Mt. Rainier National Park

After we left Whidbey Island, we had a quick drive over to Mt. Rainier. We've driven by this mountain so many times that we figured it would be wrong not to spend a few nights there.

We stayed at the Tacoma cabin at Alta Crystal Resort for 3 nights and got the chance to explore the area and relax a lot! On our first day there, we arrived and explore Federation Falls State Park and did a hike to Snoquera Falls.

The next morning, Jason and I drove over to the National Park. Unfortunately, this is one of those national parks that isn't dog-friendly, so we had to leave the pup to sleep at the cabin.

We drove in through the Nisqually entrance (the only one open at the time) and hit most of the major sights. We stopped at a few viewpoints along the Nisqually River, stopped by the historic area of Longmire, saw Christine Falls, Narada Falls, and hiked at the top of Paradise for a while before heading back down. We had seen a trail up to the top of Christine Falls earlier, so we did a quick hike up to this bridge as well. It was a fabulous day!

On our last day, we took it easy at our cabin. Doing some work, soaking in the hot tub, and doing a quick hike around the property. We also went into "town" and grabbed some dinner at the local bar. Basically, we were soaking in as much of the PNW vibes as we could before heading to sunny California!

Moving Forward: The big news is that we've adjusted our plans moving forward and we're actually back in San Diego right now instead of continuing on with our trip. We had originally planned on going to Mammoth Lakes for a month before choosing a place to move to... but we really fell in love with San Diego and decided to put down some roots. We don't officially move into our house until mid-July, so we'll keep traveling until then!

Whidbey Island Highlights

We spent a little over 5 weeks on Whidbey Island, WA during the month of April. It was the absolute best experience we've had with AirBnB --- the hosts were amazing, the space itself was comfortable and modern, and the views of Mt. Rainier and downtown Seattle were perfect. Indy also had great fun exploring the grounds and terrorizing the chickens. If anyone needs a recommendation for a place, let me know. I've got a perfect one!

Whidbey Island is home to multiple cute towns (Langley & Freeland were our faves), wineries, and some incredible hiking! We were lucky enough to get our first COVID shot in Oak Harbor AND my parents visited us for over a week, so it was a pretty incredible month!

Best Hikes

Deception Pass State Park - This was absolutely the most beautiful place on the island. If you're traveling in from Seattle, this might even be the place you cross over as it's the only bridge to/from the island (otherwise you'd take the Mulkiteo/Clinton ferry on the South). There are tons of hikes to explore here, but we did the Lighthouse Point via Bowman Bay hike.

Ebey's Landing - We actually did this hike 2 times. It's a pretty easy rolling 5 mi hike right along the water (out on the hill and back along the beach). On a clear day, you can see all way to Mt. Baker, the San Juan Islands, AND the Olympic Peninsula!

Olympic National Park - From Whidbey, you'll have to take the Coupeville/Port Townsend ferry (requires reservations!) to reach the Olympic Peninsula. It's a bit of a drive, but totally worth it. We've been to ONP before and went to the big stops like Hoh Rainforest and Rialto Beach last time. This time, we visited Sol Duc Falls & Marymere Falls. Both hikes ended up being amazing! Next time we go, we want to hike the Mt. Storm King trail!

South Whidbey State Park - Just a quick 10 min drive from our Airbnb in Freeland, we wanted to get out and do a small hike. This was a beautiful old-growth forest and I'm glad we visited it! We hiked the Ridge Loop to Hobbit Trail for a nice 3.5 mi afternoon hike.

Best Sights

Tulip Town/Roozengarde - Last time we visited the San Juan Islands, we stopped by Roozengarde to see the tulips - only to find out we were a week or two too early! So this time, we were lucky enough to be there during peak tulip bloom. It was a nice way to spend an evening - wandering around the tulip blossoms. We went to Tulip Town as I wanted to see the alternating rows of color (v Roozengarde's fields of solid color), but they are both good choices!

Double Bluff Dog Beach - This beach was a mile from our Airbnb, so we made this a regular stop. It's an off-leash dog beach, but very well maintained and clean! We liked to just leisurely stroll along this beach in the evenings. Our last time there, we saw two bald eagles fighting mid-air over a fish - pretty crazy!

Wineries in Woodinville - I have to be honest - we didn't like the wineries on Whidbey Island. But luckily, we were able to jump on a ferry over to Woodinville for some excellent wine! We went to JM Cellars and Obelisco with Indy and had a great time! JM Cellars in particular had a great tasting experience. 

Exploring Langley, Coupeville & Oak Harbor - All of these towns were super cute, but Langley was definitely our favorite. There are tons of tasting rooms, coffee shops, and places to stroll in each of the "downtown" areas. Love the little independent shops and ocean views!

Best Food

Whidbey Donuts - Not just donuts - although those were excellent! We went here a couple of times on and grabbed food for the ferry ride back to the mainland. The breakfast sandwich & donuts were our fave, but we also heard good things about their lunch options as well.

Gordon's on Blueberry Hill - Went here for a celebratory dinner with my parents. The mussel stew was super yummy and Jason loved his salmon BLT sandwich. You'll need reservations, but it's worth the effort. The views were also nice!

Ultra House - Ramen and gyoza place in downtown Langley. Fast and delicious!

Greenbank Deli & Pantry - Probably our favorite spot on the island. If you're there on a weekend, you'll want to call your order in early as there was a 1-hour wait once! The weekdays are usually only 15 minutes though. The sandwiches (Italian, Turkey BLT, prosciutto/mozzarella) were all excellent and they sell deli meats and fresh bread to go as well.

Finistere (in Port Angeles) - On our way back from Olympic National Park, we stopped in here for a quick happy hour of oysters, croquettes, pasta, and wine. It was a great way to wait for the ferry!

Also went to the Oystercatcher in Coupeville and while the oysters were amazing, the rest was just ok. Might have been an off day, but I'd probably skip it if there was a wait (which there usually is).

Next Up: We went to Mt. Rainier for a few days & enjoyed some hiking and relaxation!