Mileage Today:  56 miles   Total Mileage: 6868 miles

Almost our last day.  We were determined to make the most of it, so we set off after breakfast to explore some of the island.  It’s a big island: 58 miles long and about 11 wide. 

Our first leg was to head back north about 7 miles to Deception Pass State Park.  We drove down through the woods to west beach and parked up there.  We could just see the bridge further up the inlet.  The beach was long and a mix of dark sand and pebbles with a pile of washed up tree trunks along the back.   The weather was warm but very grey first thing.   Misty out to sea.

We walked along the shoreline trail and then on the beach for a couple of miles.  It was very pleasant by the water.  We were on the watch for seals etc but only saw lots of gulls.

After our walk we headed south to the lovely old seaside village of Coupeville.  So many historic houses from the mid to late 1800s here plus an old wooden pier with a Wharf building on the end.  Quite a few very worthwhile arty shops and boutiques plus restaurants, many of them focusing on the locally harvested mussels. Everywhere is very much gearing up for the autumn festivals here now.  Great stacks of pumpkins everywhere and corn dollies. More farming symbols than commercial Halloween which is nice. 

We went in a lot of the stores and also explored the pier and the wharf. The sun came out for the rest of the day which was even better.  There was a lovely historic schooner moored up there.  Would have loved a trip on her but they are only at the weekends.

When we had exhausted the stores we found a picnic table overlooking the sea for our lunch.  The sun was hot.  We did see some seals out around the pier.

After lunch we headed to the opposite coast to Ebeys Landing Historical park.  Really nice old fashioned headland area consisting of some historic Old farms, a cemetery, a blockhouse and a number of trails.   We were going to hike along one but we sat at a table beside the sea and it was just so nice in the sun, we didn’t move.  So peaceful there.  We played our favourite game of “is that a seal?  No it’s a gull…. No its seaweed”.  

We were gazing out across the strait directly towards Port Angeles and Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula where we were almost at the beginning of the trip.   It was quite visible across the water.  So much has happened since then, we’ve seen so many places…..

Finally we moved along the coast a few more miles to Fort Ebey State Park.   The site of an old gun battery guarding the approaches to the Puget Sound, from WW2.  The views were even more amazing from up there.   We could see the Olympic chain of mountains across the strait in Olympic National Park.

Came back to the motel and finalised our packing for the flight tomorrow night. We are just about OK we think and hardly anything being left behind. Checked in with BA and got our boarding cards.  Went back to the Island Diner for dinner.  We  liked it a lot last night.   Tonight we both chose clam chowder and fish and chips.  The fish was Alaskan cod.  It was all very good.  The fish was really well cooked.   Of course it wasn’t  like English fish and chips but it was enjoyable.