Mar 5, 2010

Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island

A Pacific Northwest Treasure

Guest post by Cheryl Crawford

I have lived in Oak Harbor, Washington for ten years. Oak Harbor is on Whidbey Island. To get onto Whidbey Island, you can either take a ferry from Mukilteo, Washington (north of Seattle) or you can drive up and drive across the Deception Pass Bridge.

Deception Pass State Park

The bridge is breathtaking and has amazing views. See photos here of the bridge and sunset (from the bridge). There are some amazing hiking trails all around the bridge and the most wonderful beaches covered with rainbow stones. We like to collect the stones and put them into glass jars—they range in color from pink to teal to bright white. I recommend you stop at the state park ranger’s station for maps and advice for the right hike for your family. There’s also some great camp sites available there.

The Deception Pass Bridge, which is really two spans, was built in 1934 and is a scenic wonder of the Northwest. Before that, travelers had to come across via ferry, reportedly banging  a mallet on a saw to summon one to fetch them.

Oak Harbor

In Oak Harbor, you can go to the marina and rent a kayak or go whale watching. There are several pods of orca that live in the waters around these islands and it’s really something special to have them swimming all around you in a kayak!

As far as places to eat, the best Mexican is Mi Pueblo (360-240-0813). It is right on the water and has beautiful views. Another favorite for locals is Flyers (360-675-5858), where you can get the best sweet potato fries you’ve ever tasted.

This is a Navy town, so you might hear a Prowler overhead or see Navy jets landing through the trees. (Note: Be ready for this if you’re camping or hiking–flights are unscheduled and loud!)

There is also an old-fashioned drive-in that we locals frequent, called the Blue Fox Drive-In (360-675-5667). They have go-carts for the kids to ride while waiting for the movie to start. Get there early to get a spot. Movies start at dusk, which is 9:30 or 10 in the summer here, so they end pretty late. They always play two or three features for the price of one, so bring the kids in PJs!

In the summer, City Park is right next to the Oak Harbor marina and has a kid’s pool, a large pool, bike trails and great play grounds and picnic spots.

Coupeville

From Oak Harbor, you can drive South about 30 minutes to the little town of Coupeville. There are quaint little shops and you must eat at the Kneed and Feed (360-678-5431). Everything is homemade and delicious — we always have the lunch special which consists of homemade soup, a half of a sandwich on homemade bread, and a piece of homemade pie. Yum!

More Hiking

Interested in additional hiking? Popular destinations are Ebey’s Landing and Fort Casey and Goss Lake (Putney Woods).

This is really a beautiful place where the sea meets the forest. It’s always green and, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t rain every day.  But the best weather is August—so wait until the end of the summer for your trip to Oak Harbor, Washington.