Lynden

Lynden is a city in the North Cascades region of Washington State.

Lynden Halal Explorer

History

Lynden was begun in 1871 and established in 1874 by Holden and Phoebe Judson near the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish (Nooksack: Sqwehálich). It was named by Phoebe Judson after the riverside town in Hohenlinden, a poem by Thomas Campbell, stating:

{{Cautionbox|On Linden, when the sun was low,
all bloodless lay the untrodden snow;
and dark as winter was the flow
of Iser rolling rapidly.

According to her book, A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home, she changed the spelling to "Lynden" to be more visually appealing. The town was officially incorporated on March 16, 1891.

The town lies in a broad valley along the winding path of the Nooksack River, which empties into nearby Bellingham Bay. The surrounding area is filled with dairy, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry farms. Even though not founded by them and the region saw significant Dutch immigration in the early and mid 1900s, spurring the growth of dairies. Today, Lynden pays homage to some of its Dutch legacy through locations such as buildings on Front Street, where some businesses have been made-over with a Dutch theme, complete with a windmill. Along that street, you'll find the Lynden Dutch Bakery, Dutch Mother's Restaurant, and numerous local businesses. Some local supermarkets contain Dutch food sections, but Dutch is spoken by very few of the town's residents today. In the last two decades and the population has nearly doubled in size, with Dutch being more predominate than other ethnic ancestry.

Climate

Lynden has perhaps some of the coolest weather in Western Washington, due to its far north location.

The winter temperatures commonly range between the upper 20s (about -3°C) to mid 40s (nearly 10°C). During a cold outbreak however, bitter and dry winds whip from the Fraser River north of the border, dropping temperatures to the teens(below -10°C). As a result, snow can be worse in this area compared to the rest of the Western Washington lowlands, though occurrence is on average only 2 or 3 annually.

Summer temperatures are cool with temperatures ranging from the lower 50s(10°C) to the lower 70s(around 20°C).

Travel to Lynden

By car

From Interstate 5, take the Exit 270 towards eastbound Birch Bay Lynden Road or Exit 256 towards northbound Meridian Street (Washington Route 539), both of which will take you straight towards Lynden.

Travelers from Canada can cross the border into the U.S. from Aldergrove checkpoint, in which they can go straight for 5 miles towards the downtown.

Travel on a Bus in Lynden

 Route 26 of Whatcom Transport Authority departs from Bellingham's Cordata/Whatcom Community College Park & Ride.

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Lynden

Lynden has a small wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/AllStateAirports/Lynden_LyndenMunicipal.htm municipal airport (38W) that can be used for private aircraft. Commercial flights may land at Bellingham and Seattle in the United States, as well as Vancouver in Canada.

Best way to travel in Lynden by a Taxi

These taxi companies serve Lynden and the rest of Whatcom and Skagit Counties. As the number of taxi cars are scarce while serving two counties, it is advised that you call ahead in case you need one.

Yellow Cab Inc. - ☎ +1 360 733-8294 +1 877 766-8294 Pick up $2.50, each 1/9 mile $0.30
Your Cab Company - ☎ +1 360 746-4943 - Their taxis can fit up to 6 people.

By rideshare

Uber and Lyft reaches out to passengers from both Whatcom and Skagit County, including from Oak Harbor and Camano & Whidbey Islands.

Get Around

LyndenWindMillByJuliusReque - The windmill facade of Dutch Village Inn on the junction of Front and 9th Streets.

By foot

The downtown area is compact enough to be explored on foot.

By public transport

Whatcom Transit Authority's Route 26 traverses through several points in and around Lynden. Keep in mind that the bus runs every 90 minutes on all days. The bus runs from 6:30AM to dusk on weekdays and 8AM to dusk on weekends.

What to See

Lynden has a strong Dutch immigrant legacy which is reflected in many of the festivals, buildings, shops and eating establishments. The downtown area begins from 9th Street to 1st St, at around Grover and Front St.

Jansen Art Center | 321 Front Street ☎ +1 360 354-3600 Opening Hours: W, Sa, Sunday 10AM Monday - 5PM; Thursday, Friday 10AM Monday - 8PM A community art center featuring exhibits and performances by local artists.

Pioneer Museum - 217 Front Street ☎ +1 360 354-3675 Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 10AM Monday - 4PM Adults $7, Seniors & Students $4, kids 6 and under free A museum containing a real replica of old downtown Lynden, with full-fledged shops and intricate interiors that tells the history of the town. Also features memorabilia from the World War II's Pacific Theater.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Lynden

Just like the Netherlands, Lynden is notorious for its farm and dairy produce, some of which you can pick up by yourself.

Bellewood Farms - 6140 Guide Meridian Road ☎ +1 360 318-7720 Opening Hours: Distillery daily 10AM Monday - 5PM, Cafe & store daily 8AM Monday - 5PM Distilleries tour $10/person. Restaurant food $5-$10 In the fall, pick your own apples from the orchard of 25,000 trees or pumpkin from the patch. The distilleries are available for tasting tour on weekends, while the shop sells produce from the farm and the cafe serves comfort food as well as alcohol distilled from apples.

Lynden City Park - citypark 8460 Depot Road ☎ +1 360 354-6717 Opening Hours: 8AM to dusk free A park with a huge playground, separated between younger and older kids. It has a small and moderately shallow creek where local residents sometimes attempt to catch fish.

Nooksack Northwood Casino - 9750 Northwood Road +1-877-777-9847 Opening Hours: 9AM to 2AM Sun-Thurs; 9AM to 3AM Friday & Saturday
Kamm Creek Farm - 850 Hampton Road ☎ +1 360 433-7616 Opening Hours: M,W,F,Sa 10AM Monday - 4PM A variety of berries that you can pick from the bushes during the summer.

Shopping

Be aware that most, if not all, shops and restaurants in the downtown corridor close on Sunday. Your best option for finding what you need to buy on that day would be a Safeway or Food Pavilion grocery store at Guide Meridian Road.

Edaleen Dairy Store | 1011 E Grover Street ☎ +1 360 746-8664 Opening from Monday to Saturday 8AM Monday - 9PM A favorite local fare for milk, Cheese, sandwiches, and ice cream, though it also houses some convenience store items. Don't miss the ice cream bar, which is their main attraction.

Halal Food & Restaurants

Lynden Dutch Bakery 1724 Front Street ☎ +1 360 354-3911 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 7AM Monday - 5PM, F-Sa 7AM Monday - 6PM Cafe entrees $5-$10, pastries & sandwiches $2-$8 Assortment of Dutch and American style and pastries in this highly adorned bakery. Also features a small seating area with cafe menus.

Dutch Mothers Family Restaurant - 405 Front Street ☎ +1 360 354-2174 Opening from Monday to Saturday 6AM Monday - 4PM Dutch and American diner fares in a rustic setting.

Chandara House | 655 Front StAccess from inside the Dutch Village Mall ☎ +1 360 393-3068 Opening from Monday to Saturday 11AM Monday - 9PM $7-$12 Authentic (Thai) restaurant run by (Thai) spouses. Be aware that you can choose the spiciness level for your ordered dish.
Muslim Friendly Hotels

Unfortunately and there are scarce availability for hotels in proper Lynden. Visitors who choose to visit can stay at Bellingham, 30 minutes away south of the town.

Homestead Inn - 109 E Homestead Blvd From $80 per day A hotel by the golf course, with condo style rooms and steakhouse restaurant.

The Mill Inn - 655 Front Street ☎ +1 360 684-4341 From $100 per day Seven rooms of different interiors inspired by Dutch patterns, housed under a windmill.

The Inn at Lynden - 100 5th Street ☎ +1 360 746-8597 From $110 per day Old school building with modern interior. Every overnight stay includes complimentary Dutch bike rental.

News & References

Travel Next

Langley (British Columbia) | Langley, Canada is 5 miles north across the border
Bellingham is 20 miles south of Lynden.
From Interstate 5 at Bellingham, head north towards Vancouver, Canada or south towards Mount Vernon, Everett, and Seattle.