Leaving Oak Harbor we continue south on Highway 20. At Libby Road we turned west toward Fort Ebey State Park. This was a nice park with a variety of things to do. We stopped at the ranger station and talked to a ranger. The park didn't seem very busy today, but it was mid-week. The ranger told us it was booked for July 4th and most weekends during the summmer. He gave us the phone number to make reservations for Washington State Parks. He told us there were quite a few bike trails in this park. There were over 50 campsites and lots of picnic tables as well. Lots of bushes between sites gave campers some privacy. Walking out to toward the beach we came to two big cement pits. At first I thought they were for large group barn fires. Then we saw the cement tunnels and realized they were part of the military operation build here during World War 11 to protect Puget Sound from attack. The cement pits are all that is left of the gun batteries and the tunnel was a bunker. Dale enjoyed walking through the bunker, I found it too dark and creepy. The beach was littered with dirftwood. We drove to another camping area within the park and discovered Lake Pondilla which had several walk-in campsites. This was a small lake covered with a variety of plant-life. We thought this would be a nice place to stay mid-week when it was packed.

We took Highway 20 south a few miles to the quant town of Coupeville, the oldest town on the island and the second oldest town in Washington. This town is full of 19th century Victorian homes and churches. We walked along Front Street where most of the restaurants and pubs are. We ate lunch and bought some bread at the Knead and Feed Bakery, which was a tiny little restaurant which overlooked the water. Then we walked down to the Coupeville Wharf where we found several giftstores, galleries and a bookstore. We got back on Highway 20 going south. We turned off to go the Fort Casey State Park, but the road was closed. Looking at the map we could have gotten there by way of Coupeville but we didn't have time to backtrack. Back on Highway 20, which has now become Highway 525, we drove past Greenbank not realizing it and turned off at Smuggler's Cove Road toward South Whidbey State Park. There is only one way in and out of this park and the road seemed to go forever. There were quite a few campsites at this park, a beach and lots of trails. We liked Fort Ebey S. P. better than this park. Back on Highway 525 we drove through the town of Freeland which was orginally a socialist utopian community founded in the early 1900's. It appeared to have a nice mix of local businesses and tourist shops.

Heading south on 525 we turned off toward Langley, a small town with a collection of art galleries, antique stores, thrift stores, tourist shops and restaurants. This town was founded by a 15 year old boy in 1880. Taking Langley Road back to Highway 525 we stopped at the Whidbey Island Vineyard and Winery. Unfortuanately it was closed today, (open Wednesdays thru Sundays). Langley Road turns into Cultus Bay Road when it passes Highway 525. We continued on Cultus Bay Road working our way to Possession Beach which had beach access. There were several residential areas with nice views of the water, one of which did not look too friendly as a sign in someone's yard read 'No Public Access to Beach, Keep Out.' Nearby several deer were nibbling on grass in someone's backyard. The public Possession Beach Waterfront Park was quite disappointing. Here there was a small beach, with a poor view of the water, although it did have wheelchair access. We drove north to Clinton where we would catch the ferry that leaves every half hour for Mukiteo and cost $5.75. We got in the ferry lane and worred as to whether we would get on the first ferry, as there were cars in front of us that had gotten through the light and we were stuck on the hill sitting at a red light. But there was no need to worry as the ferry never did fill up. We stayed near Mukilteo.

250 miles today, 4300 total

Day 17

Introduction