# Review of Worldmark BirchBay



## sun starved Gayle (May 15, 2017)

We have just returned from our three day weekend at Birch Bay. We spent one night in a 1 BR unit booked through bonus time, and moved to a SN penthouse (only penthouse available at booking) when the rest our family joined us.

I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the units were, especially the penthouse which was HUGE with a private hot tub on the deck, a deck that ran the length of the unit and plenty of windows. Nice, newish linens. Well stocked kitchen with larger coffee mugs and both red and white wine glasses. Granite counter tops, and robes in all the bedrooms. The run-down bar across the street looks like it is out of business so we did not have to deal with noise from there. It does partially obstruct the view, but I can live with that. The view was still good in my opinion. We saw whale spouts sitting at the table having breakfast, and so may bald eagles, herons, and seagulls dropping shellfish to crack open to eat. There is noise from the street, which runs directly in front of the unit. That might be a problem in the summer if you wanted to sleep with the windows open.

A few negatives about our SN penthouse unit. The dishwasher back flow valve over flowed water on the counter every time we ran it, we learned to put dish towels around it to absorb the water. And the sofa was ridiculous, old, low and uncomfortably sloping back towards the back frame. You had to climb out of it. Needs replacing badly. The counters were lower, as it was a SN unit, but the bar stools were normal height, making the counter way to low to eat or work from.

The salespeople at the parking-pass pick up were HARD SELL, and left a lingering bad taste in my mouth. They would not take no for an answer and insisted on going through the whole schtick, even after I told them repeatedly I was not interested. In fact the young woman became somewhat belligerent when I interrupted her to tell her I was not interested for the third time (we had just driven 275 miles, and I wanted to use the rest room!) and insisted I hear the whole song and dance. They wanted to come to our unit at 8:30 AM with a "welcome gift" which I refused. I do not want anyone at my door at that time of the morning while I am on vacation. I heard another woman in the elevator complaining about that also.

I enjoyed our stay here. If you had teens there might not be enough to do, but we were very content. We ate at CJ's Beach House down the street (fish tacos were good but not great and were spendy), Drayton Bay Oysters in Blaine, (Fabulous ! But only if you like oysters because that is all they serve) and got big cinnamon rolls to take back to the unit from C Shop Cafe. We bought some groceries from Market at Birch Bay in the Blaine shopping Center. They had a wonderful selection of gourmet items and had the prices to match.

My husband had the inclination to visit Point Roberts. You have to go thorough customs into Canada, drive to Tsawwassen and go thorough customs again to return to US soil to get there. Interesting history on how this small point off the Canadian mainland is part of Washington State. http://www.changesinlongitude.com/visit ... ashington/ Saw dozens of bald eagles. We stopped at Tim Horton's on the way back in Tsawwassen for coffee and doughnuts.

Thanks to all who gave me advice and info about this property.


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## rhonda (May 15, 2017)

Thanks for the write-up!  We've yet to make it this location. Some day ... some day!


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## jrogersok (Jun 17, 2017)

Thanks for the information.  I just booked it for the end of the summer and plan to go with several oder teenage girls.  You stated there wasn't much to do in the area; do you think they can still have a good time for 2 night stay or should I look elsewhere?  Anyplace close by to visit like State Parks?


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## DaveNV (Jun 17, 2017)

jrogersok said:


> Thanks for the information.  I just booked it for the end of the summer and plan to go with several oder teenage girls.  You stated there wasn't much to do in the area; do you think they can still have a good time for 2 night stay or should I look elsewhere?  Anyplace close by to visit like State Parks?



Birch Bay in Summer is very different than Birch Bay in Spring. There is more to do during the busier time of year - granted, it's geared toward tourists, but there can be some fun in that.  There is a water slide park just up the road, a state park right down the road in Birch Bay itself, and a huge beach area to walk on when the tide is low. The water goes out a very long way.  If push comes to shove, Bellingham isn't far away, and there is plenty to occupy teenagers there.

Birch Bay-Lynden Road is Exit 270 off I-5.  Check a good map and you'll see how close you are to everything in the area. Its about five miles from the exit to the bay.  Canada is about two miles north of that exit. If you have passports, you could easily spend a day in Vancouver.

Dave


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## jrogersok (Jun 19, 2017)

Oh that sounds wonderful!  Thank you! and thanks fo the map, too!


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## Born2Travel (Jun 19, 2017)

Thanks!  We will be there for the first time the end of July.  I wasn't expecting much...now maybe it's something to look forward to.


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## bbodb1 (Oct 8, 2017)

We are headed here next summer and I have started putting together ideas for trips/activities while there.  A trip to Canada / Point Roberts is on the list for sure.  Are there whale watching opportunities in late June / early July?  Any other ideas or suggestions?


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## Bunk (Oct 8, 2017)

Is this the same location as Raintree's Sandcastle at Birch Bay


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## DaveNV (Oct 8, 2017)

bbodb1 said:


> We are headed here next summer and I have started putting together ideas for trips/activities while there.  A trip to Canada / Point Roberts is on the list for sure.  Are there whale watching opportunities in late June / early July?  Any other ideas or suggestions?



I don't know if there is any whale watching from Birch Bay itself, but the city of Bellingham is about 15 miles south on the freeway.  From there, if there is anything available, you should be able to find a whale watching cruise to the San Juan Islands.  There are resident pods of Orca whales that live in and around the San Juans, and it's a short boat ride from Bellingham.

Failing that, if you want to drive a bit more, you can make your way to Anacortes, (west on WA Hwy 20 from I-5 Exit 230), and find a whale watching excursion from there.  It's a longer drive (40 miles on I-5 from Exit 270 to Exit 230), and then the ~20 minute drive to Anacortes from there.  A long way around, but it starts you that much closer to the San Juans. Check a good map to see relative locations.

There are likely whale watching opportunities available from Vancouver, BC, since they have their own Orca pods in their coastal islands, too.  You'll have to research things to see what your options are.  You may want to ask your resort, too.  They'll have the best information of what their guests do.

Have fun!  Birch Bay is a nice area, kind of low key and touristy, but still relatively quiet.

Dave


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## DaveNV (Oct 8, 2017)

Bunk said:


> Is this the same location as Raintree's Sandcastle at Birch Bay



Yes, same area.  There is only one Birch Bay. 

Dave


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## sue1947 (Oct 8, 2017)

Bunk said:


> Is this the same location as Raintree's Sandcastle at Birch Bay



It's next door.  WM bought some of the Raintree units and label them as WM-Blaine even though they are both in Birch Bay, across the street from the water.

Sue


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## DaveNV (Oct 22, 2017)

Curious for those who stayed there this summer - how was your visit?  Did you like it?  Birch Bay is such a unique area, it doesn't get the  advertising it deserves.

Dave


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## ecwinch (Oct 22, 2017)

It is nice - great area for biking. More of a base than a destination IMHO. Flat tidal mud beach - like most OR/WA beaches. A few units have full ocean views, a few have sideways views since the resort is perpendicular to the ocean.


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## DaveNV (Oct 22, 2017)

ecwinch said:


> It is nice - great area for biking. More of a base than a destination IMHO. Flat tidal mud beach - like most OR/WA beaches. A few units have full ocean views, a few have sideways views since the resort is perpendicular to the ocean.



Yep. I used to live right down the road, so I know the area well.  I was mainly interested whether visitors had liked it, and whether the timeshares had met with their expectations. 

Dave


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## Born2Travel (Oct 23, 2017)

We stayed this summer, but only one night on the way to Whistler.  Enjoyed the unit and property, and would have liked to have had more time to explore the area.  We walked both directions from the resort to check it out and have dinner at a restaurant/bar nearby. (sorry, forgot the name). I'd go back.  Nice area.  Not sure if we would need a full week there, but it was interesting and enjoyable.


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## taterhed (Oct 23, 2017)

We just got back this year from doing the Victoria/Vancouver Seattle thing.

If I had a choice, I'd spend more time in Victoria than VC.  VC is a wonderful city, wonderful people, good food (but overcooked steak!).  But Victoria is just very special in my mind.  Lot's to do with a car or bike.

BTW:  the whale watch (we took the islands tour) is quite different from the typical Hawaii or Mexico kind of thing.  Many many boats surround and track the pod of whales as they go about their daily business (ORCA's of course, wrong time of year for big whales for us).  The folks obviously know and love the whales.  They can recognize many of them and talk almost non-stop about the species and diets and pod structure etc...  We really liked the tour, but you should understand what you're going to see before you go.  Some read-ahead might help.
Love that area, can't wait to move permanently to SEA.

Thanks for the great mini-review!


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## geist1223 (Oct 23, 2017)

I know off topic. We love both Victoria and Vancouver BC. Easy to get to both in that we are in Salem Oregon. We try and go to one of them every year. This past June we spent 2 weeks in Vancouver. Next June we are spending 2 weeks in Victoria.


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## sun starved Gayle (May 14, 2018)

Back from our second Mother's Day weekend visit to Worldmark Birch Bay . We again had managed to book a penthouse. There are only four penthouse units on two floors and they have a deck across the entire front of the unit with a table and chairs, BBQ and private hot tub. I just cannot get enough of the view. Absolutely perfect weather.

We spent most of our time outside on the deck, visiting with our Seattle based kids and their spouses and basking in the sun. I booked this resort to make it easy for them to come, as it is only about 105 miles north of Seattle and has three bedrooms. Our kids used the hot tub. We also went to Drayton Harbor Oysters  http://draytonharboroysters.com/  and got two dozen oysters in the shell to grill on the BBQ. The kids had brought champagne to have along with the oysters and we had a very memorable evening enjoying it all.

Before our kids arrived, we drove up to Semiahmoo Resort for dinner and ate at Packers, outside on their deck. https://www.semiahmoo.com/  Again, perfect weather and a very good Happy Hour to boot. As we walked in the front door of the building, they were sampling some local hard cider and it was tasty. I wish I could remember the name. We have stayed at this resort before when my husband had a conference here.  I really like it, and it's unusual location on a narrow spit the juts out into the bay.

The ramshackle restaurant across the street from our Worldmark unit has been renovated and re-opened as "Bay Breeze". In fact, their soft opening was the first night we were there. I poked my head in and it looks nice, with a great view. The outdoor decks were not opened yet. I suspect when they are, it will be pretty noisy for the penthouse units directly across the street.

I like Birch Bay and the area around it. Beautiful water views everywhere and some interesting places to visit nearby. I don't think I would be so excited about this resort if we had any other unit beside the penthouse overlooking the bay. A parking lot view with just a peek of the water, or no peek at all would just not be the same. And a beautiful warm sunny day makes all the difference. A gray, rainy Washington winter day would probably be a different story.


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## TUGBrian (May 14, 2018)

if you want to add your 2018 review to update your 2017 one!

https://tug2.com/timeshare-resort/?WorldMark Birch Bay&ID=11977


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## taterhed (May 14, 2018)

Sounds fantastic!   Need to see the kids in SEA myself.  Thanks for the ideas.

Gee, I wonder why you can't remember the cider's name.  Hmm.  Must be good stuff!!


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## sun starved Gayle (May 14, 2018)

taterhed said:


> Sounds fantastic!   Need to see the kids in SEA myself.  Thanks for the ideas.
> 
> Gee, I wonder why you can't remember the cider's name.  Hmm.  Must be good stuff!!



You are funny Rob. I asked my husband. It had a very hard to remember name.  SEATTLE CIDER COMPANY. https://www.seattlecidercompany.com/


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## sun starved Gayle (May 21, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> if you want to add your 2018 review to update your 2017 one!
> 
> https://tug2.com/timeshare-resort/?WorldMark Birch Bay&ID=11977



Done !


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## rleigh (Jun 6, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Yes, same area.  There is only one Birch Bay.
> 
> Dave




Funny thing: although they are next door to each other, the WM called "Birch Bay" is in Blaine. The WM called "Blaine" is in Birch Bay.


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## DaveNV (Jun 6, 2018)

rleigh said:


> Funny thing: although they are next door to each other, the WM called "Birch Bay" is in Blaine. The WM called "Blaine" is in Birch Bay.



And I think the Birch Bay mailing address is all Blaine. I don't believe Birch Bay has its own post office. 

Dave


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## bbodb1 (Jun 12, 2018)

According to my reservation:

Worldmark Blaine
7854 Birch Bay Drive
Birch Bay WA 98230


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## DaveNV (Jun 12, 2018)

bbodb1 said:


> According to my reservation:
> 
> Worldmark Blaine
> 7854 Birch Bay Drive
> Birch Bay WA 98230



Well, there you go. 

Dave


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## bbodb1 (Jun 14, 2018)

Another related question about this area if I might: we plan on traveling around a bit while at this resort.  We know we will cross the US / Canadian border several times, head to Vancouver (and perhaps points a bit beyond but near there). 

*Question:* Are there any toll roads in this general area?  If so, are there express lanes similar to what we have in the U.S. with Ez-Pass?

After our experiences with toll roads in the northeastern U.S., I want to be prepared if we will have to deal with toll roads.


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## DaveNV (Jun 14, 2018)

There aren’t any toll roads near the border on the U.S. side. The closest you’ll find is near Seattle, which is more than a hundred miles from the border.

I can’t speak to the Canadian side of the line.

Dave


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## BevL (Jun 16, 2018)

The only toll road I can possibly think of at this time is a toll for across a bridge called the Golden Ears Bridge.  You can enroll your vehicle online.  If you are renting a vehicle, the rental company will likely be able to sort it out for you.

I should add that the Golden Ears Bridge isn't a bridge that goes anywhere touristy so I'd be surprised if you used it unless you're visiting family or something.  And there are lots of alternative routes.  The toll is only a few dollars.


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

I'll be adding more to this thread throughout the week as we are back home now from our recent stay at WM BLAINE but as I am cleaning up my receipts and papers, I came across this map provided by the resort of its rooms.  We stayed in room 409 (which faces to the east - toward the mountains with NO view of the bay).


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## TUGBrian (Jul 8, 2018)

be sure to upload any new/useful photos to the resort page as well!

https://tug2.com/timeshare-resort/photo-upload/?WorldMark+Birch+Bay&ID=11977


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> be sure to upload any new/useful photos to the resort page as well!
> 
> https://tug2.com/timeshare-resort/photo-upload/?WorldMark+Birch+Bay&ID=11977



Hello Brian,

_...edited by bbodb1 to remove the rambling incorrectness......_

At any rate, what is the best thing to do in this case?  Update the info on the resort pages?  

it is a reference mess for sure (caused by Wyndham / Worldmark) .....


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## TUGBrian (Jul 8, 2018)

hmm...interesting...for cases like these its difficult to find a "right" answer that will work for everyone.

few questions that will help me decide and sort it out.

i dont see a listing in TUG for worldmark blaine?  is it just a different phase of the same resort at birch bay?

we can easily combine/add to the wm birch bay to include wm blaine as well...but that would be frustrating if the rooms/phases are completely different?  it sounds like perhaps they are the same though?  would anyone actually notice a difference if staying in a blaine room vs a birch bay room?


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> hmm...interesting...for cases like these its difficult to find a "right" answer that will work for everyone.
> 
> few questions that will help me decide and sort it out.
> 
> ...



Unfortunately, I did not think to ask about the history of the two resorts so I can't add much to this.  There is definitely confusion when it comes to these two resorts. One thing I can add is this: part of the issue is Birch Bay is served by the Blaine Post Office.  I have another photo to add here.  Stand by a moment.


Also found this You Tube video.....


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## DaveNV (Jul 8, 2018)

Brian,

Definitely two different resorts.  From the WorldMark website:

*WorldMark Birch Bay 
WorldMark Managed *
4810 Beachcomber Dr
Blaine, WA 98230
(360) 371-0880
Fax (360) 371-3162

*WorldMark Blaine
WorldMark Managed*
7854 Birch Bay Drive,
Birch Bay, WA 98230
360-371-4900

Dave


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

My suggestion is the current listing for the Raintree's Sand Castle at Birch Bay would benefit by having some sort of notation that this building has units that can be reserved through WorldMark Birch Bay and / or is also known as WorldMark Birch Bay

The current Worldmark Birch Bay listing page should actually be changed to Worldmark Blaine.

From my time in I.T. and working with Post Office related issues like this, Birch Bay is a vanity city name (postal service for Birch Bay is performed through the Blaine post office).  This definitely confuses this issues here....


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Brian,
> 
> Definitely two different resorts.  From the WorldMark website:
> 
> ...



Mapping this info from Dave:


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## TUGBrian (Jul 8, 2018)

whew...making it even harder to organize for sure lol =D

the "correct" answer would be to add a new resort in tug for wm blaine, and then add to all 3 the distinction/notation that they all share the same resort complex.

my fear is that splitting them all up will result in LESS people finding the info they need vs more.


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## TUGBrian (Jul 8, 2018)

ok..step 1 done...added a note (and your photo) to the sandcastle review page noting its in the same location as birch bay/blaine.

also added similar note to WM birch bay (and uploaded that photo as well)


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## TUGBrian (Jul 8, 2018)

I think perhaps the best option at this point would be to add the blaine name to the birch bay resort so that searches for either would take someone to the same page with all the info on it.

unfortunately simply renaming wm birch bay to wm blaine might mess other things up if all the reviews are for birch bay vs blaine


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## DaveNV (Jul 8, 2018)

Guys, note that in the mailing addresses I posted, both have the same zip code, although they show two different town names.

Also, the community they're both in has always been called Birch Bay.  Blaine is a different town.  Not sure what WM was thinking with this naming.

Dave


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Guys, note that in the mailing addresses I posted, both have the same zip code, although they show two different town names.
> 
> Dave



That is vanity city name at work for you - those things really confuse the actual physical location of some entities.  
Check out post #37 above.


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## sue1947 (Jul 8, 2018)

bbodb1 said:


> Unfortunately, I did not think to ask about the history of the two resorts so I can't add much to this.  There is definitely confusion when it comes to these two resorts. One thing I can add is this: part of the issue is Birch Bay is served by the Blaine Post Office.  I have another photo to add here.  Stand by a moment.
> 
> View attachment 7341
> 
> Also found this You Tube video.....



You have the two resorts reversed.  The one at the bottom is WM Birch Bay; your orange arrow and your purple circle.  In the photos these are the blue buildings and the larger resort.  
  see https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/ob/ from the official WM website.   This is the original WM resort and is next door to Jacobs Landing (at the bottom of the photo).
  The one at the top of the photo is WM Blaine (the sand colored building), i.e. your yellow arrow and yellow circle).   In reality, it used to all be Raintree Sandcastle.    WM bought some of the Raintree inventory, but not all and renamed it as WM Blaine to differentiate it from their existing property next door.  It would have been less confusing to call it WM Sandcastle. 
see https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/bn/ from the official WM site. 

They aren't really in the same complex.  There is a string of businesses along the same side of the road that are a mix of restaurants and lodging with parking lots in between.   Jacobs Landing, a third timeshare, is also in the photo (at the bottom) but has more landscaping to differentiate itself.  There is a 4th timeshare down around the corner at Cabana Club which has been showing up in the II AC list a lot lately.    As a side note, WM started with a few condos at Eagle Crest, Otters Crest and Jacobs Landing.  Once they got going, the Jacobs Landing condo was sold and replaced with the Birch Bay resort. 

The brochure with the unit locations is also of WM Blaine not WM Birch Bay.   This thread started with a review of the original Birch Bay location and was then hijacked to include reviews of the separate and different, but next door location of WM Blaine. 

Sue


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

Well *&!@%^#(&!@%^&(%!@^&(%!@^&(#%!@^&(#%!@^&(#%


This is what I get for trusting my memory.....ARRGH!

You are correct Sue - and my bad Brian for the confusion on this....


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## DaveNV (Jul 8, 2018)

So then what happened with the addresses you mapped?  I took those street addresses directly from the WorldMark website. You deleted your map, so I'm not sure where the disconnect was?

Dave


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> So then what happened with the addresses you mapped?  I took those street addresses directly from the WorldMark website. You deleted your map, so I'm not sure where the disconnect was?
> 
> Dave



The disconnect was my memory......a bad, bad, thing.....

Here is that map - updated and corrected.


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## bbodb1 (Jul 8, 2018)

sue1947 said:


> You have the two resorts reversed.  The one at the bottom is WM Birch Bay; your orange arrow and your purple circle.  In the photos these are the blue buildings and the larger resort.
> see https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/ob/ from the official WM website.   This is the original WM resort and is next door to Jacobs Landing (at the bottom of the photo).
> The one at the top of the photo is WM Blaine (the sand colored building), i.e. your yellow arrow and yellow circle).   In reality, it used to all be Raintree Sandcastle.    WM bought some of the Raintree inventory, but not all and renamed it as WM Blaine to differentiate it from their existing property next door.  It would have been less confusing to call it WM Sandcastle.
> see https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/bn/ from the official WM site.
> ...


Okay, I have updated the maps now.  Thanks for pointing me in the correct direction Dave and Sue. 

WorldMark Blaine and WorldMark Birch Bay are separated by the shared parking lot (mostly seen to the left of the tip of the orange arrow, but the parking area does extend away from the road a bit).

Even with all of my screwups here, that still does not change the fact the listings on the TUG Resort page is/was in need some updating.  Hopefully some good will come from my produced confusion!


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