T
R
A
V
E
L
60 JUNE 2020
ITH ITS QUIET BEACHES, charming towns, and a
rich agricultural interior, Whidbey Island has often
been called the Pacific Northwest’s answer to Mar-
tha’s Vineyard. This slender, 45-mile-long island
in Puget Sound lures outdoor enthusiasts with its
six state parks; hiking and biking trails; and calm, kayak-friendly
waters. Plus, when travel is back in the cards, it will be easier to get
there via ferry or a 20-minute flight from Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport with charter airline Lynk Air. (The two-hour drive from Seattle
over Deception Pass Bridge is pretty stunning, too.)
In recent years, locavore restaurants, wine bars, and boutique hotels
have put a spotlight on Whidbey’s farmers and fishermen. Home to
small farms, wineries, and some of the region’s most prized mussel
beds, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a meal that doesn’t live up to
big-city standards.STAY
The newly reimagined
Captain Whidbey, a
historic inn minutes
from the central town of
Coupeville, feels like adult
summer camp. Choose
from cabins overlooking
Penn Cove, Scandi-
influenced suites front-
ing a lagoon, and rooms
inspired by a sea
captain’s quarters. On the
deck —when things are
normal—guests gather
for social hours with craft
cocktails, brews, and
grazing boards. (Rooms
from $195, captain
wh i d b ey.co m)SHOP
The waterfront village
of Langley, on the south
end of Whidbey, is known
for its indie boutiques.
Browse felt coasters,
hand-hewn cutting
boards, and other home
goods at Edit, a mercan-
tile that sources from 80
makers (editwhidbey
.co m). Green thumbs can
find inspiration, as well
as essentials like seeds,
planters, and bulbs,
at Bayview Farm and
Garden. The cozy café at
this two-and-a-half-acre
nursery and garden shop
serves daily breakfast
and lunch, plus coffee
from local roaster
Useless Bay (bayview
farmandgarden.com).EAT AND DRINK
The menu at The
Oystercatcher in Coupe-
ville reads like a love
letter to the island’s pur-
veyors (oystercatcher
wh i d b ey.co m). Don’t
miss the signature garlic
and white wine mussels,
harvested from Penn
Cove just beyond the
restaurant’s door. If, like
most guests, you fall hard
for the complimentary
bread, you can buy a loaf
(as well as cinnamon rolls
and pistachio shortbread)
around the block at the
owners’ new bakery,
Little Red Hen (littlered
henbakerywhidbey.com).
Just outside of Langley,
Orchard Kitchen hosts
ambitious five-course
meals in a farmhouse
setting Thursday through
Sunday (orchardkitchen
.co m). Aspiring chefs can
hone their open-fire cook-
ing skills while preparing
an alfresco lunch at a
workshop hosted by new-
comer Food, Fire &
Iron (foodfireiron.com).
Year-old Langley wine bar
Farmer and the Vine
focuses on Pacific North-
west producers and com-
plements pours with
cheese, charcuterie, and
farm-fresh small bites. If
you taste a wine that you
love, you can purchase a
bottle in the shop (farmer
andthevine.com).W
clockwise from bottom left: One of the
charming guest rooms at Captain Whidbey;
the hotel’s quaint dock; a selection of tasty
bivalves at The OystercatcherPHOTOGRAPHY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): MERAKI NARRATIVE, KATHRYN CONWAY, ELLIE LILLSTROM
0620_Travel.indd 60 FINAL 4/21/20 4:45 PM