Two Girls Roving: Day 6 – Deception Pass, Ebey’s Landing, Coupeville, and Fort Casey Historical State Park

Two Girls Roving: The tale of a 16 day, 3522 mile road trip to the Pacific Northwest in celebration of my friend’s college graduation! Follow along for all the shenanigans through thousands of miles, eight National Park Service units, night after night of camping, and even some coastal backpacking!

August 28, 2024

After several days in the northern reaches of the Cascades, it was time to make our way west to furthest reaches of the Lower 48 – the Olympic Peninsula! This is my most-visited area of Washington, but Janice and I would be exploring plenty of areas that neither of us had been before. But before the Olympic shenanigans could begin, we had to make Heidi get on a boat first…

After morning coffee at Starbucks (we love you, instant coffee, but sometimes a latte is needed!) and grabbing passport stamps at the Sedro-Woolley ranger station we headed towards Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound. While Google Maps thought it would be much better to drive I-5 through the Seattle nightmare, we opted for the scenic route and a 6pm ferry. Operation Find Janice a Sea Otter commences!

Our first stop would be Rosario Beach. Going into the trip I, of course, had hikes planned. But with warmer temperatures and just our overall desire and fatigue level, we scratched most of the hikes I had planned (which like four on this day… ha!). We walked around the shore for awhile, and caught a glimpse of the Deception Pass bridge before heading back to the car. (Side note – Deception Pass is a state park, and there is a $10 day use fee in effect. The electronic pay machine was down at Rosario Beach, but luckily I had a $10 bill to pay the old fashioned way. An annual pass for Washington state parks, the “Discovery Pass,” can also be purchased for $30 if visiting state parks on multiple days.)

Our next stop was to walk across one span of the Deception Pass Bridge. Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, this bridge is two spans, one over Canoe Pass to the north, and another over Deception Pass to the south. Pass Island lies between the two bridges. Construction began in August 1934, and the completed bridge was dedicated at noon on July 31, 1935.

I’m terrified of being high up over water, so it was a big act of bravery on my part to cross the bridge with traffic whizzing by, 180 feet above the water. However, it was so worth it! (Apparently this was my “scary water day.” I think people just do not grasp my fear of water… seriously, its a HUGE fear!)

Why Deception Pass?

In the spring of 1792, Joseph Whidbey, master of HMS Discovery and Captain Vancouver’s chief navigator proved that it was not really a small bay as charted by the Spaniards (hence the name “Deception”), but a deep and turbulent channel that connects the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the Saratoga Passage, which separates the mainland from what they believed was a peninsula (actually Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island). Thomas Coupe, a sea captain and founder of Coupeville, was the only man ever to sail a full-rigged ship through the strait discovered by Whidbey.

Wikipedia

As one of our more “free form” travel days, it was about stopping when we felt like it, aside from a few set places I had outlines. Janice saw a sign for a farm stand, so we swung into K&R Farm Stand outside of Oak Harbor. While Janice loaded up on fresh peaches, I took to the myriad of pickles and salsas, settling on some garlic dill pickles (which ended up having quite the pucker factor) and mango salsa.

Next up was making an ever-so-brief visit a visitor center at Ebey’s Landing National Historic Preserve. Hey, I can’t pass up a National Park Service unit! Pratt Cottage Visitor Center by Sunnyside Cemetery was our choice for passport stamps and some information on the area. The boundaries of the preserve encompasses a decent amount of Whidbey Island, including the town of Coupeville. Authorized in 1978, Ebey’s Landing National Historic Preserve is different than a lot of NPS units as it consists of a mix of federal, state, and private land.

The Reserve at Ebey’s Landing provides a vivid historical record of Pacific Northwest history, including the first exploration of Puget Sound by Captain George Vancouver in 1792; early settlement by Colonel Isaac Ebey, who filed a claim under the Donation Land Claim Act in 1850; growth and settlement resulting from the Oregon Trail and the Westward migration; the Donation Land Laws (1850–1855); and the continued growth and settlement of the town of Coupeville.

Wikipedia

Perks of a small island area is that Janice and I could go back and forth between spots with no concern for efficiency. After passport stamping duties were done, we headed towards Fort Casey Historical State Park so we could visit Admiralty Head Lighthouse. The current lighthouse was designed by Carl Leick and was completed in 1903, replacing the original wood lighthouse built in 1861. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1922. Luckily, it is staffed by volunteers so people can visit in the inside.

Janice and I were not done with Fort Casey, as we would be back to wander through the Coast Artillery buildings later in the afternoon. For now, it was time to find lunch and explore downtown Coupeville! My favorite part was stopping by Sea Bre’s Yarn and Kingfisher Bookstore for souvenirs and must-haves!

Next up was Price Sculpture Forest, a blending of an outdoor art gallery and walking path through old growth forest located in Coupeville. Janice and I walked both loops, coming in at three-quarters of a mile. (I’m including lots of photos!)

With time still on the clock before our 6pm ferry across Puget Sound to Port Townsend, Janice and I returned to Fort Casey so we could explore the artillery buildings. Janice loves war history, and I could see Mount Baker in the distance and can’t complain about a gorgeous afternoon on the Puget Sound, so not a bad way to kill our last bit of time on Whidbey Island!

Fort Casey was constructed by the U.S. Army in the late 1800s; it was equipped for defense and used as a training facility up to the mid-1940s. At its inception, the fortification on Whidbey Island was part of a new national defense system, to protect U.S. coasts and waterways. Soldiers were stationed at Fort Casey from 1899 to 1945. The fort’s 10-inch disappearing guns and other modern weapons were the height of technology in the early-20th century, as were the fort’s plotting rooms, observation stations and communications systems. Improvements in warships and the rise of the airplane soon rendered these forts obsolete, however. By the 1920s, their effectiveness had waned and, though Fort Casey stayed open for training through World War II, it was decommissioned soon after the end of the war.

Washington State Parks

Now it was time to complete the last task of scary water day – the 6pm ferry to Port Townsend. With a sailing time of under thirty minutes, this saved us from the headache of I-5 and just added more adventure to the adventure. I found a nice and safe seat indoors as stepping out on deck made me panicked. Overall, it was smooth, short sailing! We disembarked in Port Townsend in no time and raced the sun to our campsite west of Port Angeles at Salt Creek Recreation Area.

Our campsite at Salt Creek Recreation Area was AWESOME and there was instant regret we were arriving so late and would be leaving fairly early in the morning as well. Luckily we would squeeze in a bit of fun before leaving in the morning.

Travel states, facts, & things with no context from Janice and I:

• ~175 miles and 5 hours-ish with ferry from Coupeville to Port Townsend (reserved in advanced, which is highly recommended)
• 1 NPS unit visited
  • Ebey’s Landing National Historical Preserve
    • Free
• 2 Washington State Parks visited
  • Deception Pass State Park
  • Fort Casey Historic State Park
  • Both have $10/day use fee (but a pass obtained at one works at the other!)

Accomodations for the night:

• Salt Creek Recreation Area
  • Site #51
  • $45 (non-Clallam County resident fee for 2024)
  • Verizon service (but you will be bouncing off Canadian towers)
  • The good:
    • AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL VIEWS from this campsite (all caps very necessary!) – sunrise and sunset are both insanely beautiful over the water
    • Cheap pay showers (25 cents/2 minutes) with lovely hot water
    • Bathroom facilities with running water, flush toilets
    • Playgrounds
    • Access to tidepools
  • The bad:
    • We only had one short night here! If I had known how wonderful this campsite was going to be (online photos did it no justice), maybe this would’ve been our double night!
    • Showers do not have temperature controls, so this could be off-putting to someone who cannot tolerate warmer showers or who likes cold showers. It’s not scalding hot by any means, but we all know people have their own preferences on temp!