A visit to in , , begins with a car ferry ride from the mainland. The trip is only twenty minutes. The view from the upper deck as the dock grows closer is of saltwater, beaches and trees.

Whidbey Island is sixty miles long with its southern tip reaching just north of . The beaches are rocky and bordered at the high tide mark with rows of driftwood with the bark long rubbed off by the waves with the wood bleached gray-blond by the weather. To the east is the Cascade Mountain range visible only when the skies are free of the constant rain. The Olympic range resides on the peninsula to the west. It is seen even less because it is a rain forest.

Penn Cove lies in the middle of the island. It is - amazingly - a wildlife sanctuary. Mussels litter the beaches at low tide. They also grow underneath floating rafts which serve as farms. Their embryos attach themselves in the early summer to ropes suspended under the rafts where they thrive in the cold water until their harvest. They are exported to restaurants around the world and are especially popular with the local tourists. Wild eagles have been seen on the beach and occasionally a whale wanders in the secluded waters.For nature lovers, Penn Cove is a true treasure.

The west side of the island is wild and rugged. The sound is at its widest and the freighters on their way to Seattle or Bremerton travel in the distance. Vancouver Island is to the north. The west side hosts high weather beaten cliffs. The trees at the top are permanently bent and stripped of some branches from the ferocious winds that come with the Pacific storms.

The bridge is at the northern tip of the island. It was named by Captain who was the first European to explore the waters. He was in search of a Northwest Passage to the Atlantic Ocean and sailed east through the narrow opening only to be trapped in the inland waters by the tides. The tide change pushes massive amounts of water through the small gap under the bridge forcing the water to churn with whitecaps and whirlpools until the tide reaches its low or high position. The water then grows still until it is pulled in the opposite direction.and the rough water begins again.

Whidbey Island is a magical place.for nature hikes, beachcombing, and sightseeing. It is a wonderful trip for all.