Whidbey Island is an island in Puget Sound reachable by ferry or bridge. If you haven’t been, take a trip down there. Despite the modern world we live in, much of Whidbey still retains that small town feel. Deer and wild rabbits are a common sight in this little utopia. In the following list, we have included some ideas for some enjoyable places to go, events to attend, and things to do in two areas on Whidbey.
Langley
Double Bluff:
Double bluff is a wonderful beach near the southern tip of whidbey island. A long strip of sand and rock, Double bluff is also an offleash dog park. You can bring Fido along too! But my fondest memories are scaling the bluff itself. After a long walk along the beach (stopping to wade and have splash fights, of course!) you reach a huge slope of sand and clay, jutting out from the hillside. The bluffs surface is dotted with small, scrubby bushes and thistles. My cousins and I went together sometimes in summers past. Climbing the bluff is no small task. You have to take into consideration the fact that as the day wears on and the sun moves upwards, the sand will get hot, so you don’t want to go then. You also need to wear the right clothes. Dust doesn’t wash out easily, so wear clothes that are not your favorite. Shoewise, my cousins and I have always climbed barefoot. One of my cousins always told me that no one had ever climbed to
the top. At the time I believed her. The bluff has always seemed so massive, and we never managed to reach the top, though we did get incredibly high up. To get back down, you can slide on your backside.
Choochokam: Choochokam is an arts festival held every summer in Langley. Artists, food vendors and more gather and set up shop in the streets. Going to Choochokam is a great way to spend the day. Langley overlooks Puget Sound, with a breathtaking view that extends all the way to the mainland. At Choochokam, you can buy jewelry, clothes, kites, and more. Don’t forget the live music!
Castle Park: Castle Park is a playground right next to South Whidbey High School in Langley. It underwent some renovations a year or so ago and is better than ever. The park gets its name from its distinctive “towers” that give it the impression of a castle. Festivals and sports matches take place on the premises, adding to the fun. For older park-goers, there are hundreds of trails to bike or run in the surrounding forest. I have many a fond memory of castle park, swinging and sliding and running. In the winter there are multiple hills that are great for sledding. In the summer, there are covered picnic areas, perfect for a fun-in-the-summer-sun birthday party.
Fort Casey: Fort Casey is a fort built on Whidbey Island in 1897 with two sister forts on the other side of Admiralty Inlet. These three forts were built to guard the U.S. Navy shipyard in Bremerton. The last time I went to the fort, it was a cold, rainy day. Not exactly the most pleasant weather for visiting an old fort. Even so, there is something about Fort Casey that makes it an interesting place to be no matter what. There are numerous rooms to wander and many different structures to explore. When you first pull into the parking lot, there is a long strip of concrete buildings. There are two stories. The top story has two 10inch “disappearing” guns. After they fired, the momentum caused them to retract back into loading position behind the protection of the wall, rendering them invisible from the sea. If you climb up past this second story, you find yourself on a hill overlooking the ocean. Sometimes you can see seals, or you can watch ferries leave the nearby docks.The fort sprawls along the shore, with many places to look into.
Oak Harbor
Deception Pass
Being the most popular state park in Washington, Deception Pass is an exciting area full of nature and is one of the first places that you see while traveling to the northern part of Whidbey Island. The Deception Pass Bridge is 177 feet tall and runs about 1,487 feet in length. Many tourists walk along the sidewalk like paths on either side to view the surrounding waters. If you have the courage to cross this bridge on foot, there is almost always a breathtaking and colorful view of the sun reflecting off of the bay; definitely photo worthy. Not only this, but the Whidbey side of the bridge is a perfect place to hike, camp, watch wildlife, fish, and just relax on the beach.
City Beach: City Beach is a well-known place in Oak Harbor where a lot of town events happen, like the Fourth of July and art festivals. Obviously, since it's called “City Beach”, there is a beach with many logs to build forts with (you'll see a few scattered around on the shore) and many smooth rocks to skip along the tide. Tired of all the water? Lucky for you, there's a large basketball court, lots of benches and places to sit, and two playgrounds (for the little ones) very close to the beach itself. If you love climbing trees, many trees in the area have low hanging branches that you can use to easily pull yourself up. Since City Beach is very close to several places (i.e. downtown, bowling alley, etc.), it is a very common meeting point for high-schoolers to meet up and walk around town. If you want to be able to walk around and like to socialize, City Beach is definitely a place to visit.
Dugualla Bay: Although it may not look like much, Dugualla Bay is a very popular seasonal produce market that you pass by after crossing Deception Pass Bridge. Open from 9 am to 6 pm in the summer, there are several types of fresh fruit that you can buy. And if you'd like, you can even pick the sweet strawberries and raspberries from the bushes yourself! If you're more into cold treats, then the homemade ice cream (coming in dozens of different flavors) in an waffle cone (which might still be warm from the waffle iron) is something you need to try. In the following season, open 9 am to 5 pm, there are scarecrows, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a corn maze, and more! Sadly, at the end of October, the farm closes for the season, but reopens in June.
Ft. Nugent: Located along SW Ft. Nugent Avenue, Ft. Nugent is an open park that has fields for soccer, football, baseball, golf, volleyball, and basketball. It's a perfect place to go if you want to to practice a certain sport or to just run around with your friends. Especially in the summer, Ft. Nugent is a great place to go if you need an open, grassy area to do something like a water balloon fight with your friends. There's also a playground on the upper area of the fields that's even fun for teens; full of towers, swings, monkey bars, slides, and so much more. And since there's a covered area of picnic tables, you can host a summer party there or simply just find some shade. If you prefer to just lounge around and watch a game, there are soccer matches going on all day on the weekends (except in the winter).
Blue Fox Drive In: If you've always wanted to watch a movie in a drive-in movie theater, make a stop at the Blue Fox Drive In! It's located in the area between Oak Harbor and Coupeville. Along with having go karts, snack bar, and an arcade, the drive-in shows two or three movies starting at 6 pm (as of right now; in the summer, the showing starts around 9 pm). It's a great place to spend time with your family and hang out with friends, since you can ride the go karts, buy food, or play in the arcade to kill time before the movies.
Holland Happening/Fourth of July: Going on to its 47th year, the celebration of Holland Happening in Oak Harbor happens annually during the last weekend of April. This three day event starts on the Friday before the weekend, where the family carnival, normally brought by the Davis Shows Northwest, is set up along Bayshore Drive. Full of rides from the Merry-Go-Round to Bumper Cars to the Ring of Fire, it is sure to have something fit to your taste. The games, from shooting hoops to rushing to fill water balloons, usually have very cute prizes that you almost always get a sense of pride from. Holland Happening is a great place to have fun with friends with or to bring your little siblings to. Downtown, the entire road will be covered with dozens of booths for the street fair which you can buy accessories, food, and more from. On Saturday around 11 am or 12 pm, the Grand Parade begins. School bands, local and chain businesses, churches, and many, many more, drive/walk around three miles, playing loud and cheerful music, dancing, throwing candy to the little kids; almost anything.
The Fourth of July has a very similar organization to Holland Happening. It lasts for three days, has a parade, and has a carnival. However, the carnival is actually set up closer to City Beach (in the Oak Harbor Beach Park) and, of course, there's an amazing firework show that takes place in City Beach as well. These celebrations are super fun experiences; try to attend one of them!
Langley
Double Bluff:
Double bluff is a wonderful beach near the southern tip of whidbey island. A long strip of sand and rock, Double bluff is also an offleash dog park. You can bring Fido along too! But my fondest memories are scaling the bluff itself. After a long walk along the beach (stopping to wade and have splash fights, of course!) you reach a huge slope of sand and clay, jutting out from the hillside. The bluffs surface is dotted with small, scrubby bushes and thistles. My cousins and I went together sometimes in summers past. Climbing the bluff is no small task. You have to take into consideration the fact that as the day wears on and the sun moves upwards, the sand will get hot, so you don’t want to go then. You also need to wear the right clothes. Dust doesn’t wash out easily, so wear clothes that are not your favorite. Shoewise, my cousins and I have always climbed barefoot. One of my cousins always told me that no one had ever climbed to
the top. At the time I believed her. The bluff has always seemed so massive, and we never managed to reach the top, though we did get incredibly high up. To get back down, you can slide on your backside.
Choochokam: Choochokam is an arts festival held every summer in Langley. Artists, food vendors and more gather and set up shop in the streets. Going to Choochokam is a great way to spend the day. Langley overlooks Puget Sound, with a breathtaking view that extends all the way to the mainland. At Choochokam, you can buy jewelry, clothes, kites, and more. Don’t forget the live music!
Castle Park: Castle Park is a playground right next to South Whidbey High School in Langley. It underwent some renovations a year or so ago and is better than ever. The park gets its name from its distinctive “towers” that give it the impression of a castle. Festivals and sports matches take place on the premises, adding to the fun. For older park-goers, there are hundreds of trails to bike or run in the surrounding forest. I have many a fond memory of castle park, swinging and sliding and running. In the winter there are multiple hills that are great for sledding. In the summer, there are covered picnic areas, perfect for a fun-in-the-summer-sun birthday party.
Fort Casey: Fort Casey is a fort built on Whidbey Island in 1897 with two sister forts on the other side of Admiralty Inlet. These three forts were built to guard the U.S. Navy shipyard in Bremerton. The last time I went to the fort, it was a cold, rainy day. Not exactly the most pleasant weather for visiting an old fort. Even so, there is something about Fort Casey that makes it an interesting place to be no matter what. There are numerous rooms to wander and many different structures to explore. When you first pull into the parking lot, there is a long strip of concrete buildings. There are two stories. The top story has two 10inch “disappearing” guns. After they fired, the momentum caused them to retract back into loading position behind the protection of the wall, rendering them invisible from the sea. If you climb up past this second story, you find yourself on a hill overlooking the ocean. Sometimes you can see seals, or you can watch ferries leave the nearby docks.The fort sprawls along the shore, with many places to look into.
Oak Harbor
Deception Pass
Being the most popular state park in Washington, Deception Pass is an exciting area full of nature and is one of the first places that you see while traveling to the northern part of Whidbey Island. The Deception Pass Bridge is 177 feet tall and runs about 1,487 feet in length. Many tourists walk along the sidewalk like paths on either side to view the surrounding waters. If you have the courage to cross this bridge on foot, there is almost always a breathtaking and colorful view of the sun reflecting off of the bay; definitely photo worthy. Not only this, but the Whidbey side of the bridge is a perfect place to hike, camp, watch wildlife, fish, and just relax on the beach.
City Beach: City Beach is a well-known place in Oak Harbor where a lot of town events happen, like the Fourth of July and art festivals. Obviously, since it's called “City Beach”, there is a beach with many logs to build forts with (you'll see a few scattered around on the shore) and many smooth rocks to skip along the tide. Tired of all the water? Lucky for you, there's a large basketball court, lots of benches and places to sit, and two playgrounds (for the little ones) very close to the beach itself. If you love climbing trees, many trees in the area have low hanging branches that you can use to easily pull yourself up. Since City Beach is very close to several places (i.e. downtown, bowling alley, etc.), it is a very common meeting point for high-schoolers to meet up and walk around town. If you want to be able to walk around and like to socialize, City Beach is definitely a place to visit.
Dugualla Bay: Although it may not look like much, Dugualla Bay is a very popular seasonal produce market that you pass by after crossing Deception Pass Bridge. Open from 9 am to 6 pm in the summer, there are several types of fresh fruit that you can buy. And if you'd like, you can even pick the sweet strawberries and raspberries from the bushes yourself! If you're more into cold treats, then the homemade ice cream (coming in dozens of different flavors) in an waffle cone (which might still be warm from the waffle iron) is something you need to try. In the following season, open 9 am to 5 pm, there are scarecrows, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a corn maze, and more! Sadly, at the end of October, the farm closes for the season, but reopens in June.
Ft. Nugent: Located along SW Ft. Nugent Avenue, Ft. Nugent is an open park that has fields for soccer, football, baseball, golf, volleyball, and basketball. It's a perfect place to go if you want to to practice a certain sport or to just run around with your friends. Especially in the summer, Ft. Nugent is a great place to go if you need an open, grassy area to do something like a water balloon fight with your friends. There's also a playground on the upper area of the fields that's even fun for teens; full of towers, swings, monkey bars, slides, and so much more. And since there's a covered area of picnic tables, you can host a summer party there or simply just find some shade. If you prefer to just lounge around and watch a game, there are soccer matches going on all day on the weekends (except in the winter).
Blue Fox Drive In: If you've always wanted to watch a movie in a drive-in movie theater, make a stop at the Blue Fox Drive In! It's located in the area between Oak Harbor and Coupeville. Along with having go karts, snack bar, and an arcade, the drive-in shows two or three movies starting at 6 pm (as of right now; in the summer, the showing starts around 9 pm). It's a great place to spend time with your family and hang out with friends, since you can ride the go karts, buy food, or play in the arcade to kill time before the movies.
Holland Happening/Fourth of July: Going on to its 47th year, the celebration of Holland Happening in Oak Harbor happens annually during the last weekend of April. This three day event starts on the Friday before the weekend, where the family carnival, normally brought by the Davis Shows Northwest, is set up along Bayshore Drive. Full of rides from the Merry-Go-Round to Bumper Cars to the Ring of Fire, it is sure to have something fit to your taste. The games, from shooting hoops to rushing to fill water balloons, usually have very cute prizes that you almost always get a sense of pride from. Holland Happening is a great place to have fun with friends with or to bring your little siblings to. Downtown, the entire road will be covered with dozens of booths for the street fair which you can buy accessories, food, and more from. On Saturday around 11 am or 12 pm, the Grand Parade begins. School bands, local and chain businesses, churches, and many, many more, drive/walk around three miles, playing loud and cheerful music, dancing, throwing candy to the little kids; almost anything.
The Fourth of July has a very similar organization to Holland Happening. It lasts for three days, has a parade, and has a carnival. However, the carnival is actually set up closer to City Beach (in the Oak Harbor Beach Park) and, of course, there's an amazing firework show that takes place in City Beach as well. These celebrations are super fun experiences; try to attend one of them!