Traveling While Black: Edmonds, WA
We are back with another edition of Traveling While Black! As you know, we're always on the lookout for new places to explore and share with you. This time, our journey took us back to Edmonds, Washington, a quaint city nestled 15 miles north of Seattle. While we've passed through Edmonds before, this visit was dedicated to truly uncovering what this smaller, yet charming city has to offer.
The Overview:
The ferry terminal in Edmonds, WA
Edmonds, with a population of less than 43,000, ranks as the 30th largest city in Washington. It's a place that balances small-town charm with the scenic beauty of its Puget Sound waterfront—a city that piqued our interest during a previous ferry ride to Port Angeles.
The Drive Grade: Seattle to Edmonds
The journey to Edmonds from Seattle is short and sweet, usually taking about 30 minutes. Here’s how it scored on our scale:
Quality of Views: 1/2 points – The views on the way to Edmonds are nice, but don't quite capture the quintessential Washington scenery until you get into the city of Edmonds.
Roadside Amenities: 2/2 points – The drive offers all the necessary amenities, gas stations, restaurants, etc. making it easy to pull off the highway at any time.
Route Simplicity: 2/2 points – It's a straightforward route up highway I-5 North, which makes this a very easy drive. However, there will be traffic depending on what time you leave.
Roadside Attractions: 1/2 points – There are a few attractions worth noting, like the University of Washington and Northgate Mall. Though not very many that would have you pull off the highway, especially since the drive isn’t very long.
Quality Parking Options: 2/2 points – Edmonds has a lot of free parking options, which made Anthony very happy!
Overall Drive Grade for Edmonds, WA: 8/10
Level of Fun Rating: Edmonds, WA
Our first true exploration of Edmonds was filled with anticipation. We ventured into the city with a few recommendations from friends and we were ready to put our unique TWB rating scale to the test.
Quality of Activities: 1/2 points - Edmonds offers a variety of activities, especially for those who love the water. Its vibrant downtown features shops and restaurants and we enjoyed visiting the Edmonds Historical Museum housed in a 1910 Carnegie Library building. However, compared to other cities like Everett, Edmonds’ activities seemed a bit limited.
Demographic Applicability: 1/2 points - The city appears to cater more to an older demographic and families with young children, potentially missing options for fun for younger singles.
Quality of Restaurants and Special Events: 2 points each: 4/4 points - Our culinary experiences in Edmonds were exceptional, with highlights including Ono Poke and Salt and Iron. While no events were happening during our visit, Edmonds is known for hosting several throughout the year.
Affordability: 0/2 points - Edmonds is very expensive, with living costs estimated at 120% of the national average. This aspect significantly impacts its overall affordability.
Level of Fun Rating for Edmonds, WA: 6/10
Comfortability for Black People: Edmonds, WA
Approaching a new city always brings questions about the experience for Black travelers. In Edmonds, we sought insights on living the Black experience from locals, Alicia Edwards and Jacque Julian, Executive Director of Communities for Coalition. This helped shape our understanding of the city’s social dynamics.
Here’s how the city stacked up against of comfortability for Black People Rating:
Current Black Population Numbers: 0/2 – No points here because Edmonds has a low Black population of only 2%.
Amount of Black People Seen: 2/2 – Despite a low percentage of Black residents, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of Black individuals we encountered while visiting the city.
Prevalence of Black History: 0/2 points – We found no significant artifacts of Black history in Edmonds, which was disappointing considering the city of Edmonds was named after a Senator who fought for Black civil rights during Reconstruction.
Visibility of Inclusion: 2/2 points – We saw a lot of pride flags and Black Lives Matter signs throughout the city of Edmonds, which indicated a community striving towards inclusivity.
Personal Comfort: 2/2 points – Our personal experiences in Edmonds were positive, we had welcoming interactions and friendly conversations with the people we ran into.
Comfortability for Black People Rating for Edmonds, WA: 6/10
We’d like to note: Edmonds shows promise in becoming more inclusive, though there are still areas that need attention. Our overall experience was positive, but we acknowledge the need for ongoing progress in social inclusion.
Final Thoughts on Edmonds:
Our visit to Edmonds offered a mix of history, great food, and a glimpse into the community’s efforts towards inclusivity. While it may not have all the attractions of larger cities, its charm and commitment to fostering a welcoming environment are evident. We leave Edmonds with a sense of hope for its future, appreciating both its beauty and the potential for growth in its social fabric.
Watch our full experience on our YouTube episode!
Traveling While Black: Bellingham, WA
Welcome to our latest adventure in the Pacific Northwest! If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that we have a lot of episodes in Washington State, and this time, we’re taking you to Bellingham, a charming coastal city nestled between Seattle and the Canadian border.
The Overview:
We first visited Bellingham back in August 2020 as a surprise birthday getaway for Anthony. At that time, Traveling While Black was still newish, and our visit was during the pandemic. Fast forward to today, and Bellingham, like our show, has evolved. This time around, we returned to experience the city without pandemic restrictions, allowing us to dive deeper into its history, community, and the outdoors.
Bellingham is known for its beautiful scenery and easy access to outdoor activities, making summertime the perfect season to head to this city. With a new perspective and more freedom to explore, we were excited to see what had changed and how the city welcomes Black travelers today.
A Rich History:
Our journey through Bellingham wouldn’t be complete without delving into its history. Before Bellingham became the bustling city it is today, the area was home to the Coast Salish Peoples for centuries. It wasn’t until 1792 that George Vancouver named the area Bellingham Bay, setting the stage for the city’s eventual formation.
We were fortunate to connect with WWU Professor, Josh Cerretti, who shared fascinating insights into Bellingham’s past. The city's development was marked by the merging of smaller villages, but it wasn’t without its struggles. The competition between Fairhaven and Whatcom to become the dominant city is a story of stubbornness and eventual compromise that shaped Bellingham into what it is today. See more about the history on our YouTube episode.
However, Bellingham’s history isn’t just about names and mergers. Like many American cities, its growth was driven by industry, but this also brought challenges, including periods of exclusion and discrimination. Learning about these darker chapters from Professor Cerretti was eye-opening, especially as we contrasted them with the more inclusive atmosphere we experienced during our visit.
Drive Grade: Seattle to Bellingham
Driving to Bellingham from Seattle is a drive up Interstate 5 North, taking about an hour and a half (or closer to two hours with traffic). The drive offers some scenic views, especially as you approach Bellingham.
Here’s how the drive scored on our rating scale:
Quality of Views: 1/2 points - The views improve as you get closer to Bellingham, but they’re not the most spectacular we’ve seen in Washington. You’ll see the mountains during certain periods of the drive and pass by some rivers and lakes.
Roadside Amenities: 2/2 points - There are plenty of places to stop for gas, food, and other essentials on the way to Bellingham. You’ll pass the major city of Everett on your way there, which is a great spot for gas and food.
Route Simplicity: 2/2 points - Driving from Seattle the route is easy. You’ll drive up I-5 North with no confusing turns or detours.
Roadside Attractions: 1/2 points - There are not many notable attractions along the route, but we’ll give a point for the casinos you’ll pass on the way up.
Quality Parking Options: 1/2 points - Parking in Bellingham mostly requires payment, but since our hotel was centrally located to downtown, we were able to walk to a lot of destinations to avoid paying a lot for parking.
Overall, we rated the drive a 7 out of 10.
Level of Fun: Bellingham, WA
This time in Bellingham, we stayed at the same place as we stayed when we visited in 2020: Hotel Leo. This historic hotel, once the Leopold Hotel, continues to attract with its blend of old-world charm and modern amenities. From the Clark Gable-inspired theater to the library and fitness room, it’s a great base for exploring the city.
Bellingham is known for its outdoor activities, so naturally, we took a stroll on the South Bay Trail through Boulevard Park. This light hike offered us a chance to soak in the natural beauty of the area without too much exertion. The path was paved for most of it, which makes it assessible for many. The park has a rocky beach with a few benches.
Beyond nature, Bellingham offers a wealth of activities, from exploring local history to enjoying its vibrant bar scene, thanks to its college-town vibe.
Here’s how the city scored on our Level of Fun scale:
Quality of Activities: 2/2 points - With plenty of outdoor options and historical sites to explore, Bellingham offers something for everyone.
Demographic Applicability: 2/2 points - Bellingham is a college town, so there are plenty of options for everyone!
Affordability: 0/2 points - While cheaper than Seattle, Bellingham’s cost of living is still above the national average, and its housing market is notoriously expensive.
Quality of Restaurants: 1/2 points - We had a fantastic meal at Brandywine Kitchen, a Black-owned restaurant with fresh, locally sourced options, but we struggled to find other standout dining experiences in the city.
Special Events: 2/2 points - Bellingham’s calendar is packed with events, including the Downtown Sounds concert series we attended, which was a highlight of our trip.
Overall, we rated Bellingham a 7 out of 10 for Level of Fun.
Comfortability for Black People Rating: Bellingham, WA
During our first visit, Bellingham scored a perfect 5 out of 5 for comfortability for Black people. This time, with our new 10-point rating scale, we wanted to see how the city would fare.
Amount of Black People Seen: 2/2 points - We were pleasantly surprised to see more Black people this time! With the Black population numbers low, we still were able to meet the local Black population.
Black Population Numbers: 0/2 points - The Black population in Bellingham is still just 1%, so no points here.
Prevalence of Black History: 1/2 points - The city could do more to highlight its Black history, but thanks to our visit with Professor Cerretti, we learned about some significant sites, see more in our YouTube episode.
Artifacts of Inclusion: 2/2 points - We saw plenty of signs of inclusion, from Black Lives Matter signs to Pride flags, and even a monument acknowledging past injustices against Asian communities.
Personal Comfort Level: 2/2 points - We felt comfortable and welcomed throughout our visit, especially when interacting with local Black residents and those at Hotel Leo.
Overall, Bellingham scored a 7 out of 10 for comfortability for Black travelers.
Final Thoughts:
Bellingham remains a city that offers plenty of natural beauty and a decently welcoming atmosphere for Black travelers. While it has its challenges, especially in terms of affordability and visibility of Black history, our overall experience was positive. We hope this guide helps you plan your visit and experience all that Bellingham has to offer!
Watch full YouTube episode on the experience!
Traveling While Black: Orcas Island, WA
One of the best things about living in Washington state is having access to some amazing islands. For this experience we took another trip to Orcas Island. Here’s how it felt visiting as a Black traveler.
One of the best things about living in Washington state is having access to some amazing islands. And if you watched our YouTube Episode 145, then you know that the San Juan Islands definitely fit in that category. For this experience, we took another trip to The San Juans Archipelagoes. This time to check out the second island of what we considered to be the main three; Orcas Island.
Orcas island, which was originally inhabited by the Straits Salish peoples, surprisingly got its name not from the majestic animals that inhabited its surrounding waters, but rather from the Mexican Viceroy who financed the exploration of the area in the late 1700’s. Compared to the previous island we visited, San Juan Island, Orcas Island has some noticeable differences.
The terrain. As opposed to San Juan Island, Orcas Island is more mountainous and forested.
The population. While San Juan Island is more populated than Orcas Island, Orcas Island is slightly bigger.
The islands were definitely different in those aspects. However, there would be another difference on Orcas we were told about that wasn’t so visibly seen. At least to us initially….
Prior to our previous trip to San Juan Island, we had heard that the islands overall were “magical”. Which turned out to be true based on our experience on San Juan Island’s Friday Harbor. But prior to this trip we were told that Orcas Island would in fact be where we would find the most magic.
Hearing this really surprised us, because we didn’t think it could get more magical after our experience in Friday Harbor. With our interest peeked, we wondered what could it be that makes people consider Orcas Island to be more magical than the others? So using what we learned from our previous visit to the Islands, we booked our ferry tickets and headed off to find out the answer for ourselves.
Drive Grade
The journey to get from Seattle, WA to Orcas Island according to our GPS would take us around 3 hours and 2 minutes. Which included the hour and half drive to the ferry on Anacortes, WA. Taking into account the hour wait showing up at the recommended pre-departure time, the journey was about 4 hours total for us. Learning from the mistake we made our last visit to the San Juan Islands, we reserved our spot on the ferry weeks in advance making our ferry experience a lot better this time.
Thanks to our preemptive booking, which again can be done up to 90 days in advance, we were able to get a later ferry time. Book your ferry ASAP!
The length of the ferry ride wasn’t bad either. Even with it lasting about an hour and a half, it still went by fast.
So, for our trip to Orcas Island, we give a 5 outta 5 for Drive Grade.
Level of Fun
Once the Ferry landed we were excited to get onto Orcas to find out what was it about the island that makes people claim it to be the most magical of all the San Juan islands. But not before checking into the place where we would be laying our heads for the next couple of nights.
First, it is important to note that on Orcas Island you won’t find many traditional “hotels”. And a lot of visitors to Orcas Island come to camp at the many campsites on the island. For those not wanting to stay in a tent or camp at all; AirBnB’s and bed and breakfast type establishments more so fit the vibe of the island.
Even the historic Orcas Hotel which has been operating since 1904 feels more like a bed and breakfast. For us, we chose to stay at Otters Pond Bed and Breakfast. An adult retreat that offers 5 luxurious suites that are available year-round.
On the East sound side of Orcas Island
Not only are the suites themselves very comfortable, the property also offers relaxing lounging areas both inside and outside with beautiful views of Otters Pond as well as wildlife. Oh yeah they even offer an outdoor hot tub, so you can really chill out while enjoying the view.
As soon as we checked in, we knew that we made the right choice for our stay on the island. On top of the amazing accommodations, we were also able to get a breakdown of the island before starting our search to understand Orcas magic.
For simplicity, Orcas Island can be divided up into two parts: East sound and West sound.
The West sound is where you depart the Ferry. You will find a very small village with a few shops and restaurants.
The East sound you will find the larger village with more shops and restaurants.
Outside of their different vicinities, both East and West sound offered quite a bit. For example, both offered excellent options for food and drink. On the East sound side, we had dinner at two great places: Buck Bay Shellfish Farm and New Leaf Cafe.
On the West sound, we enjoyed a delicious meal at Orcas Hotel Cafe. What’s interesting about this experience, is that the historic hotel where the cafe is located is reported to be haunted. We may have possibly encountered some of the actions of the supernatural resident during our dinner - spooky!
We had some great lunches and dinners on the island. As for Breakfast, we had the luxury of being served a different delicious breakfast every morning. Which lends to another great thing about Otters Pond Bed and Breakfast, in that it is owned and operated by a James Beard recognized chef; Amanda Zimlich.
Other than great food and drink, both the East and West sound offer amazing outdoor options. Those options of course include an abundance of beaches. We must note, that it is on the West sound that you will find the only sandy beach on the island within the Deer Harbor area.
Along with the beaches, Orcas Island offers a ton of camping and hiking options. Like Turtleback mountain on the West sound, and not one but two state parks on the East sound: Obstruction Pass State Park and Moran State Park.
Views from Mt. Constitution
On our trip we decided to check out the much bigger Moran State Park. A big reason why we chose this park over the other was the parks access to the islands highest point, Mt Constitution. We really enjoyed this mountain view experience, because while there are a multitude of multi use trails you can take to the top; you can also chose to simply drive to it. Which is exactly what we did.
If you do choose to drive up, there is a parking lot along with a visitors center that includes some really clean public bathrooms. But of course the real payoff is the views which are enhanced by the stone watch tower. Which also offers some interesting exhibits within.
Even though we loved the shortcut to the payoff, we couldn’t visit Moran State Park without experiencing a real hike. So we found out about an often overlooked hike that offers another spectacular payoff; and even better it was decently easy.
That hike was to Cascade Falls. A moderate trail that takes hikers a quick, but peaceful hike through a beautiful forest. In less than half a mile, you come to a spectacular 45 foot waterfall. Which can be taken in, either at an upper or lower viewpoint. If you happen to be interested in more of a challenge, the trail also connects to more trails that lead to other waterfalls.
It is important to note that the parking around all of the trails within the state parks requires a Discover Pass. But there are plenty of pay stations around if you only need a day pass. Also, if you don’t have a boat or boating accessories there are plenty of places around Orcas Island that offer rentals. And renting doesn’t just stop with boats; visitors can also rent bikes, mopeds, and even cars. Cars may be a great option if you chose to take the fast ferry from Anacortes.
Yes we had a blast during our outdoor experience on Orcas Island, just like our previous experience on San Juan Island. And we can honestly say that we really enjoyed our time.
Still, at the end of it all we had to ponder, what was it that makes Orcas Island more magical than the other islands? And in asking, no one could articulate it for us. Not the locals who joined our table for our meal at Buck Bay Shellfish, not any of the locals at the local Farmers market, not even our host Amanda at Otters Pond.
But when we thought deeper about our experiences it finally hit us; whether we were enjoying a meal at one of the restaurants, driving from place to place on the island, staring at a waterfall in Moran State Park, or even just lounging at Otters Pond Bed and Breakfast; we were always surrounded by nature. To the point we were always engulfed in it. Yes, it was magical.
While we don’t know if we can say Orcas Island offers more or any less magic than San Juan Island; we can say that it is a different type of magic. How we sum it up is that San Juan Friday Harbor provides the type options that take you to experience the magic of the Archipelago, but Orcas Island provides options for the magic to come to you.
Once again we definitely recommend a visit to the San Juan Islands, no matter if you chose the namesake island or Orcas Island.
In regard to this experience on Orcas Island; we give a 5 outta 5 for Level of Fun.
Comfortability for Black People
As for our comfort rating for Orcas Island, even though they don’t boast a Black mayor like Friday Harbor on San Juan Island; we still experienced the same comfortable feeling. Not only was the service at all of the establishments welcoming, the locals we encountered were extremely friendly. At Buck Bay Shellfish two ladies joined our table and engaged us in friendly conversations, as well as tips and recommendations for the island.
The picture taken because we looked cute to an Orcas Island resident.
The friendliness of the locals continued at the Orcas Island Farmers Market, when one lady working her booth called us over to send us a picture she took of us while we were taking a picture of ourselves, simply because she thought we were cute.
On our trip for the couple of days we’re on the island, we did see two other Black visitors and also saw some more around the ferry station both when we were arriving and leaving the island.
In regards to the Black resident population, Orcas Island is less than 1% Black. While on the surface this could cause some reservations, but Orcas Island is still is a perfect example that the current lack of Black residents doesn’t automatically equate to an uncomfortable experience, and also a PERFECT reminder to why we do our show.
We go to these places so we can encourage more of our people, and really more of anyone outside of the majority, to experience these amazing places despite the lack of familiar or diverse faces.
Also, we did notice quite a bit of Pride flags which visibly added to our comfort prior to interacting with the people.
All of these are reasons why for our experience on Orcas Island we give a 5 outta 5 for Comfortability for Black People.