One of the best things about Seattle is the myriad of weekend trips available to you. You can fly, train, bus, boat, or drive to so many places in three hours or less. Now that I’ve gotten over my fear of car rental (mostly), I’ve been stocking our free weekends with adventures to PNW destinations.

Recently, those adventures took us to Whidbey Island, which by car was around two hours. We stayed on the northern part of the island, near Oak Harbor, which allowed me to bypass my fear of driving a car onto a ferry and instead enjoy the beautiful scenery of Deception Pass. It’s a simple drive straight up I-5, then cutting west along the 20. You can also get onto the island by taking the ferry at Mukilteo, which is probably best if you are staying somewhere in the southern area of the island.

So in a word, Whidbey Island is wonderful. First off, we lucked out with amazing weather, which helps immensely. Our rental spot was perfect, seriously waterfront, right between the Sound and the Swantown Lake Estuary, so fantastic views from each side of the property. And the island itself offers a combination of beach fronts, hiking trails, small coast towns, and sweeping farmlands that made me swoon.

Swantown Lake Estuary, above. View from our porch, below.

Activities I Recommend:

Deception Pass State Park
This is a must. The park is really expansive (we barely scratched the surface, and we spent a large chunk of two of our days there) and has something for everyone. There’s tons of trails for hikers: We went up the Goose Rock Summit Trail that branches off from right under the bridge, which was pretty short (about a mile) but quite steep. The view is worth it though!

View from Goose Rock

You can also head down to the beach areas, either by trail or by car. There appeared to be a lot of parking areas throughout the area, though we parked at a small lot right near the bridge for both of our visits, which gave us a bit of a hike down to water level. The beaches have a lot of driftwood and pebbles, and many spots have picnic tables and cookout areas. From the North Beach you also get a great view of Deception Pass Bridge.

Be sure to save time for a walk across the bridge! Not for those with an extreme fear of heights, but it’s a pretty easy walk, and on a clear day you can even see Mount Baker. The walkway is pretty narrow, so passing people is a bit of a squeeze, and you’re walking next to the cars going by, but at no point did I feel unsafe. (For the record, the only bridge that has severely freaked me out enough to turn back was the Golden Gate Bridge. This was far less scary.)

The view from Deception Pass Bridge, and the walk across.

They also do boat tours and whale watching trips (when in season), and while we didn’t partake on this trip, I’d be keen to go back when the grey whales return!

Note: Parking pass is required. $10 a day, or you can get the Discover Pass for $30 which lasts the year, and gets you in to all the other great Washington State Parks.

Fort Ebey State Park
We had to decide between the two forts on the island to visit (Fort Casey is further south), and in the end Fort Ebey was closer to us. But it was really lovely! There’s beach access in several areas that you can pretty much drive up to, and piles upon piles of driftwood in case you want to build a fort. (There were several pretty impressive ones in progress while we were there.) In the north area of the park there’s a small lake, Lake Pondilla, where sometimes you can see eagles, and according to the park info you can also fish there. We just took pictures of the cool lilypads.

Lake Pondilla

The ‘fort’ part is the old gun battery, which pretty much meant there was a maze of very dark concrete bunkers to walk through. They are underground, so bring a flashlight! It was spooky, but cool. (The guns were scrapped years ago, but the platforms where they stood are still visible.) Also up at the gun battery area are several picnic areas, and expansive grassy areas for kite-flying and paragliding.

Entrance to the gun battery bunker, above. View from the gun battery picnic area, below.

Again, there are several hiking trails to explore, affording you some spectacular vistas across the Sound. We wandered along the Bluff Trail and enjoyed the clear views and yellow flowers of a sunny day in April. Some of the trails allow bikes, which to me seemed terrifying, but if that’s your thing, this would be a great place to explore. Also, the park has designated camping areas that are pretty much a quick walk to the beach and surrounded by luscious trees, so maybe I can be convinced to go camping next time!

Parking pass is required here too, same deal as Deception Pass.

Coupeville
Growing up in Eugene, Oregon, meant that we were about an hour from the coast, so I’ve spent a lot of time exploring little coast towns. What I love about little coast towns is how they all feel a bit similar to each other. They each have a ‘historic’ waterfront area, a pier or a wharf to walk along, a few restaurants that ‘have been there forever’, and that one fantastic homemade ice cream shop. There are also antiques and seaside souvenirs galore. These towns are quaint, lovable, and unmissable on trips to the coast. In Coupeville we had good food, delicious ice cream, and enjoyed watching herons and seals from the wharf.

The historic Coupeville Wharf. A good place to enjoy your ice cream cone.

Food recommendation: Christopher’s On Whidbey. Bring an appetite because the portions are HUGE (or bring home half for the next day), but boy is it delicious. Of course it’s seafood, and it’s wonderfully fresh and cooked really well. Plus you will find some local wines on their menu.

Whidbey Island was the perfect weekend getaway from Seattle, and I know we’ll head back soon. For even more pictures of our trip, head over to my photo blog. The island is definitely worth a visit! Whether you live in Washington State or are just stopping in, explore Whidbey for a few days of nature views and coastal towns.

Bonus food recommendation: On our way back, we stopped in Mount Vernon for lunch at a little restaurant, COA Mexican Eatery. It was fantastic, and I wish it was my neighborhood Mexican restaurant, I would eat there every day. I want to take a bath in their green creme sauce, no joke.

One of the gorgeous sunsets we enjoyed. I can’t wait to go back!