Once again, I set out to find some cool, local things to do and see within a 30-mile radius of my home.  This included two places to eat and a place to stay –  with my dogs.  I travel with my dogs a lot and usually stay in a Motel 6 because I know that they allow pets, they offer pet-friendly rooms usually on the first floor and there is no extra charge for this.  Both of my dogs are a lab mix and are definitely not small, so looking for a pet-friendly hotel that allows 2 large dogs is not easy.  I wanted to spend a night at the coast for my birthday and take my dogs, that was an upgrade from a motel and I found the perfect place…

1 – Birch Bay Getaways, Birch Bay, WA

This is a group of 14 cottages, ranging in size and decor, some with views of the ocean.  None of the cottages are directly on the ocean, but it’s just across the street, so very close.  I tried to go online to book something on my own, but if you have pets, you need to chat with the manager, so I called to do that.  I’m sure it’s a case by case scenario, but after explaining that my dogs are now 8 and 12 years old and that they travel with me often, he said that they did have some pet-friendly room options for me.  We ended up securing the Cottonwood Cottage #7, which has 2 beds, a queen and a full as well as a futon sofa in the living room for $99/night for 2 people.  It has a full kitchen with pots and pans, dishes, glasses, and more.  There is a large front porch, which would be great in the summer, but we were there in February so we didn’t use it.  The beach was a minute away, so we took the dogs for a walk and were lucky to have been there during two beautiful sunny and clear days.  The cottage was rustic with a lot of wood accents, alongside a cobblestone courtyard – it was quiet and peaceful.  I did pay a $50 pet fee, separate from the room charge, which seemed a bit high, but I really enjoyed the stay, so I guess sometimes you just have to give in.

https://www.birchbaygetaway.com

2 – Packers Kitchen and Bar at Semiahmoo Resort, WA

Since I’m a Pisces and I love anything near or on water, we continued that trend for dinner and breakfast.  Packers Kitchen is just behind the Semiahmoo Resort hotel, in a separate building – but it’s accessible through a long corridor so you don’t have to go outside to get there.  The restaurant sits right on the water and beyond the water is Canada – so close you could probably swim – on a summer day, lol.  Almost every table was a “view” table, but we did choose to sit at the last one available that was actually up against the window.  They have Happy Hour from 3-6pm and that’s what we originally went in for, but ended up getting wine and beer not on HH and then went right into appetizers and dinner.  For the appetizer we settled on the pretzels with beer cheese sauce, that was more like a cheese fondue – delicious.  They have quite a few seafood options but neither of us eats much seafood, which is why we had the pretzel.  For the entrees, we ordered the Moo Grilled Cheese – caramelized pear, sweet onion, brie, Whatcom Blue and fig spread and then the Cauliflower “steak” – stewed white beans, tofu aioli, baby spinach and smoked paprika – amazing.  We were only going to get one dessert to share, but ended up with 3 – two we ordered and one was a complimentary birthday dessert.  Leisurely finishing our wine and desserts, while watching the sunset in this place with wonderful service and ambiance, was just a perfect end to the day.    https://www.semiahmoo.com/packers-bar-grill

3 – Railway Cafe, Blaine WA

This colorful railway car is an original car built in the 1920s and was originally purchased to be used for the chamber of commerce in Blaine and it sits a few feet away from the actual railroad tracks, by the water.  There is a little extra deck off the back that is enclosed and heated during the winter for extra seating and a better view of the ocean – you can also see Semiahmoo Resort across the bay from there.  Apparently, this has been a breakfast and lunch place for a while, but the current owner has only been there for a few months.  Her baked goods were mouth watering – we had a zucchini and walnut scone as an “appetizer” with our coffee while we waited for our breakfast sandwiches to be made.  There were many other muffins, scones, and breads that were all made that day, in house.  We ordered a breakfast burrito and a breakfast sandwich on ciabatta, both with different options inside. This place is tiny and so cozy – many people came in for take-out orders, but we enjoyed chatting with the owner while we ate our breakfast.  The website and menu for the cafe can be found on Facebook and it’s only about a mile or so from the Canadian border:  795 Peace Portal Drive, Blaine, WA 98230

As much as I really enjoyed all three of these new spots, I’m off to explore more fun, local places for my next post, so keep checking back for updates on what I find…