Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Coupeville Day Trip

 Haze and smoke from the eastern Washington wildfires was evident as we made our day trip from Mount Vernon to Coupeville.  Located on the northern section of Whidbey Island, this quaint coastal town is home to the famous Penn Cove Mussel Farm.  Due to the community's location on the southern side of Penn Cove, gray whales can also sometimes be seen here feeding for small fish during March-June.  We didn't see any whales this day but enjoyed views of blue water.. with tourists (like ourselves) strolling the pier, sidewalks and shops. Coupeville is the second oldest town in Washington state, founded in the 1850's.


 We recalled our visit in 2016 (click HERE to see that blog post) and how we found the village quiet and serene.  Today it was bustling with visitors!


 Low tide exposed the rocky shore and lots of mussel shells.


 Penn Cove
Smoke and haze obscured Mt. Baker, its snow cap was barely seen on the horizon.



Coupeville's water front shops


 Coupeville is also the original home of Seattle's Best Coffee.

 We continued southward on Whidbey Island's Highway 20 and drove by the Price Sculpture Forest.  The entrance with its towering trees and richly wooded entrance was tempting, so we made a quick stop to explore and stretch our legs again.  It was a dusty walk due to the rainfall shortage.


 To learn more about the Price Sculpture Forest click HERE.

 Certainly not a crowded day on the trail, we only saw 5 other folks enjoying this quiet forest.


 We discovered a mix of realistic and abstract sculptures scattered throughout the trails.



 Sections of the trail surround you in ferns.

 
Sunlight illuminated the dry, thirsty leaves.

 Not everyone was as interested in the sculptures.


 We made our way a bit further south on Highway 20 to the Fort Casey State Park and the Port Townsend-Coupeville Ferry Terminal.  We arrived just in time to see a cruise ship depart with the Olympic Mountains in the background.


 And a quick side road discovery lead us to Ebey's Landing National Historic Preserve on Whidbey Island.  More to discover!


 More later.

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