A Visit to Whidbey Island, WA

 My family and I went to Whidbey Island for the first time last weekend. This island is pretty close to Seattle but feels far away. We first drove 45 minutes north to Mukilteo, then we took a ferry to Clinton on Whidbey Island. The ride was just a short 15 minutes. Our hotel was located in Oak Harbor, but we ate lunch in Clinton and then did some exploring in Langly. From Clinton to our hotel in Oak Harbor was about a 50-minute drive. So, the total travel time from Seattle to our hotel was only about 110 minutes, not including waiting 30 minutes for the ferry. Whidbey Island is great for a day trip, or an overnight like we did. The island has a small-town feel, and the locals were all really nice. 

This post has a lot of photos and info, since I decided to just do one big post, instead of seven or so small posts. Hopefully this will give you some ideas and inspiration if you're planning on visiting Whidbey Island, or you're just interested in finding out more about it. 

The ferry was just long enough for me to grab some brochures for my scrapbook and take some photos!

 

Our first stop was lunch in Clinton after we got off of the ferry. We ate at The Shimp Shack at Cozy's. This is a laid-back sports bar featuring seafood and American eats. We started with an Old Fashioned, and I had some Chicken Strips and Fries. The fries are bottomless here. A World Cup match was playing on the screens, which added to the fun vibe! This was a positive first impression of Whidbey Island. 

After lunch, we drove about fifteen minutes to the town of Langly to The Chocolate Flower Farm. This small shop is located on a 103-year-old farm and has been featured in publications like Martha Stewart Living and Sunset Magazine. There were lots of chickens and roosters wandering around, and the whole place felt very down home and rustic. Here you'll find a shop filled with all sorts of goodies. From candles and notecards to hand-made chocolates, it was hard to choose what to buy. But I eventually selected some chocolate fudge, and my sons chose a ferry boat shaped chocolate and a seashell one. The chocolate was really high quality and melted in our mouths. 

After satisfying our sweet tooth at The Chocolate Flower Farm, it was time for some wine tasting! We drove about fifteen minutes or so to the Spoiled Dog Winery. At this tasting room, they offer outdoor tasting only and dogs and children are also allowed. You can choose a flight of white, red, or a mix of both. Each tasting is $14. My husband and I did a mix of both red and white. It was fun sampling each one and I preferred the red ones to the white wines. The winery was so pretty and quite the vibe! 

After some wine tasting, we drove about 50 minutes to our hotel in Oak Harbor. We stayed at the Auld Holland Inn. This is a budget motel, with a Holland theme with lots of rustic charm, featuring a cool windmill. They had free parking, free breakfast, a good location, and updated bathrooms. There was also a mini fridge and microwave in our room. 

Right next door to our motel was where we dined for dinner, The Mill at The Kasteel. This restaurant had a little of everything from Mexican to American, and even breakfast cuisine. They also had a full bar. My husband and I shared a Chicken Burrito which hit the spot. We also had some fruity cocktails, mine was a watermelon one. 

Later in the evening we went to the Blue Fox Drive-In for a movie! I did this a lot when I was a kid since my hometown in MT had a drive-in. But the rest of my family had never experienced this style of watching a movie before, so it seemed like a great idea. This drive-in area is huge and has an arcade, a campground, and go-carts. 

The movie that was playing was Toy Story 5. Before the movie started, we went to the concessions building to buy some movie snacks. They had a Toy Story combo box with a small drink, a popcorn, and a small candy. You could even pick what toy for the drink topper, and I chose Buzz. They also had a huge wall of candy to choose from. The movie itself was a little hard to watch since it started raining a little. We were all a little uncomfortable in our car, but it was still a really fun novelty experience for my sons! 

The next day we went to the historic downtown area of Oak Harbor and visited the Mad Batter Bakehouse. Every couple of months or so they change the theme of the bakery. This month's theme is Wonderland from Alice and Wonderland. The whole place felt very immersive and fun. I even wore my Alice shirt since I knew we'd be visiting. They had themed pastries and drinks. I got a Wonderland cookie that was birthday cake flavor with frosting on top. My sons got Tweedles, which were cake-pops. We had fun taking photos and posing around the bakery with the various backdrops! 

After exploring the Mad Batter Bakehouse, we were ready for some lunch. We walked about a block south to Kraken's Cove. This local spot was similar to where we ate the day before in Clinton. The menu had American and seafood with a full bar. Our server Krissy was so friendly and made our lunch even more fun. My husband and I shared the Steak Bites. They also came with rice and green beans. The serving was big, even split in half. My sons ordered from the kid's menu and really liked their food. One had a Cheeseburger and the other had the Fish and Chips. They even did a drawing for Krissy, which she collects from all of the kiddos who visit. 

After taking a few more photos of the downtown murals and buildings and going into a couple of stores, it was time to drive back to Clinton and get on the ferry back to Mukilteo. 

Goodbye, Whidbey Island! 

After a quick ferry ride, we were back in Mukilteo and my sons and I explored the Mukilteo Lighthouse. This was our third visit, but I always enjoy visiting. We climbed the steep and narrow stairs to the top. Back down, we went into the giftshop, and I bought a pin, a sticker, and an ornament. Then we drove back home and unpacked. 

We all had so much fun exploring Whidbey Island! The area is really big, and there's tons of stuff to do. There's something for everyone, whether you're a foodie like me, or you want to be in nature, this is the place!