A Weekend On Whidbey Island

As part-time wanderers, we often find ourselves looking for last minute plans for the weekend. This past weekend was no exception; no decided upon plans until Thursday when we found The Kite Festival scheduled for Saturday and Sunday on Whidbey Island. As it happened, we had not visited 4 of the five state parks on the island, so Whidbey became our weekend destination.

ExploringPacific North WanderersSeptember 19, 2017Washington State Park, Washington, Fort, Historical, Lighthouse, Beach, Batteries, Pacific NorthwestComment

Fort Worden Historical State Park

Constructed between 1898 and 1917, Fort Worden was one of three posts collectively known as “The Triangle of Fire”. This triangle was strategically located to protect the Puget Sound and its surrounding cities from attacks by sea. The post never saw action and the state purchased the property in 1955 to turn it into Fort Worden Historical State Park. Hiking trails, historic lodging, a lighthouse, old batteries, and even a castle all make up the interesting parts of this 433-acre park. The location was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Fort Columbia Historical State Park

One of many coastal defense sites in the United States is situated at the Columbia River estuary in Chinook, Washington. It is well intact with 12 historical fort buildings, including the officer's house, artillery batteries, and two coastal artillery guns. The site is one of the many associated to the Lewis and Clark National and State-Historical Parks in Washington and Oregon. Construction of the 643 acre original fort lasted between 1896 and 1903, with additional construction during World War II. The fort was fully manned and operational for approximately 18 years before being transferred to the state in 1950. Today the park provides three miles of trails, a museum, wildlife viewing opportunities, and two historic vacation houses for overnight stays.

Exploring Cape Disappointment State Park

As we started our 3 hour drive towards the state’s most south western point, where the Columbia River opens to the Pacific Ocean, we were getting hammered by the rain. The closer we got, the harder it came down. We planned on setting up our tent and camping for one night. Thank goodness we opted for only the one night instead of two like we originally planned. We still knew this single, wet, windy, and stormy night would be pretty uncomfortable.

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