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Once inhabited by members of the Lower Skagit, Swinomish, Suquamish, Snohomish and other Native American tribes Whidbey Island is located in the inland water way of Puget Sound and 30 miles Northwest of Seattle.
The first European sighting of Whidbey Island was during the 1790 Spanish expedition of Manuel Quimper and Gonzalo López de Haro on the Princesa Real. Named in 1792 by Captain George Vancouver for Joseph Whidbey who circumnavigated Whidbey Island in June.
The first overnight stay on Whidbey Island by a non-native American was by Catholic missionary, while traveling across Puget Sound in 1840 and from there many have followed. The island stretches some 40 miles North to South and has hundreds of miles of shoreline, making it the third largest in the contiguous U.S.
Permanent settlers were not common until 1850 when Isaac Ebey became the first permanent European resident on Whidbey Island claiming a square mile of prairie with a southern shoreline on Admiralty Inlet. Today over 50,000 residents call the island home.
The atmosphere on Whidbey is what might be called iconic or laid-back. Accommodations range from the prestigious to the rustic. Located in the "rain-shadow" of the Olympic Mountains just to the West, Whidbey receives just half the annual rainfall as Seattle.
The North end of the Island is home to the US Naval Air Station at Oak Harbor the largest town on the island. There are plenty of shops and services. Driving through the center of the island reveals bucolic pasture land, forests and the very present rocky shores on both sides of the road. Near the south end of the island the pace slows and windy roads lead to galleries, shops and antique stores.
Everywhere on Whidbey are scenes out of a water color painting. Vibrant colors, high vantage points, beaches, friendly people and a lower more relaxed pace. Local business promote "do nothing here" are much as they do all the activities.
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