Saturday, June 23, 2012
A gray cloudy morning – 62 degrees. We walked to the Hertz office early and were on the road by 10:00 AM. It had stopped raining during the night but was still cloudy and cool. There was very little traffic because many streets were closed due to the Seattle Marathon which was going on nearby. We easily followed the signs to Route 5 Northbound and we were driving out of Seattle.
Espresso Bar Along Route 525
There were coffee bars and mini drive-in coffee shops everywhere along the road. After a while, we stopped at the Budapest Bistro in Lynnwood for coffee and Hungarian pastries. The proprietors knew the owners of the little Hungarian restaurant we go to in Manhattan on Second Ave. She said they were invited to go to New York to cook, but she was afraid of big cities.
Light House Near the Ferry
Our destination was the town of Mukilteo, where we planned to take one of the Washington State Ferries across Puget Sound to Whidby Island. We arrived at the Mukilteo ferry at 11:15 and parked in line and waited for the next ferry which was scheduled to depart at noon.
Entering the Ferry
View of the Light House From the Ferry
Approaching Land
The car thermometer read 58 degrees. It was a short 15 minute ferry ride to the town of Clinton on Whidby Island. As we drove off the ferry, it was gray and dreary and drizzling.
Whidbey Island
A Farm On Whidbey Island
We continued along Rt. 525 north. The road was named Bush Point Road but somewhere along the way changed its name to Smuggler’s Cove. Without a history guide, one could only wonder about the historical references to the names.
Pine Trees Along Route 525
Coupeville, Washington
Eventually, it stopped raining and we stopped in Coupeville, Washington at about 2:00 o’clock for a late lunch. We found the Knead & Feed Restaurant on Front Street. We had a fabulous home-cooked healthy lunch right by the waterside. The chef/owner told us she was from Buffalo, New York and didn’t miss cold winters. She said that a movie named Practical Magic had been filmed in Coupeville and they used the interior of her restaurant as an apothecary shop in the film.
Low Tide
Flowers
Shop Window in Coupville
Changing Tide in the Rain
It was raining hard when we finished eating so we had a soggy walk back to the car. The temperature cooled to 53 degrees outside.
We were back on the road and continued toward Anacortes. The road became Route 20 and as we approached the end of Whidby Island we saw two huge paper mills spewing smoke into the gray sky. We also passed a sign for a Native American Reservation and their casino alongside the road.
View of the Anacortes Ferry
We took tripadvisor.com’s recommendation and were able to get a lovely, large, clean room at the Anacortes Ship Harbor Inn near the ferry dock. The Inn had been renovated recently and was a delightful place to stay. Our room was warm and cozy and had a great view of Puget Sound and the islands beyond.