EXPLORING WHIDBEY ISLAND, WASHINGTON

Named in about 1792 after Captain George Vancouver’s sailing master, Whidbey Island is the largest of the Puget Sound islands. Its length from top to bottom is only 60 miles and getting to it from Seattle is easy: at most a 30-minute drive north to the ferry terminal, followed by a 20-minute crossing. We’ll take you on a tour of the more interesting spots on the island as we head northward to Deception Pass, where we’ll cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca onto Fidalgo Island en route to another ferry, and the first of our stops in the San Juan Islands.

From Seattle, take I-5 North to 525 North/Mukilteo. Keep left on the Mukilteo Speedway, passing signs that say 99 South/Lynwood, and continue to the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal, where you’ll queue for the Whidbey Island Ferry.

Once on Whidbey, you’ll first pass through the small town of Clinton, once a steamboat refueling spot, and today home to the busiest of Whidbey’s two ferry docks. A strong Norwegian heritage influences many of the activities in Clinton and on the island generally. Drive north on 525 for 2 to 3 miles and turn right on Langley Road. Our first stop is the Whidbey Island Vineyard and Winery on the right in a little less than 2 miles. Begun in 1986, the winery is owned and operated by Gregory and Elizabeth Osenbach, who proudly handcraft small lots of wine using traditional European methods. Let them introduce you to their award-winning wines: crisp, fragrant whites; an unusual and lighthearted rhubarb wine; plus serious reds and whites from classic varieties grown in eastern Washington. The Osenbachs specialize in grape varieties from the cooler parts of Europe: France’s Loire Valley and Alsace, Germany, and Eastern Europe.

Leaving the winery, turn right onto Langley Road and head in the direction of the town of Langley. Langley Road becomes Sixth. Turn right on Anthes Avenue and drive to First. Park anywhere you like and take to this charming village on foot. Perched on a low bluff overlooking Saratoga Pass, Mount Baker, and the Cascades, Langley’s lovely waterfront, historic buildings, walkways, and parks await you.

This is a thriving arts community; home to many regional, national, and international artists. Browse among bookstores, bakeries, art galleries, shops, jewelers, and restaurants to your heart’s content. Excellent places to stay in Langley are the Inn at Langley, Saratoga Inn and Eagles Nest Inn.

When you’re ready to move on, drive back up Anthes and turn right on Third, heading west. Third becomes Brooks Hill Road, and from here it’s a short and lovely drive out to Double Bluff Beach, not one of the prettiest, but certainly one of the better, beaches for collecting shells, digging up clams, and spotting bald eagles—especially during low tide. To get to Double Bluff, take Brooks Hill (which becomes Bayview Road) to 525 North and turn right. Drive 2 miles and turn left on Double Bluff Road. The road ends at the beach. See if you can spot an eagle in search of its next meal out over the water.

Retrace your steps back to 525 North and turn left through Freeland. Turn left again on Bush Point Road (the idyllic waterfront Cliff House and Cottage are located off Bush Point Road) which will eventually become Smuggler’s Cove Road and drive 6 miles to South Whidbey State Park. Here you have a handful of short trails to choose from, whether through old-growth forest or out to the beach. All are easy, ranging from almost standing in place to a gentle loop of almost 2 miles—a very tranquil spot.

Leaving the park, turn left on Smuggler’s Cove and head initially in the direction of Coupeville. When you get to 525, however, make a right turn and head south. We’re going to backtrack for a moment to Greenbank where Guest House Log Cottages is a delightful place to stay and Greenbank Farm is an island landmark. In the early 1900s, the Philips family wondered what the land on Whidbey Island would grow. After much in the way of experimentation, they switched in the 1930s from dairy to berry farming, and by 1972 the Greenbank Berry Farm was known as the largest loganberry farm in the United States. When that way of life was threatened in recent years by possible development of the farm’s 522 acres, an intense local effort resulted in the acquisition of the farm by the citizens of the island in 1997.
 Browse through the gift shop, buy some loganberry jam, taste one of the many fine wines of the Puget Sound Appellation, or enjoy a light lunch or snack (with a delicious slice of pie, of course!) in the Whidbey Pies Café. The locals who run the place are incredibly friendly. Many activities are scheduled year round at the farm, including a Sunday Market, each Sunday from mid-May to October, when you can buy island-grown produce, flowers, and crafts from 11 am to 2 pm. In July, the farm celebrates its agricultural heritage with the annual Loganberry Festival. August brings the skirl of bagpipes and the swirl of kilts at the Highland Games, while in December, Winter on Whidbey means hayrides, bonfires, hot cider, and caroling.

Return to 525 and continue south to Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens only 3 miles down the road. Turn left on Resort Road, then left again onto Meerkerk Lane, following signs to the gardens. For a small admission fee, spend an hour or more strolling through these beautiful grounds, home to more than 2,000 rhododendrons, but also to 43 acres of gorgeous forests. Take the Harborside Trail to the parkside cliffs and watch for whales and bald eagles. Special events are scheduled year round in the gardens, including the Whidbey Island Folk Music Festival on the first weekend in August and a Mother’s Day Concert on the second Sunday in May.

Make your way back again to 525 and this time head north. Take 20 west in the direction of the Port Townsend Ferry. You can make a day trip to Port Townsend or follow the frontage road past the ferry terminal to Fort Casey State Park. Here at Admiralty Head, Fort Casey was built in the 19^th century as part of a larger defense system designed to protect the entrance to Admiralty Inlet. No guns were actually fired from this spot, but the fort was used as a training location during both World Wars. The Admiralty Head Lighthouse has been transformed into an interpretive center on the fort’s history.

Leaving Fort Casey, follow the signs to Engle Road and Coupeville. The oldest of Whidbey Island’s towns, Coupeville was first established in 1853. Brochures for self-guided walking tours through this 19^th-century seaport town are available at the Island County Historical Museum, a good place to begin. A brief video in the museum will introduce you to the area’s history. You’ll also learn about Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve, 17,400 acres of remarkable prairie land, thoughtfully preserved so that future generations might appreciate the cultural and geographic heritage of this once-bustling farming and seafaring community. Ask in the museum for directions to the 1-mile trail from the beach at Ebey’s Landing (at the foot of Ebey Road) to Sunnyside Cemetery at Cook and Sherman Roads. The cemetery contains the headstones of some of the region’s pioneer families. From it, you’ll have marvelous views of the prairie and the water. Meanwhile, stroll the streets of town and try to imagine what it might have been like over 150 years ago when the first European settlers arrived at this home of the Coast Salish Indians.

Don’t return from Coupeville to Hwy 20 just yet. Instead, take Madrona Way (west of Broadway) from town. It’s a scenic 4-mile frontage road that guides you along Penn Cove and connects to Hwy 20 a bit farther north. Once back on 20, drive straight through Oak Harbor, home to the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, and on to Deception Pass.

The beautiful Deception Pass State Park includes not only this northernmost tip of Whidbey Island, but also the area of Fidalgo Island just across the dramatic Deception Pass Bridge.

It represents a total of over 4,000 acres of protected shoreline, land, and trails. Rocky, driftwood-strewn beaches here are popular for day-trippers who come to revel in the sunsets seen across Rosario Strait from Bowman Bay (on the north side of the bridge). You might want to enjoy one of the hiking trails in the park, some of which guide you into groves of tall trees, while others take you along lakes or coastline. Find a park map and see what calls to you. On the north side of the bridge, for example, is a short 4/5-mile loop around Rosario Head. Follow the Rosario Beach signs once you’ve crossed the bridge, leave your car in the parking lot, and look for signage to the Rosario Head Trail. From the vista point midway along the trail, you’ll gaze in awe across the water and back over to Whidbey.