I was eager to head out of town and enjoy some alone time rest and relaxing after a crazy busy month at work. I searched high and low for an overnight getaway from Seattle and the one place I adored in the mountains was sold out, so I settled on Whidbey Island. Heading north out of Seattle towards the ferry, I drove past one of Boeing’s huge facilities and caught a glimpse of the new Dreamliner. The strange shape reminds me of a porpoise, but I’d love to fly in one some day.
There are so many ferries around the Puget Sound area & when approaching them, there are all sorts of special lines and rules for ferry line waiting. I”ve heard the lines get really long the weekend as people head out of town, but luckily I barely had to wait on a Thursday afternoon.
Ferry rides are such a unique novelty thing for me. I love all the “commuters” who walk and bike on, then catch public transportation on the other side. I was fascinated by the cool construction of this one- an upper drive up deck beside the upstairs passenger compartment to maximize space.
As we set off, I could see a few islands and land masses rising steeply out of Puget Sound.
I took a panorama of the view from Mukilteo (where the ferry departed on the right) over to Whidbey Island on the left.
I just pulled up to the ferry line as the ferry was leaving, but I only had to wait about 20 minutes for the next one. The town has a cute little boardwalk area with several restaurants and bar serving those waiting in the ferry line.
As we crossed the bay, lots of seaside home dotted the shoreline and a few had great views from the hills above.
It was a mostly overcast day & very breezy was I was walking around on the ferry, thankful I had my jacket while I enjoyed these amazing cliffs.
Mid-trip, we passed the other ferry heading back from Whidbey.
Something romantic about this train winding it’s way along the edge of the forest and hugging the coastline.
Approaching Whidbey Island, the ferry stops in the charming town of Clinton, but I had other plans on my agenda- namely to get to some of the wineries on the island.
GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: First real day of vacation & we are headed to the amazing Springs Resort.
I took my first ferry to Bainridge Island and saw orcas on my trip to Washington for the Seattle marathon (November ’09). Lots of fun!
I think that’s the ferry I took last year, but I wasn’t lucky enough to see whales. How cool!