A Parents Getaway: Whidbey Island
/I read a meme today that felt so true to me, "My two favorite things in life are being with my kids and not being with my kids." As parents, we love our kids with all our hearts — spending time with them, going on adventures, and watching them grow. However, sometimes you need time just for yourself and your significant other. It's a different feeling, a different you, when you're with kids and when you're not. What I'm getting at is that sometimes you need a getaway.
And getaway is what my husband I did back in October 2021. We wanted to celebrate our tenth anniversary and my husband's 40th birthday. My in-laws flew into town to watch the kids and gave us one night away. We wanted to stay relatively close since we had limited time, we landed on Whidbey Island.
Let me backtrack for just a second for a quick side story. My husband and I went to Whidbey Island for fun before we had kids. Yup, we did things like that on a whim. As we walked around Langley, we came across the Inn at Langley. We thought it was such a beautiful inn on the water and vowed someday we would return and stay there. And that's precisely what we did in October. We centered the trip around our night at the Inn at Langley and planned the trip out from there.
The Route
The trip started with the drive. We opted to take the route over the Narrows Bridge, through Port Gamble, and to Port Townsend. Then we crossed to Whidbey at the Port Townsend ferry and drove down to Langley.
For our return drive, we opted (mainly because of delayed ferries due to swells and low capacity) to go up through the length of Whidbey, through Coupeville, and over at Deception Pass. Then we crossed over the Deception Pass bridge and down through Bellevue to Tacoma again.
You could take another route that we didn't make this trip. It would be to take the Mukilteo ferry to/from Clinton (Whidbey Island) to Mukilteo. Then drive south Seattle and then end up in Tacoma. However, we thought this might be too traffic-heavy and less scenic.
Tip: You can, and should, make reservations for the ferry in advance of your drive (ideally the day or more before your trip). We weren't so wise and paid the price for waiting and avoiding the ferry altogether on our return.
The Trip
Here we go!
Day 1
We started our drive around 11 am and landed at our first stop…
Stop #1: Butcher and Baker
We had eaten here before so we knew we'd enjoy it, and it didn't disappoint. The Butcher and the Baker is in Port Gamble, a tiny but quaint town on the peninsula. It has a delicious array of baked goods, pre-made artisanal foods and salads, and then a menu full of delectable sandwiches, soups, and more. My husband declared the meatloaf sandwich as possibly the best meatloaf sandwich he's ever eaten. And let me tell you, the man knows his meatloaf sandwiches. I enjoyed the chicken chili soup, which hit the spot on a chilly, rainy day. Of course, we grabbed a chocolate chip cookie for the road.
Stop #2: Port Townsend
Honestly, we didn't intend to stop and walk around Port Townsend, but we just missed the ferry and had an hour to spare before the next one departed. So, we parked our car in the ferry line and walked into town - yup, just a few blocks away! We had such a delightful walk around town. We hit up two darling bookstores (a favorite of ours to pursue) — Imprint Bookstore and The Writers' Workshoppe, and William James Bookseller. Then we enjoyed the architecture and strolled around town.
Stop #3: Ferry
It took about 30 minutes to ferry across to the other side. We enjoyed the views and quiet moments in the ferry reading (and yes, looking on our phones). Then the drive coming off the ferry was so gorgeous. We drove by Fort Casey State Park and over a strip of land with driftwood and long grass. So lovely.
Stope #4: Whidbey Island Distillery
The day was quickly coming to a close, but we realized we could squeeze in a stop at Whidbey Island Distillery. We're both whiskey fans and thought it'd be a nice stop. We were the only ones there, and we enjoyed a delicious flight of whiskeys and liquors. A mix of the whiskey with their boysenberry liquor was delicious, so we took some home with us. Cheers to us!
Stop #5: Inn at Langley
Hurrah, the inn! The inn met our every expectation - even after all those years since we last saw it and vowed to return. We got a cozy room with an outstanding view. We lazed around the room for a bit, soaking in the ocean and tranquility. Luckily, we thought ahead and made a call to Saltwater Fish Bar to see about reservation (which they don't take, but we managed to get on the waitlist -- whew, it was an hour wait already!). (Side Note: The restaurant favors those that stay at the inn and allow for call-ins for the waitlist, but I do not think this is something they do for everyone.).
Ideally, someday we'll return and eat at the Inn at Langley. It is supposed to be the most amazing meal experience. Unfortunately, their restaurant was closed due to covid-19.
Stop #6: Saltwater Fish Bar
Honestly, I was dubious of this restaurant only because I am not a shellfish lover. The menu seemed very shellfish-heavy, and I was uncertain if I would find anything to my taste. Luckily, they had some excellent fish options. Alternatively, my husband loves shellfish and enjoyed his Penn Cove steamed mussels. On the other hand, I savored my halibut meal with brown butter, almonds, green beans, and new potatoes. Score!
The restaurant itself was a welcoming, warm, and intimate restaurant. We sat at the bar, which we enjoyed since we got some bartender entertainment and often good conversation.
And that's a wrap for our first day. By the way, the Inn at Langley has the best soak tubs….ahhh, sigh relaxation.
Day 2
Stop #7: Breakfast in Bed
Not a stop, but significant enough that it needed its own call-out: breakfast in bed. It was the bomb. I had a hard time deciding between the options because they all sounded scrumptious. Finally, I opted for oatmeal with caramel apples and pecans. My husband ordered the Spanish tortillas (thanks, hon, for ordering the other choice I wanted). I'm not going to lie; sitting there in bed, all cozy, with a bowl of warm oatmeal and a steaming cup of French press coffee was heavenly.
Stop #8: Langley
After breakfast, we took a stroll through Langley. We didn't have time to see the whole town because we had more things to see and not all the stores were open quite yet. We did get a chance to pop into another bookstore, Moonraker, which was great - clean with a nicely laid out book selection. We also stopped at the Star Store, a general type store with all sorts of different items - clothing, toys, purses, scarves, home decor, and food. A fun store to pursue. And then we also stopped in Marcel, which was also quaint and adorable.
Stop #9: Bayview Farm & Garden + Flower House Cafe
I just loved this stop. The nursery was beautiful with this arch of greenery, which I'm sure is stellar in the spring. There was a unique array of pumpkins and fall plants. The store was also fantastic, with cute nicknacks, kids' toys, potted plants, and more. The best part, though, was the Flower House Cafe. The latte was just perfect on a chilly fall morning, and we couldn't decide with all the delectable baked goods. I would return for lunch if we were in town as well. It may sound funny to stop at a nursery, but I'm so glad we did!
Stop #9: Greenbank Farm
Sometimes we'll be driving and see something, and we'll pull over. Our family motto is, "If you see something as you drive along, pull over!" And so we did just that: pull over. There was a cute barn with Whidbey Pies and some other shops around. Of course, we had to purchase a caramel apple pie. Then at the Greenbank Wine Shop, we grabbed a local bottle of Port. Otherwise, it was a bit empty around, but it was a quick stop with big food rewards.
Stop #10: Coupeville
Fun Fact: Practical Magic, the movie, was filmed in parts of Coupeville. Do you remember Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock? Yes, that one! I honestly didn't know this until we stopped at The Little Red Hen Bakery for a treat and saw some photos. The coffee shop is where one of the characters worked. I wish we could have gone inside the Little Red Hen because it was adorable! And delicious!
We walked along and ran into a few shops. Yet again, we found ourselves inside another bookstore, Kingfisher Bookstore. And yet again, another great bookstore. What's up with these great bookshops on Whidbey? Not complaining.
It was a blustery day, but that didn't stop us from walking down the wharf. Its gloom and bluster just added to the atmosphere. There is a little restaurant and gift shop at the end of the pier. We almost ate there but needed something faster and opted to hit up something on the way to the ferry.
Oh, we also enjoyed the Madrona Blossom and Briggs Shore Ceramics shops on our stroll through the town. Gosh, we could have strolled more, but we needed to start our journey homeward.
P.S. More on Coupeville here: Seattle Refined, A Day Out in Coupeville
Stop #11: Ciao Lunch + Ferry, J/K
We opted to stop at Ciao and grab lunch to-go in hopes of eating it on the ferry. The food-to-go was perfect, but no luck eating it on the ferry.
We had tried to book the ferry that morning, but no reservations were available. We were hoping to drive on, but the ferry was full until evening. We looked at each other, shrugged, and hit the road for the Deception Pass route home.
Oh, and the food was delicious. The restaurant would have been lovely with a great view, too. We just had to eat as we drove!
Stop #13: Deception Pass And Drive home
It was a long trip through Deception Pass to Tacoma, but it was a beautiful drive. We got some good conversation and singing in on the way. And that wrapped up our trip. Totally worth it. Totally fun. And we totally want to return. We said, "let's make this an annual thing!" Fingers crossed we can!
More To Do (That We Didn’t Get To)
Yeah, unfortunately, we couldn’t do it all. These are a few activities and restaurants I had saved on a note on my phone in case we had extra time (ha! extra time). Perhaps one of these strikes your interest or you have “extra time” while you are on the island.