Sunday, October 6, 2019

Whidbey Island RV Adventure: Deception Pass State Park


Reading and relaxing in the sun.
Wayne and I got our Forest River Sunseeker RV out of Gotcha Covered (our Bellingham storage location) and headed south to Whidbey Island for a new RV adventure.

It's nice having our RV all set up, ready to go at a moment's notice. All we needed to do was state the fridge and stop at Safeway to pick up fresh food for our five day, four night excursion.

To be ready for our adventure, I made reservations for two nights at Deception Pass State Park. We wanted hookups (power is available all year and water during the warmer months) so we selected Site #39 in the Forest Loop of the Cranberry Lake Campground.

For tent or dry camping, there are spots in the Lower Loop and two other park campgrounds, Bowman and Quarry Pond.

We arrived too early to go to our site, so we went to the nearby West Beach day use area to hang out in the warm sunshine.

Uncrowded West Beach on an October day.

If you aren't a registered camper, you can purchase a day use Discover Pass for $10 or an annual pass (the best deal) good at all Washington State Parks for $30.

Shore flowers and lots of driftwood.

State, county and national parks are a nice change from traditional RV parks. Many have hookups, but the setting is more natural. Site #39 was a drive through yet it had lots of privacy because of the surrounding fir, hemlock and cedar trees.

Site #39 in the Forest Loop.

Just walking around our site I found lots of interesting things to photograph.

Natural beauty in a popular Washington State Park.

The next day we walked to Cranberry Lake.


We watched fighters and submarine chaser aircraft from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island taking off and landing. This was just a hint of what was to come for the second part of our Whidbey Island RV Adventure.


Deception Pass State Park is very popular (and crowded) during the summer months, but during the shoulder season it's a perfect place to stay. -- Margy

28 comments :

  1. Oh Margy, what fun you all are having. I like Whidbey Island and my Mother lived at Langley for many years. It was always fun visiting her and going to the beach. Try Double Bluff---fun!
    MB

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    1. Thanks for the tip, I'll look up Double Bluff. For years I took Mom out to the base to get her pills. She loved getting them free at the base hospital. I guess growing up through the depression made free an even more important concept. - Margy

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  2. The tranquility of this place is beautifully shown in you photos. It must have been wonderful! Thank you!

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    1. I am sure it was way more tranquil than in summer when every site was full and parking spot at the beach taken up. Being able to travel in the shoulder season is so great now that we are retired. - Margy

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  3. What a great event. We don't do camping, what with health issues. I'm happy to enjoy yours! Cheers from Ontario!

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    1. "Camping" this way is so much easier than using a tent though. - Margy

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  4. Hello Margy, the camping trip sounds like fun. This is a beautiful park, it one that hubby and I enjoyed a few years ago. The planes sound very loud flying around the park. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!

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    1. It is so close to us it is amazing this is the first camping trip there in fourteen years. I guess going to places in your own back yard sometimes take longer. - Margy

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  5. ...beautiful sights, it's raining her in the mountains, I hope that it will stop!

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    1. It's raining here as well today. I hope it adds to the snow pack for next summer. - Margy

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  6. How wonderful to have your camper ready for adventure any time you want! I know you live in a gorgeous part of the country too and this is a beautiful time of year to camp! Enjoy your week!

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    1. In addition to a great trip, it was a great way to make sure things were ready for our big trip to Southern California next month. - Margy

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    1. We aren't that far south of Powell River. It only seems that way when you have to wait in the ferry lineups heading south. - Margy

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  8. Margy - so glad to have you back at Mosaic Monday! Ahhh, the shoulder seasons - the ones adored by locals everywhere. Lovely shots of the beach and the forest. How interesting to be in such a location and yet be able to observe military craft in action. I look forward to "the rest of the story".

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    1. I've been city-bound for a while so getting content is always an issue when that happens. - Margy

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  9. It looks nice. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. It was even better than we expected. I can see why it is such a popular Washington State Park. - Margy

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  10. Fabulous photos! Sounds like a fun trip.

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    1. Thanks. I've found my phone actually takes better pictures than my camera, and it is so handy to carry around in my pocket. - Margy

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  11. Thank you for sharing your adventure. Anywhere up that way is a favorite place for us! We have camped at the state park there in the past. Great that you have added a motorhome to your fleet of adventure craft/vehicles!

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    1. We have downsized by selling the plane but gone back up with the new RV. At least we can use the RV during bad weather, which does happen a lot here in the northwest. - Margy

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  12. That looks like a wonderful camping trip.

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    1. I still have a hard time calling it camping, but yes, it is a wonderful way to travel. - Margy

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  13. How fun! You and your husband have such cool adventures, Margy.

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  14. Looks like a fabulous place for a getaway, and so good to have your RV ready set up to go. Happy travels and thankyou for stopping by my blog this week.

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    1. We are planning to take it south so we don't have to winterize it and park it for the winter. Our first stop will be Southern California where we used to live. - Margy

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Thanks for stopping by. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome. - Margy