Island Notes Island Notes

Best Coffee is Island Coffee

When Seattle held a contest to find the region’s best coffee, the winners were from Coupeville.  They promptly named their coffee, “Seattle’s Best.” Throughout the world, Seattle is known as a coffee capital, thanks largely to that famous mermaid. But locals know it’s the whole Pacific Northwest region that roasts a mean bean, and in fact some of Starbucks’ finest … Read More

Movie set of an actor running as the crew records him running.

The Hour After Westerly

When a man who revels in timeliness and predictability loses an hour and finds a mystery, it produces a haunting puzzle about what might have been. That’s “The Hour After Westerly” a short film mostly shot on Whidbey Island. For a limited time, it’s available online.

The Oak Harbor Garry Oaks

When you walk among the oak trees that dominate Smith Park in Oak Harbor, you can’t help but feel you’re among some very old living things. The 150 or so Garry Oaks in the park predate the town, and, yes, the town was named after the trees.

A fence and post are in the foreground with a heron on the post. There are water and mountains behind that and a sunrise behind that.

Our Best Beach This Month – Seawall Park

Early morning is a good time to hear the rhythms of nature and Langley’s Seawall Park is a great place to do just that. That’s why it’s our Best Beach This Month.

Island Movie Magic

Updated 2/21/23 Ever watch a movie and immediately want to go there? Maybe you’re so enchanted you even find yourself scouring the IMDB page, trying to figure out where this thing was filmed. All too often we’re disappointed to find it’s on a sound stage, or some beautiful location that’s too far-flung to reach. But here is a list of … Read More