I thought that it would be helpful to see a map of Whidbey Island. We typically enter the island from the east, taking the ferry from Mukilteo on the mainland to Clinton, which you can see on the map above. We left Corbett, OR, late Friday morning for the trek to Whidbey Island. Obviously, we forgot our rule to NOT travel on Fridays. It took us about four hours to travel north up the coast on Hwy 5. The heavy traffic did not let up. It is a Friday in the summer.
We finally got to the exit for the Mukilteo Ferry, only to sit in the ferry car lane for two more hours. When we finally got to this point…
…it was still another hour until we got to board the boat. At last, we were on our way.
When we were here last December/January to visit, we parked our trailer at my in-laws property and stayed in their private apartment above their garage. Below is a view of the apartment from the backyard.
They had just sold this house, so we had to park our trailer at the Holmes County Rod and Gun Club, where they are members. It is less than a ten-minute drive from the gun club to their home. (Even though the house was sold, they were not vacating it until 8/8/19, but we were not able to park our trailer there this time.)
The town center of Langley was just another five minute drive from the gun club. We drove into town to have a bite to eat. Then, I had mother and son pose for a picture.
We ran into a friend of Sue’s who has a four-month old puppy that is being trained to be a service dog. His name is Quincy , and I want him.
The next day, Scott and I took our bikes to Fort Ebey State Park in Coupeville. After our ride, we took a break by the overlook. There was a couple with two pets at the picnic table right next to us. At first, I thought that they had one dog on a leash. Upon closer examination, the reality of their two pets was apparent. See if you can tell the difference.
On Saturday, July 20, Langley had a town parade as part of their four-day summer festival. There were about fifty people lined up along Cascade Avenue, which ran parallel to the water.
Some of people that were marching in the parade were throwing candy to the kids. Others handed out small water bottles, and I got a banana from a gorilla!
The parade lasted about fifteen minutes. It was adorable!
That evening, Mitch, Ani, and Mila joined us for dinner at The Porter Pub at Whidbey Air Park. I love restaurants that have indoor/outdoor seating.
Scott’s mom’s birthday was July 25. We celebrated her special day with dinner at Blooms Winery on Whidbey, located in Freeland. In addition to wine tasting, it offers both indoor and outdoor seating in a casual setting located at the historic Bayview Corner. Mom got the fish taco special.
The following day Molly arrived and we had a do-over birthday dinner at Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill, a polished indoor only restaurant with harbor views, also located in Freeland. Our server surprised mom with a treat!
A few days later, we took a drive to Double Bluff Beach, one of many off-leash dog parks that are found on the island. The beach is large and goes for miles at low tide. It is home to housing eagles. On clear days you can see Mount Rainier and the Olympic Peninsula. This early evening, we enjoyed taking in the sights.
There it is! Snow-capped Mount Rainier can be seen in the distance.
On Saturday, August 3rd, Scott went back to Ebey Landing to bike ride with Mitch. He dropped me off at their house, and Mila and I hung out waiting for Ani to get home from work. Bubba and Blu entertained us as we sat outside drawing freehand using a U-Tube video as a guide.
When Ani got home, she packed a lunch/snack, and the three of us walked a mile down the road to a local winery, Holmes Harbor Cellars.
After tasting a few wines, we walked another mile back to the house. I would like to live down the street from a winery, just saying.
On Sunday, Scott and I took a drive to South Whidbey Community Park in Langley.
It features softball, baseball, and grass soccer fields, a basketball court, picnic shelters, several restrooms, a children’s playground, a skateboard park, and many hiking trails. We enjoyed a short hike in the shaded forest.
Scott and I returned to Double Bluff Park on Monday for a hike along the shoreline. Today there were a number of bathers that came to frolic in the water and seek refuge from the hot sun under their self-made cabanas.
We didn’t have our suits on but the water was a bit too chilly for me to enjoy a swim. There were, however children and adults enjoying the water. One woman said she could only stay in for a little while before her legs were numb. It didn’t seem to bother the children!
As the official move date of August 8 approached, we found ourselves eating out much more than eating in. I didn’t take a picture of EVERY restaurant we dined at, but below are two more.
One afternoon, blue jello shots were on the specials’ menu. We all graciously declined. Then, the assistant manager brought them over for free. Mom and I wanted no part of them, but Scott and Larry did. He wasn’t quite sure how to go about “drinking” the semi-solid shot.
On Day One of the three-day move, they rented a U-HAUL trailer that Scott attached to our truck. They began the process of emptying out the two storage facilities.
They had a LOT of things. Even the lawnmower was going.
On Day Two, we used all three of our vehicles (Scott’s truck, Larry’s truck, and Sue’s car) and transported all the “loose, unpacked” items that we could handle. On Day Three, they hired “Back Breakers” to move the furniture and heavy boxes. Below is a picture from the inside of their “new” garage.
On our last night on Whidbey Island, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and wine with Larry and Sue at Bloom’s.
I kept telling Scott that I needed a picture of the two of them on the front steps of their new home. Why don’t I have one???? It was hard to say goodbye, but we will be back to Whidbey Island soon. We know where to find them.