What an amazing jewel near Ferndale! You could spend hours here looking at their beautiful and…read morediverse gardens. They do a great job labeling and blending all of your favorite bushes. trees, herbs, etc. The boardwalk trail on the Lake is a great place to learn about nature, bring the family or just sit and read a book. Highly recommended!

Tennant Lake Park is a fun park near the Hovander Homestead Park. Once you park, you'll walk…read morethrough an herb and flower garden alongside a historic home now visitor center. Then you'll see a 50-feet observation deck that's fun to get a view of the park. Then follow the trails through the wetland boardwalk enjoying the marshes and looking for birds, frogs and turtles. It was a fun little hike for our whole family!

I love this little park! I bring my dog here fairly often because it's near our home and the park…read moreand trails are well kept. There are three trails options within the park, all are probably no more than a mile and lead to neighborhoods. However its is a nice place to enjoy a lil walk through the woods, and possibly see some wildlife. The park has a few benches along the trail and a few picnic tables as well. Its a nice place to enjoy nature without actually leaving the city.

Pioneer Park is the perfect combination of a beautiful outdoor park plus the chance to take in some…read morelocal history. When you first enter the park you're greeted by a row of hand-built, historical buildings made by Whatcom County's earliest settlers and relocated to (what would eventually become) Pioneer Park. If you go on a day that some of the houses are open, for a small donation you can take a tour hosted by volunteers who know pretty much everything about the history of Ferndale and the county! The tour houses are set up with relics from the past - it's so interesting to see how the early settlers lived. Past the houses are open spaces where concerts are held, and the iconic barn which is the home of weddings, dances, and beer gardens throughout the summer. It's always fun to attend one of Pioneer Park's signature events, the Old Settlers Festival, where you are greeted with a ribbon denoting how long you've lived in these here parts, and then you get to enjoy the various vendors (and of course food!) before embarking to the barn where you will pretty much run into everyone you've ever known! Pioneer Park is also home to the beautiful and amazing Star Park, a children's playground build entirely by community volunteers. So now there are fun things for the little ones to do here, too!

I took the Alpinism 1 course with AAI, the last course of the season. It was an amazing experience…read more We covered everything from glaciology to glacier travel, and crevasse rescue systems. Even though it was a late-season course with no snow, the guides improvised creative demonstrations for skills like snow anchors so we didn't miss out on the learning. They were patient, kind, funny, and extremely knowledgeable, creating a supportive learning environment and providing clear, helpful feedback. By the end of the course I felt confident in my ability to be a safe member of a rope team. I would 100% recommend this course to anyone interested in mountaineering.

They are the best company in the US to take you on a glacier…read more I took the ALP 1 course with American Alpine Institute and had an incredible experience. The guides created a very safe and supportive environment while still pushing us to learn and grow. I came away with practical glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills, and a much deeper confidence in the mountains. Everything from logistics to instruction was top-notch. Highly recommend for anyone serious about alpine climbing.