Many visitors and residents find Lynden is an ideal base for fun and recreation.
Lynden offers special events throughout the year, ranging from top-flight entertainment in the Northwest Washington Fair to the creativity of the Lighted Christmas Parade. Given the importance of agriculture in the area, one shouldn't be surprised to learn about unique events such as the International Plowing Match, featuring majestic draft horses; a threshing bee highlighting antique tractors and a steam-powered sawmill; and a Harvest Festival. Of course, given Lynden's Dutch heritage, Holland Days fills the streets with unique activities the first weekend of May. For a list of events, visit www.lynden.org.
The Lynden area is virtually paradise for golfers. One of the best golf courses in the Pacific Northwest is at Lynden's Homestead Farms Golf Resort & Convention Center, featuring an island green with waterfalls on its 18th hole. If you're really seeking a challenge, shoot from the black tees – a 6,927-yard test. The course has been open only since 1993, but already draws top state and regional tournaments. It was rated a four-star course in Golf Digest's Places to Play 2002 edition.
Golfers also are just five minutes away from Raspberry Ridge Golf Course, a popular nine-hole, par-34 course. In fact, Lynden is within 30 minutes of 10 other courses, presenting a wide range of options for golfers. In addition, you can tee off rain or shine on the Village Green Miniature Golf Course, located inside Lynden’s Dutch Village Mall.
If team sports are the passion of you and/or your children, you'll inevitably show up at Bender Fields. The highly touted recreational complex is used by thousands of soccer, softball, and baseball players in youth, school, and adult events each year. Lynden Youth Sports (LYS) draws over 100 youth teams to play soccer, softball, baseball, and basketball. Teams are sponsored by local businesses and coached by volunteers. For information about Lynden Youth Sports, write to P.O. Box 10, Lynden, WA 98264, or call (360) 354-0597.
Fitness enthusiasts have numerous choices. The Lynden Activity Center/YMCA offers a swimming pool, racquetball courts, basketball court, and weight room (for more information call 360-354-5000 or visit www.whatcomymca.org). Homestead Farms Golf Resort and Convention Center recently made its fitness center a 24-hour operation. If you want to get away from people, Lynden's flat city streets and surrounding rural roads are ideal for bicyclists and walkers.
For those seeking a more sedate time, try one of Lynden's parks. Lynden City Park and Berthusen Park (360-354-6717) both offer trails and covered picnic facilities. Downtown Centennial Park (located at 4th & Grover Streets) features a lovely garden tended by the Lynden Garden Club and an impressive memorial to North Whatcom county veterans.
You don't have to travel far for much more. Two of the world's most beautiful cities – Vancouver, B.C. (45 miles north), home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and Seattle (100 miles south) are ideal day-trip destinations.
If outdoor recreation is your pleasure, you'll have a tough time choosing from bicycling, hunting fishing, beachcombing, and much more. The base of 10,778-foot-high Mt. Baker – beckoning skiers, hikers, and picnickers – is just 90 minutes east of Lynden. You also can head west 20 minutes to saltwater beaches, while the exquisite San Juan Islands are easily accessible by ferries and other vessels.
