Something old, something new...Whidbey Island

By James

One of mine and Karen's all-time favorite places to go to is definitely Whidbey Island.  We usually end up going 2-3 times a year, at least, and it doesn't really matter what time of year it is.  In the fall, there is pumpkin picking and corn mazes; in the winter the beaches are desolate and windy, yet nice somehow; in early spring there is a mussel festival with lots of seafood to be enjoyed; and in the summer there is just nice weather, warm beaches, art festivals...the things to do at Whidbey are endless.

After changing our plans a couple of times for this past weekend to go to Yakima, Carnation and what feels like all points in between, Karen and I finally landed upon going to Whidbey Island (big surprise, right?).  We've always "planned" on going clam digging, but never got around to doing it.  This time around though, Karen found out that there was a clam digging class and we decided to go.  We were definitely glad we went to the class, despite the general reaction of, who needs a clam digging class, aren't the just stuck in the dirt?

We hopped on the ferry at Mukilteo and made it to the class a little late.  The instructor was a nice older gentleman named Eugene.  He had been doing it for 10 years and was ranting about the internet for a bit.  Simply put, he was awesome!  He gave us a run down on what to look for, how to open the clams, and which parts were used/cooked for what.

What to come prepared with...
- a good pair of shoes, shovels and buckets

- don't forget your shellfish licenses also, $14 for a day or $17 for a year, we went with the yearly  

As you can tell by the way we're dressed, it doesn't really matter what else you're wearing. Karen opted for the skirt and Run DMC tank. She's got her poka dot rubber boots, I found a reason to buy Crocs. Also, check the tide table to make sure it's low tide. It's really nice and picturesque during low tide.

After the class, we got to work. The beach we were at (Double Bluff) had butter clams, imagine a clam the size of your hand. We spent about 2 hours walking around and digging, we worked up a sweat for sure but it was well worth it. This hole gifted us with 21 clams for us! The things near my right foot are not rocks, those are the clams.

After hitting our quota, we headed north to Coupeville to start the food part of our adventure. This time of the year, Whidbey is definitely a nice drive. Certain parts of the road are surrounded by lavenders, just literally roll down your windows and enjoy the sweet breeze.  Last time we went to Whidbey Island in the spring, there was a mussel festival in Coupeville. We had some good mussels, but a lot of the vendors were sold out. So of course, we decided to fulfill our void from last time of mussels in curry from a local Thai restaurant.

It's a great little place, a house turned into a restaurant.  The owners came out and asked us how we wanted our mussels, in the shell or outside the shells.  They made sure to remind us also that these mussels were from the very nearby Penn Cove mussel farms.

Afterwards, we drove to one of our standard stops on Whidbey, Dugualla Bay Farms.  They always have u-pick produce year round and Whidbey Island Ice Cream.  Last fall, we came here to pick pumpkins.  We didn't get any ice cream this time, but we did get to pick some strawberries.

Last part of this story?  Sweet D's Shrimp Shack!  This is the standard of all standard stops for us.  Usually we come from up north and drive through Deception Pass and stop by Sweet D's on the way down south.  This time around, we drove from south to north, ferry first then through Deception Pass to Sweet D's.  We discovered this place three years back on our first trip to Whidbey in the spring and have been going here ever since.  It feels like every time we come here they have something new going on.  First they put in a new giant fridge room, then the temperature signage and now they have a giant smoker.  Dieder, the owner of Sweet D's was standing around his smoker.  He definitely looks like a man who's living the dream, just hanging out and chatting it up with all the customers.

I've never had anything bad here, but it's been well confirmed that the plain boiled shrimp is a must.  I'm not sure what they do with it, but it's delicious!  This time of year, you're going to get spotted shrimp since that's what's in season.  

Being full already, we attempted to order just a pound of shrimp.  The lady at the counter nonchalantly asked us if we were sure we wanted just a pound "cause I can eat a pound all by myself."  We had to explain to her that we had been eating all day but relented to a pound and a half, she seem decently satisfied with the updated order and finally gave it to us.

Overall, another awesome trip with Karen through Whidbey Island.  Always something to do here, and always something new to experience.  The next day, we shared our bountiful harvest with some friends and made clam chowder, clam strips and sashimi.  Sashimi was a bust, tasted way too much like the sea for me, but the chowder and strips were definite winners!