Peggy | Dallas Fun & Yum

For this year’s “Seattle trip,” I actually spent 10 days on Whidbey Island just an hour and a ferry ride north, but truly a world away from the city.

As a landlocked Dallasite, the water views, sea air, wildlife, and forest scents were exactly the reset I needed. And the quiet-wow. I appreciated it in a way I never did in my 20s, back when I lived in Seattle and weekends like this were the norm.

Whidbey Island has a few Hallmark-esque small towns, Langley and Coupeville were my favorites, but most of the magic is outdoors and outside the town centers.

Things We Did on Whidbey Island:

🟣 Western Sun Lavender Farm, Coupeville, $7
🌲 Price Sculpture Forest, Coupeville, Free
🌊 Explored tidepools (see separate reel)
🐋 Went whale watching (see separate reel)
🌼 Stopped at roadside farm stands-flowers, eggs, produce (honor system pay)
🔔 Crossed my fingers at the “Spy a Whale, Ring the Bell” sign in Langley
🐐 Fed goats on a friend’s farm
⛴️ Rode up front on the ferry every time we crossed
🌅 Took post-dinner beach walks
📍Visited the Langley Whale Center to track my ocean friends
🦌 Paused Love Island to look at bunnies and deer in the yard
🧶 My friend is a fantastic chef so we either picnicked or ate in, but we did make it to Skein & Tipple, a yarn store by day, craft speakeasy by night (Clinton)

🏡 Most places close early so you’ll be spending evenings in your Airbnb, so select well. Bonus if your Airbnb is in a neighborhood with private beach access.

It’s hard to explain, and photos don’t do it justice, but summer in the Pacific Northwest is more than a time and place-it’s a feeling in my soul that I wish everyone could experience at least once.