This picture of our local lighthouse was taken on a day in December. Another December. This month has been dark and dreary which is a good time to choose a walk in a place where you can get indoors if the day grows wetter and the wind grows colder. The Admiralty Head Lighthouse is a fine place to come in for a few minutes and study the displays, visit with the volunteers or shop for gifts or souvenirs. The lighthouse will be open from 11am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays this month and all week between Christmas and New Years. Then it will close for renovations for 8 months! There's a good selection of books, cards, mugs, toys, shirts and hats. Your purchases at the gift shop supports Lighthouse Environmental Programs. Before you go, climb the tower and count that as elevation gain. When the clouds part and the wind dies down, step out to continue your walk down to the fort with wide open views across the water to Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula. If you brought binoculars you can see Fort Worden and Fort Flagler that, together with Fort Casey, formed a triangular defense system to protect this gateway to Puget Sound back around 1900. The Fort will protect you from the winter wind and if the rain returns you can duck into the gun emplacements and read interpretive signs that tell the story of this fascinating place. Bring a flashlight to peer into the deep underground bunkers and test your singing voice. Or whisper into the speaking tubes that connect the gun decks above with the ammo storage rooms below. Climb the steep stairs and work your way around to the plotting rooms on top of the hill. Or, if you prefer, you may take the trail to the bluff or the beach and skirt the fort altogether. You could track the ferry, do some bird watching or maybe even see some marine mammals. If the tide is out you could walk east to the campground and then climb the hill up the winding road. When you reach the top, turn right and then left to enter the picnic area with views of Crockett Lake and Keystone Spit to the east. In the far corner is a glacial erratic covered in licorice fern. There's a trail that leads from the end of the picnic area through the woods and back to the lighthouse to complete your loop. This is a great place to explore with the extended family over the holidays. You'll need your Discover Pass if you drive, or you can purchase a day pass in the parking areas. Or take Island Transit right to the park entrance. Don't let a little winter weather keep you from a fun day of exploring. Directions:
Take Highway 20 to Coupeville and follow the signs to the Coupeville Ferry. Fort Casey State Park is just west of the ferry terminal. Bring your Discover Pass if you drive, or purchase a day pass in the parking area. Or take Island Transit Route 6 on weekdays or Route 1 on Saturdays. Call 360-678-7771 for assistance or check the bus schedule online: www.islandtransit.org/ Comments are closed.
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Maribeth Crandell has been a hiking guide in the Pacific NW for over 20 years. She's lived on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island for decades. As a frequent bus rider she easily makes connections between trails and transit. Archives by date
April 2024
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