We get it. You need some space to preserve your mental health. So, how can you get away? Where should you go? Where do you stay?
Overview
With miles of wide-open beaches and trails and state and regional parks, even in the busy season, there’s plenty of space here, if you do your research.
There are small hotels, B and B’s, and cabins and cottages on beaches and in the woods. There are restaurants that are locals’ favorites along with shops and galleries.
So, with the idea that it’s time that vacations simplify your life, here’s our Three-Day Getaway to Whidbey Island to the amazing places the tourists usually don’t see!
Road Trip Un-Rules
- The beautiful thing about a road trip, especially this road trip, is there are no deadlines and no schedules to keep.
- We’re going to fill your days, but it’s also okay to just spend a few hours on the beach reading a book!
- This itinerary also works backward (or any other way you want).
- Deadlines are NOT your friend.
Plan Your Hideout
Any good escape needs a good hideout, and with our small inns, B&Bs, cottages, and cabins, we have plenty. Use our listings to find the right place and make your reservations early!
Day One – Go Outside and Play
Let’s pretend that you actually got up and got on the road by 10 a.m. But if you don’t, that’s okay, too. It’s your vacation, and it’s on your schedule.
Let’s start this leisurely trip with a boat ride and take the ferry to get here. Look at the schedule and the alerts here. Be patient. You’ll have some quality beach time in just a few minutes.
You can use the time waiting for or riding the ferry to place a to-go order. There are many can’t-miss choices for your to-go lunch, including The Shrimp Shack at Cozy’s, Whidbey Island Bagel Factory, Pickle’s Deli, and even a Dairy Queen. If you didn’t bring bottled water, order some to-go for later.
Then, on to the beach!
Take Maxwelton Road through easy rolling land for 5 miles to the beach community of Maxwelton and Dave Mackie County Park, where there are picnic tables spaced widely apart. Eat your lunch and let the sound of the waves do their magic. The beach is a bit wild here. Storms can chew up the beach and block the boat ramp, but it tends to add to the feeling that you’re not in the city anymore.
Now, it’s some time for some quality walking in the woods. Put into your Google Maps “Lone Lake Road & East Keller Road.” ½ mile north of that intersection is parking for Putney Woods County Park. There are miles of trails with names like “Rocky Road,” “Canter Berry Trail,” and “Jane Eyre.” Take plenty of water because you’re out of the city now!
Keep an eye peeled for farm stands. There are two on your drive from the beach to the woods. They are open several days a week.
If you’re not up to a full-fledged walk in the woods, we have two alternatives; Earth Sanctuary and Meerkerk Gardens. Both charge nominal admission and both are wonderful places to walk and explore.
Whatever you choose, give yourself some time to just sit and think. Let the island relax you.
Great Choices for Dinner
By now, it’s time for check-in and some thoughts about dinner.
If you’re staying at the southern end of the island, you’ll have plenty of choices. Just remember to keep things casual and understand that many of the businesses are mom-and-pop operations and they need some downtime, too.
The Braeburn and Prima Bistro offer casual dining. The Orchard Kitchen always has creative upscale dining and Saltwater Fish House and Oyster Bar is your can’t-miss option for seafood.
You could again head to the beach as sunset is late. Double Bluff Beach County Park is quiet late in the day and open until dusk.
If you’re staying in Central Whidbey, you’ll likely be dining in Coupeville. But one great option just outside of Coupeville is the family-style restaurant Callen’s. Located at the Coupeville ferry terminal, the dining room is open and they have outside tables for when skies are sunny. If you choose pickup and head less than a half mile to Fort Casey State Park. There’s lots of space here, and the view from atop the fort is truly special. Be sure to pack kites because this is a perfect place to fly them! There’s a new ADA-compliant trail from the parking lot to the fort, as well. The lighthouse is always a favorite.
In historic Coupeville itself, Front Street Grill is a casual spot with many different mussel plates on the menu, and a great view of the Coupeville Wharf and Penn Cove. If you’re in the mood for wood fire pizza you can’t go wrong with Goldie’s Island Grown Pizza. Or, you can kick things up a notch at the legendary Oystercatcher, now providing fine dining through new owners Chef Ben Jones and Sophia Kitay.
If you’re staying at the north end, where Oak Harbor has larger family-friendly places to stay, you have lots of choices. I’d probably order takeout from El Cazedor, or Jumbo Burrito and head to the city’s completely revamped Windjammer Park. It’s right on the water with a playground and a paved beach-side walk that goes for miles.
Discover Pass
You’re going to want a Discover Pass because you’ll be visiting several state parks, and this is a money-saver. A Discover Pass provides admission to all state recreational lands for a whole year including parks, Department of Natural Resources, and State Fish and Wildlife sites. More beauty for the buck!
Day Two – Some Beaches, Some Shopping
Breakfast begins with The Braeburn in Langley. Or, breakfast begins with Sunshine Drip in Coupeville. Or, breakfast begins with wherever you didn’t eat yesterday in Clinton. Or, breakfast begins with Chris’ Bakery in Oak Harbor.
Regardless, it’s time to head to Oak Harbor for downtown shopping and the amazing outdoor art.
Your eye will certainly catch The Allgire Project, a series of murals painted on the outside of several buildings. There are several murals in place now. Eventually, new talent will cover those spaces with new murals, so things will keep changing. Look along the sidewalks for additional art like “The Kraken” that guards the entrance to downtown, or the larger than life “Stumbly Ducks” that no child can resist.
New and very intriguing shops have opened downtown. There’s one devoted to all things Whidbey Island, while Frieda’s dares call itself “a beautiful mess” a quaint bookstore and the Garry Oak Gallery, an artist’s co-op of ever-changing fine art.
For lunch, let’s head to the other end of Oak Harbor. You get two choices here. One is Mai Thai, with award-winning food and a friendly family atmosphere. The other is Seabolt’s Smokehouse for seafood.
If you order take-out, then head south a few miles to Fort Ebey State Park. Park by the WW II-era bunker, find a picnic table and relax. There’s just something about eating where the only sounds you hear are the ocean and the birds.
After lunch, besides exploring the bunker, there’s a bluff trail where the views of Admiralty Inlet are really beautiful. If you’d like, you could make an afternoon of hiking this trail, but you will really get some exercise. This trail is a great alternative to the very busy bluff trail at Ebey’s Landing.
The park is rather large and the trails around Lake Pondilla are fun without being too difficult. Follow the right trail and it opens up onto the beach.
If you didn’t eat “al fresco” last night at Ft. Casey, you owe it to yourself to make that your next stop. If you’re “shopped out,” take time to really explore the fort from end to end. It’s really quite enormous.
What About Deception Pass?
Deception Pass State Park is the state’s most popular state park. This sea canyon is breathtaking, and the bridge is beautiful. But the trails get crowded on weekends, and so do the beaches.
A fun way to beat the crowds is Deception Pass Jet Boat Tours. The open-air jet boat trip under the bridge could be the highlight of your weekend!
Otherwise, the shops of Coupeville await! From whimsical shops like the Crow’s Roost to the style of Aqua Gifts to A Touch of Dutch, there are shops to keep you busy for the afternoon.
Even if you don’t go shopping, you’ll want to walk out on the wharf. The historic wharf provides great views of Penn Cove and the Coupeville waterfront.
Next, if everyone is over 21 years of age, you owe yourself a stop a Toby’s Tavern for their mussels. They’ve been serving ’em for years, and some say they’re the best.
Finally, on day two let’s do something so old, it’s new again; going to the drive-in.
Oak Harbor’s Blue Fox is open seven days a week. The Blue Fox entered the digital-projection era a few years ago, but everything else, including the menu, feels like it’s on loan from the ‘60’s. Be sure to come early and drive the go-karts and try the arcade.
Day Three – “The Village by the Sea”
There’s nothing like a kayak for exploring the water’s edge. And even if you’ve never kayaked before, this is your perfect opportunity.
Whidbey Island Kayaking takes everyone from novices to experienced kayakers and paddle boarders into the sheltered waters off Langley and other locations on the island.
The trip is not about adventure or covering great distances; it’s about exploring your world in a new and more authentic way.
Many people who come to Whidbey Island, come just to Langley to explore the shops. They’re drawn to global textiles at Music for the Eyes, or captivated by Art at the Rob Schouten Gallery or … well you get the idea. There are lots of shops and galleries to fit all tastes and styles.
Artists have been busy on the streets of Langley, as well. You’ll find statues, metalwork, glass art and more scattered in gardens and around buildings. Shops are open under social distancing rules.
For lunch before heading home, we offer pizza. Village Pizzeria is downtown and is right on the water. Walk down the stairs next to it and eat at Seawall Park.
Finally, you need something to snack on for your drive home. Sweet Mona’s, also in downtown Langley, offers homemade chocolate goodies. What better way to end your 3-day getaway than with a little dessert?
Final Note
Like the menu at your favorite restaurant, our little itinerary offered up far more than what you could do in three days. Downtime, the foundation for all great vacations, was nonexistent, and there simply isn’t enough hours in a day to do everything. So, since you can’t do everything on this list, give yourself permission to not stress it. Whidbey Island, it’s great beauty and wonderful people aren’t going anywhere.
We also missed things, a lot of things. But that’s why we have this website.
So, we hope you’ll take our little itinerary as an idea of what could be done, not what must be done. Additional things like the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, the Clyde Theatre, and lots of other restaurants and events, and you’ll have even more reasons to return.
