In mid-July our family attended our first wedding since the onset of the pandemic at a beautiful farm in Lynden, Washington, north of Bellingham. We made the trip into a long weekend of traveling through Seattle, Bellingham, and Whidbey Island. I love the Puget Sound area, especially in the summer when the wild flowers are in bloom, the water is warm enough to dip your toes in and look for crabs (and maybe even spot some orcas!), and you might get lucky enough to have a clear, sunny view of Mt. Rainier.
Whidbey Island is just a short ferry ride away from Seattle through the Mukilteo station, and you can drive all the way up the island through Deception Pass and Fidalgo Island back to the mainland. I first visited Whidbey Island for my sister's bachelorette party five years ago during which we did a wine tour and ate amazing food, and I was so excited to return to this quaint and welcoming destination with my kids and husband. At ages 5 1/2 and 2 1/2 (trust me, the 1/2 matters!), the girls are really fun ages for traveling and exploring. They welcome new activities and experience so much awe of the world. We loved discovering new adventures on Whidbey, and my only regret is that we didn't have more time!
These were a few of our highlights of Whidbey Island with kids:
1. We started our trip in the charming town of Langley, where we played in the sand and explored the sea life at Seawall Park. The girls saw lots of different crabs in all shapes and sizes and collected sea shells while wading through the squishy sand. (If you go, bring extra socks and a towel. We took our shoes off but the sand is swampy.)
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| Investigating a crab at Seawall Park |
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| Wading in the sand |
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| Finding treasures |
2. There are lots of good restaurants in Langley. We discovered The Braeburn, which had a fabulous lunch with local ingredients, and the toddler and preschooler both give the kids' menu two thumbs up! The glassware is handmade blown glass and we had a seat near the front window.
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| Blown glass outside The Braeburn |
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| Everyone is happy! |
3. The Whale Center in Langley was a hit! It's set up like a small museum and shop, with real whale skeletons on display and a kids' room in the back. On our way out of Langley we stopped into the Blue Peony, a locally owned shop with lots of cute handmade goods. The owner gave the girls some handmade fabric book marks - free for all book-lovers!
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| Learning about whales |
4. If your kids love donuts (or at least licking the frosting off of donuts), then hit up Whidbey Donuts. They had a great variety and they also serve a full breakfast and lunch. I went with an old fashioned and a maple, and the kids loved the ones covered in icing and sprinkles.
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| One of each, please! |
5. Hiking: There are so many trails to explore on Whidbey! I went on a trail run through Putney Woods and we explored a bit at the Earth Sanctuary. Other popular destinations include Deception Pass, Ebey's Landing, Saratoga Woods, and Joseph Whidbey State Park.
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| Earth Sanctuary |
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| Putney Woods |
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| Going through the maze in the Earth Sanctuary |
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| Treasures at the end of the maze |
6. Spoiled Dog Winery has a beautiful patio with covered gazebo areas, picnic tables, and views of the vineyard. We stopped by for a wine flight and the girls entertained themselves with games and coloring.
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| Sleeping Queens is our favorite family card game |
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| Wine tasting at Spoiled Dog |
7. Greenbank Farms is a fun place to spend a few minutes or a few hours. There are beautiful gardens to walk through, a wine and cheese shop, homemade pies, and a swing set for the kids.
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| Beautiful Greenbank Farms |
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| Stopping to smell the flowers |
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| Wine, cheese, and pies! |
8. I love discovering local book stores wherever I travel! On this trip we visited Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville, which has a kids' book section and a back window that slides open for a view of the bay.
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| Kingfisher Bookstore, Coupeville |
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| Cute kids section |
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| Section of local authors |
9. While we were waiting for a table for lunch in Coupeville, we discovered Marbley art center where there is a community table and art supplies for kids (and big kids!) to get creative. It was a nice way to pass the time.
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| Spontaneous art session at Marbkey |
10. Kapaws Iskreme shop was a hit! A single waffle cone has three big scoops of different flavors. My kids devoured the bubble gum ice cream.
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| We all scream for iskreme |
We hope to experience the natural beauty and charm of Whidbey again sometime! Next time we hope to hit up Deception Pass, Ebey's Landing, Fort Casey, Callen's Restaurant, and rent bikes to tour other parts of the island.
Traveling with young kids is challenging and exhausting, but also really fun. Here are my general tips for successful traveling with kids:
Skip the hotel: Our kids are at an age where it's tough to do bedtimes and nap routines in a single room, so renting out a full house on Airbnb is key. This gives everyone space to maintain their routine, plus having a full kitchen saves on food costs.
Bentgo boxes for the win: We bring our Bentgo boxes whenever we travel. We bring a meal for the plane and skip the airport food, it helps keeps snacks organized and kids occupied throughout the trip, plus it works great for a to-go container when we go out to eat!
Consider Turo for car rental: In case you're unfamiliar, Turo is a peer-to-peer carsharing service and a great alternative to rental car companies. This was the first time we used Turo and it was a great experience. We knew exactly what vehicle we were getting, we got a nicer vehicle than we would have gotten through a rental car company, and we skipped the lines at the airport rental counter. Plus, they provided carseats!
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