Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is in the Puget Sound region of Washington state about 30 miles north of Seattle. We were originally just going to pass through the island on a travel day between Port Angeles and North Cascades National Park, but a tip from someone I’ve know for over 63 years got us landed there for a few days.

Getting to Whidbey island is half the adventure. There are only two ways on and off the island, via the Washington State Ferry if coming from the south or over Deception Pass bridges if coming from the north. Since our path was from south to north we took our first ferry ride in the motorhome coming onto the island.

Although the island is large by island standards, it’s fairly easy to get around and explore within a few days, as we did. However, as we found, this is more of a place to kick back and chill for a while. A long walk on the beach, an afternoon nap and an amazing sunset is more likely the days itinerary rather then some extreme hike. Who am I kidding, life is too short for naps!

We stayed at a great little RV park on the north part of the island called (creatively) North Whidbey RV Park. We spent plenty of time driving most of the island and enjoying the rolling hills, wild flowers and ocean views. However, we did have a few things in particular we wanted to see, as anyone visiting the island should consider as well.

Deception Pass

Rather a strait than a pass which is defined by a set of bridges connecting Whidbey Island with Fidalgo Island and the mainland. The area is very picturesque and the bridges can be walked as well as driven across. In addition to the bridge, there are many hiking trails that give further views of the waterways and bridge in addition to a beach.

Fort Ebey State Park

This former site of a WWII coastal defense fort is now a state park. The battery, one of many of this sort in the Pacific Northwest, still exist and can be viewed in the park. There’s also a beautiful bluff trail with great views of the coast and fields of wildflowers.

Fort Casey State Park

The highlights here are an old historic spanish lighthouse and the huge Fort Casey gun battery. The Admiralty Head Lighthouse, built in 1903, is a beautiful structure and as a bonus you can go up into the tower. While we were in the tower we saw a bald eagle about eye level in a tree across from us.

Fort Casey was built at the turn of the century to protect the strategic waters of Puget Sound. Although it was active until 1945 it never fired a round at an enemy target. The complex, along with it’s two 10″ guns on display, is like no other gun battery that we’ve seen. The complex is huge and you can spend hours touring the facility up close and personal.

Oak Harbor and Coupeville

These are the two primary towns on the island. They are both adorable with waterfront boardwalks, local shops and some good local eating. We had an amazing meal at Front Street Grill in Coupeville, looking out at the harbor eating the most amazing local mussels.

Price Sculpture Forest

This place is truly unique, where forest meets art. The privately owned exhibit has different art pieces integrated into the forest. You can view all the sculptures as you walk through a mile long trail that winds through the forest. Admittance is free but they take donations.

Long Point Beach

Just east of Coupeville and down the road from the Price Sculpture Forest is this really cool beach. It’s right on a point of the shoreline and is being developed as a residential area so I’m not even sure if it’s intended for public access. The beach makes for a nice walk and has tons of seashells.

Western Sun Lavender Farm

Lavender season doesn’t start until July and we were there in June, so we didn’t get to check this out but I’m told it’s a beautiful place to visit. They specialize in self-picking of lavender and other flowers and offers tours and have a retail store where they sell their oils and other products.

Our visit to Whidbey Island was short but sweet and put a perfect conclusion to our northwest Washington tour. Thanks to Terry and JoAnn for the great tips. Be sure to check out all of our pictures.