I was up early, so I went out for a walk along the beach at Double Bluff. There’s a county park there which extends a few hundred yards west from the small parking lot. Then you’re apparently on your own, and can walk as far on the beach as you care (1). There are tons of driftwood along the beach, and people have used some of the bigger pieces to make crude structures along the sand.

Beach structures, July 2018

Our first stop was Fort Casey Historical State Park. Two points of interest: a nice lighthouse, and the remains of a turn-off-the-(20th)-century fort.

Admiralty Head Lighthouse, July 2019

Of course, the most desirable thing to do when confronted with a lighthouse or other tall structure is to climb up. Which I did.

Lighthouse spiral stairs and view from top, July 2018

Ft. Casey never saw real action. Built in the 1890s, it was obsolete by the time WW I ended in 1918. It was used for training during WW I, and then reactivated during WW II as an induction center. In addition to a number of structures, there are two huge 10″ cannon (2) on display.

Top Gun, July 2018

After much debate, we decided to go explore an “Art Trail” maintained on the island. This is where you can drive around and visit artists in their studios, where you can see how they work and they can try to sell some of their art. A fair trade.

Artist’s Workbench, July 2018

The first artist we tried was a woman who makes metal jewelry and small boxes. Her studio was down a narrow dirt road, and in the lower level of her house. Although it was Sunday, she was extremely gracious in explaining how she worked, and showing us the results. We didn’t buy anything.

The second one we tried was an art store located on a farm that’s turning itself into a tourist-focused mini-mall. We didn’t buy anything there, either.

By this time we were hungry, so we headed back to Langley with the vague thought that we would head out again after a late lunch. That never happened. Instead :

Chillin’, July 2018

Despite snacking the day away on our deck, we decided to walk a couple blocks and have dinner anyway. And then back to start packing, as we leave Whidbey in the morning.

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(1) I cared to walk 1.5 miles out, and the same back 😉

(2) A 10″ cannon shoots shells that are 10″ in diameter.