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Summer Time Sweet Treats
Summer Time Sweet Treats
What do you do to keep cool in these hot summer months? One of our favorite things is to head out for a cold and sweet treat! Thankfully, Whidbey is home to some amazing places for just that!
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KAPAWS Iskreme – 21 Front St NE, Coupeville
One of Whidbey Island’s best-kept secrets, KAPAWS is a favorite stop for some amazing ice cream and quaint small-town atmosphere. We highly recommend grabbing one of their fresh waffle cones that you can smell a mile away. The best part is their $1 kid cones – for kids only! Open 7 days a week from 11 am to 5:30 pm, KAPAWS offers friendly service, generous portions, and reasonable prices that won’t disappoint!
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Ciao – 701 Main St N, Coupeville
You may be surprised to learn that Ciao isn’t just about the amazing pizza. Every day, gelato is made in-house from a recipe created in the 1700’s! Made from milk rather than cream gelato sports a velvety texture that will make your taste buds dance. Stop by Monday through Saturday 11am-8pm to try out one of their many flavors. We especially love their Affogato, which is gelato floated in espresso! Yum!
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K&R Farms “The Stand” – 36699 SR 20, Oak Harbor
If you’ve ever driven toward Anacortes, you probably noticed the farm stand on highway 20. K&R Farm’s “The Stand” is a favorite stop for local produce, fresh beef, ice cream, and many other tasty delights. Recently, The Stand started serving Hawaiian shaved Ice and it has been a big hit! Hawaiian shaved ice differs from your run of the mill snow cone because of the soft snow-like texture that absorbs all the flavor of the syrup and makes for a refreshing treat! You can visit the stand 7 days a week from 11 am to 6 pm.
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Toppins – 32650 SR 20 A101, Oak Harbor
“Frozen yogurt your way” is our favorite way to describe Toppins. With 12 different frozen yogurt flavors and 80+ topping choices, all self-serve, you can create your own dessert masterpiece. What’s even better is that it doesn’t stop there! Toppins also offer’s floats made with your frozen yogurt flavor choice. We really enjoy their pineapple float with its refreshing flavor that is perfect for summer. You can stop by for your cool off treat from 11 am to 10 pm Monday through Saturday and 11 am to 9 pm on Sunday.
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Café de Lisio – 957 Ault Field Rd, Oak Harbor
It may be easy to miss, but Café de Lisio is famous locally! Their “mile-long” menu of creative combinations for all their delicious coffee drinks may be overwhelming so just tell the barista what you’re after and they can suggest one for you. Everything can be done icy cold and kid friendly! Our favorite cold menu item is the Attitude Adjuster, and trust us, you will not be disappointed. The café and drive through are open from 5am-6pm Monday through Friday and 6am-5pm Saturday and Sunday for your convenience.
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Upick Berries
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Upick Berries
UPick Berries
There is nothing that will make you appreciate delicious berries more than the sweat and work that goes into picking them. Working for those juicy goodies will only make them taste even better, and that’s why we love the opportunity to visit local farms for their U-Pick berry events. There are several farms on Whidbey Island that give you the chance to take the family and pick your own strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries!
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Bell’s Farms: 892 West Beach Rd, Coupeville.
Bell’s Farms is practically famous on Whidbey Island for their plump and juicy strawberries. They host the annual Strawberry Daze Festival where you can not only pick strawberries, but also enjoy a glass of strawberry lemonade and other delicious strawberry treats while you are there. Bring the kids they have a petting zoo and fun activities too! UPick strawberry season can vary so follow their Facebook page for real time updates. https://www.facebook.com/Bells-Farm-164501900234634/
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Bonnie’s Blueberries: 4414 N Jones Rd, Oak Harbor.
Boasting of 75+ year old blueberry bushes, Bonnie’s Blueberries is the perfect place to pick your own fresh Rubels, Atlantic, and Jersey blueberries. This small, mother and son run business is a favorite in Oak Harbor due to their welcoming personalities and of course the delicious blueberries! Their blueberry season typically runs somewhere around July 1st through September 31st, however the blueberry crop is totally dependent on mother nature. For updates on Blueberries and when they will be ready, call 360-679-3600. If you just can’t’ wait that long Bonnie’s Blueberries offers frozen berries year-round, just call to place your order!
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Hunter’s Moon Farm: 935 Bunch Lane, Oak Harbor.
Hunter’s Moon Farm, a certified organic blueberry farm, provides the chance to pick a variety of late season blueberries. The farm is open Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10-4pm and the blueberry season is expected to begin the end of July and run through the middle of September. To stay up to date on their season and other happenings around the farm, you can sign up for their mailing list here: http://huntersmoonorganics.com/ . Hunter’s Moon is also known for their blueberry honey, snack bars, syrup, and jam which you can grab while you are there for your blueberry picking adventure! You can also follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Hunters-Moon-Farm-764648210260935/
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Crescent Harbor Blueberry Farm: 2726 Laurel Lane, Oak Harbor.
If you’re looking for more of a “private” blueberry picking experience. Crescent Harbor Blueberry Farm is the place to go, and they don’t stop at blueberries! This small, family farm also offers raspberries, Marion berries, tayberries, and boysenberries. U-Pick berries at Crescent Harbor are available by appointment only. To make your appointment and get updates on the crop availability, give them a call at 360-679-4210.
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K&R Farms The Stand: 36699 SR 20, Oak Harbor.
Previously known as Dugualla Bay Farm, K&R Farm “The Stand” is making its presence known in Oak Harbor. Stop by for a U-pick strawberry and raspberry experience, then reward your hard work with a hearty serving of ice cream! The Stand has not released their U-Pick days just yet, so you will want to follow their Facebook page for updates on their crop, and hours of operation as it changes from week to week. https://www.facebook.com/KandRFarmsLLC/
Map of UPick Berry Farms:
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Whidbey Island Pop-up Flower Stands
Summer Programs For Kids
From Their Farm to Your Table
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Skagit Day Trip
Skagit Day Trip
Finally, after what has seemed like the never-ending winter, spring has made an appearance! The sun is shining, the air is cool and crisp, birds are singing, and we are eagerly waiting for the first opportunity to get out and explore. If you haven’t started planning already, we have a great day trip already planned for you in Skagit County! Skagit is packed with great shops, restaurants, and places to explore, and here are a few of our favorite spring-time activities.
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Tweets Café- Bow Edison, WA
What’s a day trip without filling up on a great breakfast or brunch to fuel you for a day packed with activity? Don’t let this little establishment fool you, Tweets is known for a breakfast and lunch menu filled with flavor that seems too big to fit into such a small space. Serving an array of seasonal dishes, Tweets uses local and organic ingredients to give them a unique and special touch. As soon as you walk in the door
you will feel like family. The owners have created a light and comfortable atmosphere as they welcome you inside and make you feel like you’ve known them forever.
Something that makes Tweets Café so charming is that they are only open Friday through Sunday from 9am-4pm. So, since you can’t just head over whenever, it makes it an extra special weekend treat. (Think of it like visiting your grandma on the weekend and so looking forward to those giant cookies she always bakes!) You will leave feeling full of delicious food, energized for your next adventure, and excited for the next weekend visit! Tweets Café only accepts cash, so make sure you drop by an ATM before heading that way!
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Skagit Valley Tulip Festival- Mt. Vernon, WA
If you’ve been in the area for any length of time, you are sure to have heard of the Tulip Festival. April 1-30th people will travel from all over to experience the sea of color made up by thousands of tulips. When visiting the festival, you will find every type of tulip you can imagine, and the sight of it is truly breathtaking. For an up-close experience, you will want to pay a visit to Tulip Town or RoozenGaarde. Maybe even both, as they both offer a completely different experience.
Tulip Town features huge fields with tulips as far as you can see, enormous and colorful kites flying, as well as their infamous windmill. After you’ve wandered the tulip fields and absorbed all its beauty you can make you way into the barn where you will find information on the different types of tulips, artwork by local artists, and fresh stems and bulbs for sale. Tulip Town is open from 9-5pm, 7 days a week for your enjoyment!
RoozenGaarde also gives you the experience of the tulip fields, but their specialty is the landscaped gardens you will stroll through. Every year, the gardens are landscaped differently, and hundreds of species of tulips are featured. You will find some different shops where you can purchase tulip bulbs, fresh cut stems, local artwork, concessions, and different types of souvenirs to commemorate your visit. RoozenGaarde is open 7 days a week throughout the festival from 9-7pm.
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Nasty Jacks Antiques- LaConner, WA
A dose of nostalgia is the best way to describe Nasty Jacks Antiques. Here you will find coin operated rides, a Zoltar machine, reproduced vintage signs, furniture, toys and so much more. There really is “something for everyone”! You can spend hours sorting through their huge, and constantly growing inventory. In fact, Nasty Jacks is home to one of the largest inventories of collectable LIFE and Saturday Evening Post magazines you’ve ever seen.
Being one of the largest antique stores in the region it is nice to know that Nasty Jacks is still owned and operated by the original founding family who will share with you the story of Nasty Jack and how the name came to be. (You must be curious by now!) The friendly service, and the original family is one the biggest things that make Nasty Jacks so charming and fun to visit. Take your time to really dig in and find that one item that speaks to you. A visit to Nasty Jacks will have you driving home and sharing all your childhood memories with your lucky passengers.
These are just a few of the places you can check out in Skagit, as there are so many great places to check out. What are some of your favorite places to visit this time of year?
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From Their Farm to Your Table
From Their Farm to Your Table
Just like most things nostalgic, many of us can recall our parents or grandparents growing something tasty in a small veggie garden. Remember those little cherry tomatoes that grow and develop into vibrant, juicy, delectable, red balls of happiness that burst in your mouth and send a tingle all the way down to your toes. If you have not been lucky enough to experience this taste and feeling you need to put that on your to do list this summer!
There is just something extra yummy about fresh out of the ground, sun-warmed produce.
You may be a little challenged in the gardening department or more likely just too busy to tend a garden. You may be wishing you could grow your own fresh produce instead of digging through bins at the store for an acceptable looking vegetable from halfway across the world.
If this is you, a farm share may be the perfect solution and an experience that every Whidbey resident should have at least once!
Wait a minute, what on earth is a farm share? (Don’t worry, many say the same thing when they first learned about them!)
A farm share allows you to purchase a weekly “share” from a local farm’s crop. We are so lucky here on Whidbey to have agriculture and amazing produce farms just minutes away.
Check it out! Some things you should know about how important and special farm shares are…
#1 Eating seasonally tastes better! When you purchase fresh-grown produce, you are receiving crops that change with seasons. Unlike the grocery store, where everything is available most of the year, farm shares are providing you with produce that grows and ripens at different times of the year. Naturally ripened food that doesn’t have to travel far tastes different, better…
#2 Get creative & adventurous in the kitchen! With trying new produce comes trying new recipes, experimenting with your new-found veggies, and learning how to cook with the seasons. This is an excellent chance to experience produce you have never tried or may have never heard of before. You may end up with things like arugula, green garlic, beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, chard, pears, apples, strawberries… the list goes on and on!
#3 Support the rural/agricultural feel of Whidbey by supporting our local farmers! By participating in a farm share, you are not only enjoying fresh produce each week, you are supporting a local farmer and the local economy. Farms shares cut out the middle man. Instead of being sent off for packaging and delivery, produce is harvested and put together in a box, basket, or bag for you to take home and enjoy. By paying for your share upfront, the farmer can use that money to purchase seeds, bulbs, and other necessities to keep their farm running, and provide you with high quality produce. Another bonus: knowing how much crop they need helps farmers plan better for the growing season, resulting in less waste!
So, where on Whidbey Island can you participate in a farm share? Several farms in Coupeville, Freeland, Langley, and Clinton participate in Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSA). The growing season typically runs the end of March through November/September, and prices range from $200-$800 a growing season, depending on how large of a selection you want each week. Some of these farms offer fresh eggs, poultry, and pork as well. Each farm has a different process for sign up, payment, and pick up so be sure to check out their website to find out how you can get involved in your very own farm share.
Prairie Bottom Farm- Coupeville
Wilbur & Julieanna Purdue
http://www.prairiebottomfarm.com/csa/
Rosehip Farm & Garden- Coupeville
Linda Bartlett & Valerie Reuther
http://rosehipfarmandgarden.com/data/csa.html
Deep Harvest Farm- Freeland
Annie Jesperson & Nathaniel Talbot
https://deepharvestfarm.com/csa/
12 Birches Farm- Langley
Anna Petersons
https://deepharvestfarm.com/csa/
Ebb Tide Produce- Langley
Blake & Bobbie Mennella
Jack Baars, Whitney Heitzman
https://www.ebbtideproduce.com/services
Full Cycle Farm- Langley
Britt & Eric Conn
http://www.fullcyclefarm.com/food.html
SkyRoot Farm- Clinton
Beth Wheat & Arwen Norman
http://www.skyrootfarm.com/community-supprted-agriculture/
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The Salty Mug
Looking for that extra special coffee?
You cannot beat this specialty salted caramel coffee drink, named “The Salty Mug” from… well The Salty Mug.
Take a stroll down the Coupeville Wharf and you will come upon a beautiful red barn nestled by the waves at the end. Inside you will find a gift shop, a restaurant and The Salty Mug coffee shop. Don’t forget to look up and see Rosie the Gray whale while inside as well as the Handsome Samson & Rudy!
Towards the back of the building you will discover a small entrance to a quaint coffee shop, The Salty Mug. Inside you will notice art hanging on the walls featuring local artists, fresh baked goodies lining the counters and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. There is cozy seating inside with glorious views out the windows looking across Penn Cove allowing you to enjoy the view even on the chilly days.
Ask owner David Howell (pictured) and his wife Pat what their suggested drink is and they will say, “the salty mug of course” they are not kidding. OH MY GOODNESS it is so good you will not want to try anything else.
Finally, escape from reality as you venture out the side doors onto their beautiful patio. It is here you get to see some of the most beautiful views on the island. Why not sit awhile and smell the crisp sea breeze and listen to the local wildlife splash in the water. Did I mention the view? Seriously, what is better than a warm cup of coffee while looking at the majestic snow capped mountains across the ocean?
For more about The Salty Mug click here.
Video on the History of the Coupeville Wharf:
Keep a watch out for other blogs:
Harbor Gift N’Kayak Rental
The cove Café
National Pie Day
Did you know that the first pie recipe was published during the Roman Empire? Earlier pies were mainly meat pies and later on, during the 12th century in England, they evolved into a more modern pie resemblance.
These days we enjoy pies all over the world, and it is a staple dessert in America.
Today, January 23rd 2018, is National Pie Day and I decided to get my pie fix at Greenbank Farm.
I went to Whidbey Pie Cafe’, and let me tell you….this place is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! If you’ve never been, now is the time to change that. From delicious coffee, sandwiches and soups, to pie galore you find a little bit of everything at Whidbey Pie Cafe. Local produce is used, along with coconut oil, fruits and berries from the Pacific Northwest.
Every holiday is an excuse for me to go ahead and order a pie from this local business. For you berry lovers, the marionberry pie is a must try! The caramel apple pie…. Oh My!
By: Simona Groves
For more blogs by Simona Groves Click Here.
Local Date Night Spots
You’ve probably seen it, the Valentine’s décor and candy lining the shelves at just about every retail establishment you visit. This could only mean one thing… Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!
With this year’s love holiday fast approaching, you may be thinking of the perfect place to take your sweetheart. Well, look no further! We are going to highlight over the next few days, two of our favorite local places Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Anacortes.
Oak Harbor #1 – Frasers Gourmet Hideaway
Beloved by many, Frasers is a favorite in Oak Harbor. In fact, the Oak Harbor Ukaladies even recommend stopping by “Frasers for Crème Brule” in their video, “Oak Harbor Love Song”. (Link: https://vimeo.com/200834285 ). Frasers is known for their gourmet dining experience and superior menu options that range from seafood to chicken and waffles. The menu at Frasers changes with the seasons to take advantage of fresh local ingredients, giving you a wide variety of options to choose from. After you’ve indulged on your unique dish, don’t forget to grab some dessert! The Crème Brule perhaps?
Oak Harbor #2 – Blue Fox Drive-In
Another Oak Harbor favorite, the Blue Fox Drive-in never disappoints! Cozy up with some blankets and pillows in your car, and feel like a teenager again sneaking in some kisses during the film. The snack bar is loaded with all your favorite comfort foods, candy, and of course popcorn smothered with buttery goodness! If you really want to bring out your inner child, win some prizes at the arcade while you wait for the movie to begin, or take a ride on the go carts (only open in Spring/Summer). The Drive in is a timeless activity that is fun for all!
Coupeville #1 – Christopher’s on Whidbey
Located in Coupeville, Christopher’s is the perfect place if you’re looking for a casual dining spot, with the experience of a high-end restaurant. Exclusively on Valentine’s day, Christopher’s is serving a special “Valentine’s dinner for two”. You will enjoy a 4-course meal that is thoughtfully prepared by Master Chef, Andreas Wurzrainer. Chef Andreas is known for preparing meals at 4-star restaurants in Europe, aboard luxury expedition ships, and at the Olympic Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle. With his expertise and talents in the kitchen, your taste buds are sure to be delighted! Make a reservation soon because the intimate dining room fills up fast.
Coupeville #2 – Ciao
Maybe a fancy meal just isn’t your style… If that’s the case, check out Ciao in Coupeville! Ciao is known for their fresh Neapolitan (Link to site: http://ciaocoupeville.com/tradition/ ) pizza “made the old fashioned way”, and creamy Gelato with flavors changing through the seasons. Ciao is a real treasure of Whidbey Island, making it an excellent place to take that special someone. To hear from the owner himself about what makes Ciao unique check out this video (link to Simona’s Ciao video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7o-bEZIa_0 )
Anacortes #1 – Ciao Bella
Another Italian gem, Ciao Bella in Anacortes is small but offers a superb dining experience! With candles on the table, soft lighting, and pasta on the menu (Lady and the Tramp anyone?), you couldn’t ask for a more romantic setting. Ciao Bella serves a variety of authentic Italian dishes, made fresh and in house daily, as well Italian beers, making it feel like a real Italian get-a-way!
Anacortes #2 – Dad’s Diner
Who says a great date can only happen at dinner time? Try out a brunch date at Dad’s Diner in Anacortes! Dad’s Diner will make you feel right at home with the inviting atmosphere and friendly service. Known for their exceptional breakfast and house made smoked meats, Dad’s Diner continues to be a favorite among locals and tourists alike. Dad’s Diner gives you a cozy diner setting complete with chalkboard menus, seat yourself service, and food that has enormous flavor! Dad’s Diner is great for a casual and relaxed date, without missing out on an exceptional dining experience.
Whidbey is packed with local treasures. You really don’t have to go far to find a place that will make your Valentine’s Day extra special!
