Whidbey Island is not far from our RV park in La Conner and we took a spin over there today. Peggy’s sister, Tonie, and her husband, George, live on Whidbey and they graciously agreed to meet us in the neutral corner of Coupeville. They may have wanted to meet us halfway because they have been inundated with relatives for the recent past. Tonie and George are a bit older than us but they look a lot younger – the rats. From my view they also seem somewhat sharper, which is disconcerting.They have just finished a trip to Norway, Scotland and the Orkney Islands but show no signs of exhaustion.
We wandered down WA-20, crossing Fidalgo Island. We exited Fidalgo over the very high bridges at Deception Pass which is not a “pass” in the usual sense. Deception Pass is a turbulent waterway with a big rock at the center located in a steep ravine which allows boats to get from Possession Sound, Port Susan and Skagit Bay into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean without having to make a 100 mile cruise to the south end of Whidbey Island. The Pass has a considerable amount of water zinging through it every time the tide changes. One would be wise to avoid falling in the water anywhere near the Pass.
About 25 miles after crossing the bridges cruising through the city of Oak Harbor and across verdant farmland, we pulled off WA-20 and turned into the tiny town of Coupeville. Most of the metropolitan area of Coupeville is three very busy blocks of tiny businesses nestled right up to Skagit Bay. We met the relatives in a joint called Knead and Feed which is a bakery upstairs. Down the outdoors stairs is a tiny restaurant that, fortunately, has a fair selection of beer although the food was only nominal. Several beers and much hobnobbing later we finally relinquished our seats at a table that offered a fabulous view of the water but scant cushioning. Half of my butt went to sleep for a bit. I think Peg’s relatives thought I was trying out for a circus contortionist spot because I was obliged to rely on only one cheek.
On our way back from Coupeville we took skinny back roads that allowed us to skirt the east coast of Whidbey Island almost all the way from Coupeville to Deception Pass. We made a short visit to Deception Pass State Park at the south end of the bridges. There is a magnificent stand of old-growth timber here. There were Douglas Fir trees here of a magnitude unseen by me since I quit working for Weyerhaeuser 35 years ago. There are also plenty of massive Spruce and Cedar trees that make up a canopy keeping the park’s roads is deep shade around the clock.
There’s a few pix. Click the link. https://photos.app.goo.gl/YGpRDhLRDYBzXLWg7