Doing the Cascade Loop - Port Townsend and Whidbey Island

A good cup of coffee is a great way to start off a trip. We were beginning our exploration of the Cascade Loop, and the trip was off to a great start.

We’d decided to take the scenic long way for our first day of the trip which also allowed us to avoid driving through Seattle. We arrived a little later than we had hoped (due to a delay at the Hood Canal Bridge) but we made our ferry reservation in plenty of time to walk around downtown and find a good cup of coffee.

The mountains were hiding behind clouds on our ferry ride, but there’s always great bird, boat and people watching whatever the weather. Even if you have to stay inside.

Upon arrival on Whidby Island, we took a wrong turn and soon saw signs for the Admiralty Head Lighthouse in Fort Casy State Park. Of course we decided to explore. We’ve been to Whidby Island several times and I can’t believe we’ve never made this stop before. Visitors are allowed into the top of the lighthouse. On a clear day the views are spectacular – or so I’ve heard. This was not one of those days. But it was still cool seeing the lighthouse.

We stopped for lunch in Coupeville, and proceeded to our original destination – the rhododendron park. There are 2 notable Rhody parks on Whidby Island. One is Meerkerk Gardens – a beautiful landscaped garden that charges admission. The other is a county park simply called Rhododendron Park. This one has 3 ½ miles of trails, and features a natural wooded setting with wild rhody’s.  I love walking in the woods, so this is the one we went to.

The park was very peaceful and relaxing. The rhody’s weren’t as large as what you would find in the other garden, but they gave a nice pop of color here and there against the trees, ferns, and moss we were walking through.

We decided to skip the stop at the beach and Deception Pass bridge this time around. They are definitely worth exploring if you have the time or haven’t stopped there before, but we were ready to head for our stop for the night in Sedro Wooly.

Next: The North Cascades Highway.