Chuckanut Drive winds its way into your heart

Chuckanut this and Chuckanut that.

There's a lot of places called Chuckanut in the area just south of Bellingham in northwest Washington.

There's Chuckanut Bay, Chuckanut Creek, Chuckanut Falls, the Chuckanut Mountains and the geologic Chuckanut Formation, not to mention Chuckanut Village, Chuckanut Manor, Chuckanut Brewery, Chuckanut Bakery, Chuckanut Bay Foods, Chuckanut Valley Veterinary Clinic and the Chuckanut Community Baptist Church -- just to name a few.

But the one to take is Chuckanut Drive, the scenic alternative to I-5.

It winds its way between the Salish Sea and the Chuckanut Mountains on tree-lined sandstone cliffs, offering views of the San Juan Islands and some even of the Olympic Mountains beyond.

Large ships ply the waters offshore.

The designated scenic byway known as Highway 11 runs 24 miles between Bellingham and Burlington to the south, with the last few miles north of Burlington cutting straight through Skagit Valley farmlands.

It was originally built in 1909 and opened in 1916 on land purchased as a right of way for the Great Northern Railway in 1892.  The railway was later discontinued.

And the word Chuckanut has nothing to do with throwing nuts at people.

It is said to mean in the languages of the local Nooksack and Lummi tribes "long beach far from a narrow entrance."

If you drive south the turnouts for views are more accessible on the right side of the road, but the drive north on the other side is equally stunning and much easier to get to.

Either way, Chuckanut Drive where the mountains meet the sea is sure to find a place in your heart.

How to get there:

Going north on I-5 toward Bellingham and Vancouver, B.C., take exit 231 in Burlington and turn left on Highway 11 once you get off.

From Bellingham going south, take exit 250 from I-5 and go right on Old Fairhaven Parkway, which eventually turns into Donovan Avenue.  Turn left on 12th Street. Go across Connell Creek and take the left fork onto Chuckanut Drive as opposed to going right on Hawthorn Road.

As you go south you come to another fork, staying right on Chuckanut Drive instead of veering left on the Old Samish Highway.

Text and photos by Tim Clinton.