Freebies on Whidbey
Free? Such a fine idea. Whether because of benefactors, enlightened management, or simply because it is simpler, many things are free on Whidbey.
Buses
Thank you, Island Transit! Bus rides on Whidbey and Camano are free. Someone realized that the cost of putting cash boxes, providing security, and generally managing the system cost so much that it was easier and possibly cheaper to let folks ride for free. Free definitely makes life easier. There’s no need for folks to wait for someone else to search for exact change. It is easier for kids to ride. Generally, things are more congenial all around. A bonus: in the more rural sections, you can wave at the bus to get them to stop. They’ll also drop you off along the route, no bus stop required. An extra bonus: Island Transit also provides special customized services for paratransit or destinations that aren’t on normal routes. They even conduct special bus tours to hikes and dedicated events. There are so many options that you should call for details.
Libraries
Read all about it! Or listen, or watch, or talk about it. The libraries on the island are part of the Sno-Isle Library system, a collection of libraries in Snohomish (Sno) and Island (Isle) counties that joined to benefit from numbers as they try to provide services to their neighborhoods from the mountains to the islands. Library cards are free, which isn’t much of a surprise, but they also supply movies on DVD, a streaming service, meeting rooms, events, and a repository of local information. Check them out for printing, too. They can also provide professional researchers who know there’s more to research than ‘Googling it’. Don’t be surprised to see people and cars near the libraries, even after hours. Wi-fi is free and has been known to leak out beyond the walls. Don’t stress about that book you forgot to return, no fees! Just bring it on in.
Free Wi-Fi
The libraries are a nice entry to free wi-fi, but various establishments have turned some public areas into free wi-fi zones. Very handy if you’re trying to figure out where you are, how to get to where you want to go, and whether there’s food along the way. The good news is that such zones are growing, so keep checking for those signals.
Phone Booths
One business that offers free public wi-fi is Whidbey Tel, which also offers that increasingly rare service – phone booths. Mostly, if not exclusively, on the south end of the island are the old-style phone booths that still work. Local calls are free. How many phone numbers have you memorized? By the way, old-style goes all the way back to a phone with a dial on the wall, a handheld speaker on a cord, and a mouthpiece that’s basically a horn mounted to a wall. Check the foyer of the Cash Store in Bayview for that experience.
Parking
Free parking is not just a spot on a Monopoly board. Parking on the island is easy to take for granted, but a trip to The Big City on the mainland is a reminder that finding a place to safely get out of traffic can cost money. There are places where there’s a fee to be paid, like near the Clinton ferry, but even there the price per day gets close to the mainland’s price per hour.
Ferry
Riding the ferry for free? Yep, sort of. On most routes and most ways of traveling cost money to use the ferry. But, if you want to be a walk-on traveling from Clinton to Mukilteo, you won’t have to pay. There may be some message in the fact that you have to pay to get back onto the island, but at least the price is right for half the trip. Check it out here.
Parks
Parks, Whidbey’s got them. Some of the most popular parks on the island are free to use. County and state parks may require Discover Passes, but that’s for cars. Walk, bike, or bus your way to the local parks and enjoy a lot of nature and the outdoors for no charge. A few local organizations have also provided access to trails and such. Whidbey Camano Land Trust and Island County Parks & Trails offer dozens of sites to wander around.
Outdoor Art
From sidewalk sculptures to murals to sculpture gardens there is art about. Some sites request a donation, which is only appropriate, but Whidbey’s downtown streets host art that is worthy of galleries and museums, and may be for sale. Artists appreciate the interest, the compliments, and the business. Price Sculpture Garden proves that the art doesn’t have to be in town. Oak Harbor Main Street, Langley Main Street, and the Sculpture Forest are just a couple of great sites to check out if your looking to enjoy outdoor art.
Performances
Listen for them. Several times a year, there are music and dance festivals in the streets and in the parks. Watch the signs and find there are free indoor performances, too. If not free, they may be ‘pay-what-you-can’, and they mean it. World-class performers live here. Be thankful and applaud them, as appropriate. Windermere is a proud sponsor of the 4 free community concerts held in Windjammer Park every August as a bit of a pre-game to the full meal deal 3 day free Oak Harbor Music Festival!
Nature
Nature isn’t only in the parks. Nature is everywhere; we just happen to put some buildings and roads on top of it. Birders know there are constantly shifting visitors to watch. Whales come closer to shore than boats can legally do. One ferry worker got on the intercom to point out that the boat was slowing for whale traffic, which was a sight that would cost a lot of money from a whale-watching boat. Wander the public beaches and be a beachcomber. The beaches aren’t just sand. There are agates underfoot, and occasionally bigger items like mammoth bones and fossils.
Boats
Boats aren’t free, but find the right spot and launch your kayak from the beach and explore.
Swimming
Check out our article about the swimming options here. Got a wetsuit? Swimming in the ocean takes some care, but there’s no pay booth, either.
Sports
Basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, frisbee golf, pickle ball the list goes on of sports at the parks. Fortunately, the outdoor ones are easiest to spot. Play nice. And play!
Senior and Youth Centers
Seniors and youth have organizations supporting them with entertainment, but also support for the basics of getting through life. It isn’t always easy to find food and shelter. Advice about those essentials as well as job searches, Medicare information, and technologies, are available. There’s more. Ask. They may have what you need. A couple f great resources here on Whidbey are The Boys and Girls Club, The Hub After School, and Senior Resources.
Food
Food banks can be essential, or at least handy. Fortunately, Whidbey’s rural nature means the choices have been known to include fresh produce and fish. A meal made from food bank food can be better than what’s served in some restaurants, and is easier to fit your dietary needs. Dropping by in season can also mean picking from the local gleaners who pick fresh fruit from peoples’ yards who provided access to fruit trees. North Whidbey Help House, Gifts From The Heart Food Bank, and Good Cheer are a few here on Whidbey.
Volunteering
For almost every topic, there are opportunities to help by showing up. Being a part connects you to resources that may not be obvious otherwise. Who knows? In addition to finding free stuff, you might actually be asked to help and get paid to do it!
That is not all. There’s help with maintaining a home (Habitat for Humanity, Hearts & Hammers). Raising a family is hard, but it is made easier by Mother Mentors. Starting a business has many avenues (EDC, SBA, etc.). One reason for Whidbey’s long list of freebies is because Whidbey residents care, knowing that sometimes the best things are free, and know how to have a good time. The more the merrier – and if you can, chip in a bit. A little can help a lot.
Often times local events are free to attend. Keep an eye out for local events happening on Whidbey here.
Swimming With And Without A Pool
It is summer, time to jump in the pool! How better to cool off? Autumn? Sure. Get a few laps in before winter. Winter? Soak up some of that warm water from a heated pool. Spring? Summer’s just around the corner, time to get in shape. Swimming pools on Whidbey? It makes more sense the more you think about it. Whidbey is an island, surrounded by water. Don’t ignore it. Jump into it. Safely, of course.
Whidbey Looks A Little Different:
Fly over some neighborhoods in the US and see blue splotches covering backyards with open-air pools scattered among the houses. A few outdoor pools exist on Whidbey, but they’re rarer. Maybe that has something to do with trees and their needles or leaves. Rain doesn’t bother swimmers. And, lightning is rare here.
The most obvious pools may be the ones you hear about but can’t see while driving around. Many pools are indoors, like the one off Midway in Oak Harbor. The Navy base has at least one. Year-round swimming happens.
Visitors may relax in pools if their hotel has one.
Pools on Whidbey:
Between the two extremes of municipal and individual pools are the neighborhood ones. Several neighborhoods come equipped with large pools. Indoor ones may be year-round. Outdoor ones may be more seasonal. If you’re not a resident of that neighborhood, see if you can buy a membership, like at a country club; or, maybe you can buy a recreational lot that is hard to build on, but that grants you amenities.
Each pool has their differences.
- John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool in Oak Harbor is a public aquatic center offering lap swimming, lessons, water aerobics, and recreational swim sessions.
- Island Athletic Club in Freeland is also a fitness club with an indoor pool, sauna, and aqua fitness classes for members.
- Useless Bay Golf & Country Club in Langley is a private country club with an outdoor pool, tennis courts, and golf course for members.
- Admiral’s Cove Pool in Coupeville is a private community pool with a picturesque view of Penn Cove and access for residents that also offers public swimming lessons in the summer.
- Bon Air heated community pool in Coupeville is a private outdoor community pool.
- Scatchet Head in Clinton is a private community pool that is covered and has a view straight south down Puget Sound.
- Sandy Hook Yacht Club Estates is a seasonal outdoor community pool near a marina in Clinton.
John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool | Oak Harbor | public | indoor | classes, aerobics |
Admiral’s Cove | Coupeville | neighborhood | outdoor | |
Bon Air | Coupeville | neighborhood | outdoor | |
Island Athletic Club | Freeland | club | indoor | classes, sauna |
Useless Bay Golf & Country Club | Langley | club | outdoor | golf, tennis, dining |
Scatchet Head | Clinton | neighborhood | indoor | |
Sandy Hook Yacht Club Estates | Clinton | neighborhood | outdoor | marina |
Personal Pools:
And yes, some houses have outdoor pools, but some have indoor pools. Some even have pools that can be indoor or outdoor depending on whether they roll back a wall.
If you really want that luxury (or necessity for some) of having a pool at your place, talk to the County about building one. Be prepared for permits and lots of rules. Or, find a house for sale that already has one and buy it, the house, that is. If you aren’t already working with an agent and need one to help you search connect with us here.
In Addition to Pools:
Keep in mind though that when talking about swimming you may find people who skip the pools and use nature’s waters. Lakes get you the fresh water experience, without having to worry about tides. Or, use the waters that define the island’s borders, Puget Sound, the Salish Sea, our bit of the Pacific Ocean. A hint, though, find other swimmers and officials who know the currents, depths, restricted areas, and boat traffic issues. And make sure you’ve got the gear and dry clothes for our perpetually cold waters (~50F).
You may not see swimming opportunities until you look for them, but an island in a temperate part of the world can provide plenty of opportunities and options to swim for fun or exercise or both.
If this article got you thinking about moving to a community with a pool or about buying a home with a pool consider reaching out to your agent today to start the discussion. If you are not currently working with an agent and would like to be paired with a trusted realtor connect with us here so that we can get your questions answered.