We spent our first full day on Whidbey Island in the company of good friends and that was just what we needed to help us forget the trials and tribulations of our stressful travel day from Bellingham.
We’ve known Dan and Sherrie for years, they were living across the cove from us when we moved to Pine Lake in 2000. We built our lake house a couple of years after they built their dream home, which means they had done all the research and we just copied them. We put in the same very cool tilt-and-turn doors and windows and used their interior designer to help choose our paint colors. Our house styles were completely different, but there were some similarities in the details.
A few years ago they built a gorgeous vacation home on Whidbey Island with views that go on forever. Positioned on a bluff overlooking the Puget Sound, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca directly ahead to the west, the Olympic Mountains to the south and the San Juan Islands to the north, the view was jaw-dropping. It was here that we spent much of our day, lounging on the terrace, enjoying good food and wine and lots of laughter.
Dan and Sherrie’s house on Whidbey Island. Linda and Sherrie out for a walk with the dogs
Dan and Sherrie’s beautiful home, featuring a spectacular kitchen with gorgeous views!
Dan and Steven enjoying the good life Hey Steven, can we fit this chair in Scoopy?
Earlier in the day, we went to Coupeville for the art festival and farmer’s market. Sadly, we discovered that the the farmers got the boot to make room for all the festival attendees, and there were about a billion of them roaming around the main street in Coupeville. We decided we needed nourishment before tackling the crowd and made our way to a local place called “Ciao”. Never mind that it was only 11:30 in the morning and the restaurant was not yet open for the day. We made ourselves comfortable at an outside table while Sherrie sweet talked the owner into supplying us with wine.
Art Fair and tall ship in Coupeville. No end to the entertainment here!
Linda shows off her new hat with Sherrie Color and sun by the water in Coupeville
Dan, the intrepid explorer and photographer enjoys the breathtaking views
Dan and Sherrie’s neighbors, Teresa and Steve, joined us for dinner. We all sat on the terrace, stuffing ourselves with seafood and bread and more wine. As the sun started to set, we wrapped ourselves in blankets to stay warm.
Teresa and Steve are in the market for an RV for a bit of snowbirding when the weather on Whidbey turns blustery. We all tried to convince Dan and Sherrie they need one, too. I can’t even wrap my head around how fun that would be!
Dan’s amazing seafood dish Steve and Teresa on the party deck
The sun sets on a wonderful day
Having just begun our fulltiming adventures, we will no doubt have many more perfect days. But you just can’t beat time spent with warm and welcoming friends.
UP NEXT: A boatload of worry about nuthin’
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That's a hell of a way to start your full time life, be prepared for some let down. 🙂
Looks idyllic!
you two know how to start this adventure off the right way! what a great way to spend the day!
Must be a spectacular place to watch the storms come in! One of the things we most look forward to is being able to visit with long-time friends all over the country without the pressure of airline schedules and hotel hopping – glad to see you're off to a great start! Wonderful photos – really like the many-colored kayaks 🙂
What a gorgeous view from your friends' home. And their house looks spectacular too. What a wonderful way to start your adventure.
Great photos, fun times. Looks like great fun.