As published in The Florida Villager
An escape to Whidbey Island is something you definitely want on your bucket list. As I drove across Deception Pass Bridge, I knew that the next couple of days were going to be a true respite. I really wished I had had time to stop and walk the bridge or at least take the stairs that led to some trails underneath but my time was limited and there was so much I wanted to see.
I pulled into the second oldest town in Washington, Coupeville, and felt like I had walked into a Norman Rockwell painting. Coupeville sits on the shores of Penn Cove and offers a mix of quaint shops and restaurants. I came to rest on the patio of Front Street Grill where I could see Mt. Baker and sip on wine. There was no question as to what I would order off the menu, Penn Cove mussels. Fabulous! I stopped in at the ice cream shop and then walked down to the pier and watched the boats come in.
I had heard so much about Greenbank Farm that I made that my next stop. The farm is comprised of art galleries, a garden and pond, winery where, I have to admit; I partook of a wine tasting and beautiful serene places to picnic. You can actually go to the cheese and wine shop, grab a few things and sit in the field and just enjoy the stillness of it all. My favorite place was Whidbey Pies. All the pies are handmade and it took me quite a while to decide but the winner was the Loganberry with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. As I rolled out to my car, I asked directions to Ebeys Landing National Historic Preserve where I knew I could burn off a few calories.
When I saw Ebeys Landing, I knew I had found paradise. It was breathtaking as I stared in awe at the bluffs meeting the shores of Penn Cove contrasting with the beauty of the forests and the rocky coast. The reserve is an active farming community with three state parks to explore by hiking or biking. Situated on the reserve is Admiralty Head Lighthouse and Fort Casey. I toured the lighthouse and walked around Fort Casey for a couple hours just wondering what it would be like to have lived here. I scrambled among the ruins and then trekked to the beach where I found gigantic piles of driftwood along the shore. I plopped down on a rock and watched the sun set before heading to the Saratoga Inn.
Let me put this simply, there is no other place to even think of staying than here. The inn’s front porch was so inviting with its rocking chairs and the view of the Cascade Mountains and the Saratoga Passage. My room had a gas fireplace and king size bed with a little friend to welcome me, a teddy bear. The bathroom had a claw-foot tub, which I promptly filled up. After a leisurely bath, I dressed and made my way to Prima Bistro, a very popular gathering place and I could see why. The deck was so pleasant, even with a summer chill, due to strategically placed heaters. The view of the passage was beautiful as the night sky shone on it making it glisten.
The next day I went to Firehouse Studio and blew my own glass bowl. Check that off my bucket list. I drove the 8.5-mile Langley Loop and marveled how the cyclists could actually bike it. The scenery was stunning. I saw an eagle in a field and deer grazing by the road. I grabbed a map of the art trail and stopped at some of the most interesting galleries before heading onto the wine trail. Each winery offered a different experience and equally as good as the one before.
I wanted my last stop to be the Captain Whidbey Inn, which sits on the shore of Penn Cove. The inn is over 100 years old and as I crossed the threshold, I was staring at its two massive fireplaces and exposed log walls; the ambience was beyond what I expected. I ordered a glass of wine at the Tavern bar and found a seat by the window so I could enjoy my last few hours in this lost world.