Sovna NaikWhidbey Island lies to the north of Seattle and it is definitely one of the most picturesque islands, which offers places for hiking, biking, and relaxation. We have visited the island quite a few times now. There are two ways you can take to go to the island, you can take the ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton which is the southernmost town on the island and the second option is to drive through the Deception Pass Bridge, which is a must-see place when you are around the area. It does not take long to drive from the north end to the south end on the island. Usually, we drive via I5 and take the Deception Pass Bridge to enter the Island and while returning back we take the ferry from the Clinton to Mukilteo and finally drive back to Seattle.
Deception Pass Bridge offers beautiful scenery of Deception Island and Strawberry Island. Definitely a worth stopping spot when driving to Anacortes and Whidbey Island. The turquoise bridge stands out in the lush forests of the pacific northwest. There is parking available, from where you can walk on the pedestrian walkways over the bridge but, be mindful wind can be gusty at times. It is a beautiful spot though.
After making a stop at the bridge we headed towards the North and West parking of the Deception Pass State Park. There are lots of hiking options that you can take from the park, along with that there are picnic spots available if you are taking a relaxing trip. It was a windy day during the time of one of our visits and the waves were crashing onto the black rocks, was just a jaw-dropping sight.
It’s a beautiful town which mostly is a popular place for people traveling to the San Juan Islands, Victoria, Vancouver Island, Orcas Island, and many more. It provides ferry services to many of those places and islands. During our visit to Whidbey Island, we stayed at one of the hotels in Anacortes. Downtown is pretty cute and you can find a lot of murals on the walls around the area. We tried Coconut Kenny’s for dinner and I can not yet forget how delicious the pizza was.
It’s a beautiful drive that takes you to the top of the viewpoint where you get to enjoy some of the amazing views of the islands in the pacific northwest. But, during the time of our visit clouds were all around so we could not enjoy the views. Give it a go if you are around the place. There are even some hiking options in case it interests you.
It offers spectacular views of the vast stretch of the waterbody and on a clear day, the Olympic mountains at the distance are just jaw-dropping. Very quiet and serene location to spend time with family and friends.
It has a large oceanfront park, which houses a historic lighthouse which is indeed a picturesque location in itself. Fort Casey was definitely an interesting and informative place that was built in the 1800s equipped for defense and training facilities back in the day. We did spend quite a lot of time than anticipated. There are picnic areas as well in the vicinity and the views are stunning from the fort overlooking the Puget Sound.
Whidbey Pies Wholesale Bakery and many other local shops are located in the area. One of the must-try pies from the bakery is cherry pie, it is without a doubt one of the best pies I have ever had. The local shops have souvenirs which you can buy and support local businesses. It has a small park-like space in the vicinity where you can see ducks strolling around, a good stopping spot to grab lunch with a view.
It’s a loop trail of approximately 5.2 miles, it’s an easy to moderate hike altogether. It opens up to the views of the beautiful Puget Sound and if the day is clear, you can see the Olympic mountains as well. During our visit, it was time for wildflowers and they were all around giving violet, yellow and white hue the entire way. It is definitely one of my favorite hikes, just the stunning views will carry you to be present at the moment. Keep in mind the hike can be a bit trafficked and close to cliffs so be on the trail.
That is it for our trip to Whidbey Island, I would highly recommend taking Discovery Pass which is for state parks in Washington so that you don’t have to worry about paying fees all the time.
