open from 8 a.m. to dusk and the trailhead parking lot is at 6899 Koehn Rd.
