Soaring Eagle Lodge on Whidbey Island is a spectacular vacation rental home destination where you can spend the day relaxing and rejuvenating – or you can venture out to enjoy the many recreational activities Whidbey Island has to offer. Oak Harbor is centrally located for day trips to Langley, Coupeville, Port Townsend, the San Juan Islands, La Connor, Seattle, Victoria BC and Vancouver BC.
Below is a short list of some of our favorite Whidbey Island Activities:
Horseback Riding
Ten minutes by car from Soaring Eagle Lodge is one of the finest equestrian facilities on Whidbey Island. It has both private and group lessons. WildwoodFarm.com
Shopping
In nearby Oak Harbor there are antique stores, boutiques and other shopping. Historic Coupeville also has antique stores, boutiques and a museum. A short Ferry ride to picturesque Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula leads to additional antique shopping and restaurants. Anacortes is the gateway to the San Juan Islands and offers shopping, restaurants and other activities.
Hiking
There are numerous places nearby which offer easy to moderate hikes through woodland trails, along beach-fronts and secluded coves.
Golf
North Whidbey has 2 golf courses. Gallery Golf Course on NAS Whidbey Island is open to the public and is a challenging 18-hole course overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Visit bit.ly/2deT55q. Lam’s Links is an 18-hole shorter par 3 course for the more relaxed golfer. Visit LamsGolfLinks.com. Learn about other courses on the island here: bit.ly/2esg8qE
Rock Climbing
For the climbing enthusiast, the wall at Mt. Erie will challenge your skills and reward you with a spectacular view at the top. At 900 feet you can see Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Victoria, the Olympics and Cascade Mountains, and all of Whidbey Island on a clear day. Visit WashingtonClimbers.org/Climbing/erie.
Beach Combing
Shells and driftwood can be found along Whidbey’s sandy and rocky beaches, or along our own private beach.
Clamming and Mussels
Have you ever dug for your own clams or collected mussels from the beach? You can do that on Whidbey Island. For those wanting to collect mussels or clams, shellfish licenses are available at ACE Hardware and local sporting goods stores. Be sure to check Island County warnings for “Red Tide” conditions before eating any shellfish acquired on the beach.
Whale Watching
Whale watching (Island-Adventures.com) and charter fishing (CatchMoreCharters.com) trips can be arranged and depart from nearby marinas at Anacortes. Arrangements must be made in advance. These are seasonal activities. Deception Pass Boat Tours: Hour-long boat tours at Deception Pass provide the perfect way to see the beauty of the pass and surrounding area from the water. Visit DeceptionPassTours.com.
Sea Kayaking
On the Fidalgo Island side of Deception Pass, a half a mile north of the bridge, is a quiet and protected area known as Bowman Bay. Your kayak tours depart from the lovely beach here, gliding out under the silent majesty of old growth Fir, Cedar, and Hemlock trees. Explore the water’s edge in search of seals, porpoise, sea stars, and the most amazing array of sea life in the San Juan Islands. Visit AnacortesKayakTours.com
Bird Watching
At Soaring Eagle Lodge you can watch eagles, great blue heron, woodpeckers, red-tailed hawks and occasionally a great horned owl can be heard in the night. Nearby Padilla Bay has an Interpretive Center. The bay is a salt water conservatory and seasonally attracts many species of shore birds and migratory fowl. Ebey’s Landing is a sanctuary for many salt water birds. Bring your binoculars—there is a lot to see.
Restaurants
Oak Harbor is home to many restaurants including, Italian/Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Mexican and continental/seafood. Coffee addicts should not despair—there are many coffee houses in Oak Harbor, including Starbucks. See more restaurants with reviews on YELP!: bit.ly/2dwfWVo. Or check out Trip Advisor: bit.ly/2erG1Z3
Theater/Playhouse
Oak Harbor Cinema has 3 screens which show first run films nightly. The Playhouse has local productions of well-known plays.
Bike Tour Route
Bring your bike and tour Whidbey. The Chamber of Commerce has a bike tour map for highlighting the best bike route to see Whidbey’s beauty.
Festivals
There are many festivals throughout the year on Whidbey Island. Our favorites include the Penn Cove Water Festival in May (PennCoveWaterFestival.com); the Choochokam Music & Arts Festival in August (ChoochokamArts.org); the Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival in August (CoupevilleFestival.com); the Whidbey Island Fair in August (VisitLangley.com/lp/whidbey-island-fair/); the Whidbey Island Kite Festival in September (WhidbeyKites.org); the Whidbey Working Artists Art Studio Tours (WhidbeyWorkingArtists.com); and the Anacortes Art Festival (on Fidalgo Island) in August (AnacortesArtsFestival.com). For an up to date calendar of Whidbey Island Festivals and Events, visit WhidbeyIsland.us/events-calendar-schedule/.
Parks
Whidbey Island has numerous state and local parks, each with its unique characteristics and activities including hiking trails, beach-combing, bird watching, swimming, bike riding, etc. Just to name a few: Deception Pass State Park Fort Ebey State Park Fort Casey State Park Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens Kettles Trail Park South Whidbey State Park Bowman Bay (on nearby Fidalgo Island).
Grocery Stores
Some of the local Grocers include: Safeway, Haggen and Saars Food Market.