The Whatcom Museum of History & Art invites visitors and residents to relax and learn something new about Bellingham’s past aboard the annual Bellingham Bay History Cruise, each Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. from June 26 through August 14, 2008.
New this year for this popular series are two additional Tuesday evening cruises, scheduled for August 5 and August 12.
The tour provides a waterside view of the many changes along the Bellingham Bay shoreline over the past 150 years. The Museum’s Curator of Education, Richard Vanderway, narrates the two-and-a-half-hour sunset excursion, answering such questions as: Where did Bellingham begin? Which were the original four towns that eventually joined together? How has the bay changed and how do we use this exciting and vital resource today?
“With the proposed redevelopment of the Bellingham Bay waterfront frequently in the news,” Vanderway says, “this is an excellent time for even those who have taken the cruise before to learn new things about what may be happening on the bay in the future.”
The Bellingham Bay History Cruise travels on board the 110-foot Puget Sound tour boat Island Caper, which has inside seating for more than 100 passengers plus a covered upper deck viewing area. It also has two on-board restrooms and tables for picnic dinners. The cruise leaves from Squalicum Harbor, and tour participants are advised to bring warm clothing to be prepared for evening breezes and binoculars to see the sites close up.
Tickets are $25 per person or $20 for Whatcom Museum members. Tickets may be purchased at the Whatcom Museum, Monday through Thursday or at Island Mariner Cruises Friday through Sunday (360-734-8866). Advanced ticket purchase is recommended as each of the nine cruises often sells out. A discount is available for groups of 15 or more.
Date Posted: May 22, 2008
