Wandering on Whidbey Island

We spent a week on Whidbey Island in northern Puget Sound in January in weather ranging from cold rain and fog to shirtsleeves and sunshine where I tested the landscape capabilities of the Sony RX100. Whidbey Island was named by Captain George Vancouver for Lieutenant Joseph Whidbey who explored the island in a launch from Discovery in 1792 (link). Vancouver had a penchant for naming things after his friends – he named Puget Sound after Discovery Lieutenant Peter Puget, Mount Baker after 3rd Lieutenant Joseph Baker, Mount Rainier after Rear Admiral Peter Rainier, and so on (link).

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (NHR)
Ebey’s Landing NHR was established by Congress in 1978 as a partnership among the National Park Service; state, county and town governments; and residents of central Whidbey Island. It is administered and managed by the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing NHR and is the first unit of its kind in the National Park System. The Reserve covers over 17,000 acres, most of which is privately owned, and includes Penn Cove and the town of Coupeville (link, link).

Farms at Ebey's Landing

Following passage of the Donation Land Law of 1850, which offered free land to any citizen who would homestead it for four years, newcomers flocked to the fertile prairie of central Whidbey Island. Within three years, they carved up the best land. The settlement patterns are evident today in the location of fence lines and roads and along ridges (link).

Prairie at Ebey's Landing with Glacier Peak (10,525 ft) on right horizon

The NHR is named for Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey, who was among the first permanent settlers in 1850. He homesteaded a low area on Admiralty Inlet (east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca) where boats could be landed; he built a dock for commercial ship traffic. In 1857, Ebey was killed by Native Americans in retaliation for the murder of one of their chiefs (link). 

The saltwater lagoons of Ebey's Landing attract many species of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds.

Saltwater lagoons of Ebey's Landing NHR looking east to Admiralty Inlet

Saltwater lagoons along the 200-foot bluffs of Ebey's Landing NHR

New England sea captains and merchants were drawn to area by the protected harbor at Penn Cove and by access to timber for shipbuilding. Captain Thomas Coupe claimed 320 acres that later became the town of Coupeville, one of the oldest towns in Washington, on the south shore of Penn Cove (link).

Historic wharf at Coupeville on Penn Cove

Farming and maritime trade transformed Coupeville into a dominant seaport. Coupeville is now part of Island County and seat of the county government (link).

Historic waterfront at Coupeville

Old growth forest is preserved in South Whidbey Island State Park (link).

Old growth forest at South Whidbey Island State Park

Langley is a small town on the east side of south Whidbey Island.

South Whidbey Harbor at Langley at sunset with Camano Island in the background

Abandoned cabin near Langley

Alder thicket