![\"Ev-Muk-Whid](\"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Ev-Muk-Whid-road.jpg\")
<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWe\u2019re now\u00a0a bit further north of Seattle<\/a>\u00a0in the city of Everett<\/a> for a century ride that begins from Lakeside RV Park<\/a> to Mukilteo<\/a> and continues\u00a0with a ferry ride out to Whidbey Island for a 91 mile hilly\u00a0route that roughly goes in a counter clock-wise NW figure eight direction through the towns of Clinton, Langley, Freeland, Greenbank and Coupeville.<\/p>\n We exit the RV Park and take WA-99 to WA-525\/Mukilteo Speedway for the eight miles down to the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal<\/a>. The fare to Whidbey Island<\/a> is $4.65 (other discounts may apply if eligible) plus a $1 bicycle surcharge. Arrive 15-20 minutes before departure time to be\u00a0loaded prior to\u00a0the vehicle loading process. There are no bike racks; they can be\u00a0hooked on or strapped to the yellow side railings of the boat.\u00a0The ferry crossing to Clinton is an\u00a0enjoyable 20 minutes from Mukilteo.<\/p>\n From\u00a0the Clinton Ferry Dock, we take WA-525 to Bob Galbreath Rd; this road initially goes through the residential neighborhoods of Clinton<\/a> before winding out towards the dense wooded area on Wilkinson Rd. The rolling hills takes us pass the Comforts Farm and Vineyards and a cute little farm stand at Ryrose Ranch.<\/p>\n Sandy Point Rd leads us onto the Langley Loop on Camano Ave; this road takes us into the seaside town of Langley<\/a> pass the cool graphics at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. I also noticed lots of grazing bunnies roaming freely around the surrounding grassy areas and at the campground cross the street.<\/p>\n The Langley Loop continues on Cascade Ave; this short stretch of road runs along the top of the bluff with amazing views of Puget Sound. This tiny town\u00a0of less than 3\/4 of a mile square is filled with historic buildings that house the many different galleries, studios,\u00a0boutiques, B&B\u2019s, Inns, cafes and restaurants. Even in this small community of 950 people, there\u00a0are three different churches and a Alcoholics Anonymous!<\/p>\n Saratoga Rd leads us out of town to the \u201ccountry\u2019 with its open pastoral meadows, ranches and farms. The road\u00a0heads north up to the tip at Baby Island Heights along the hidden\u00a0backyards of the waterfront community.<\/p>\n We head south on East Harbor Rd; this quiet road goes through a huge section of dense forest with small residential neighborhoods hidden behind the woods. You see the occasional flower stand out on the side of the road along with grazing deer.<\/p>\n East Harbor Rd ends at the outskirts of another small community-Freeland.\u00a0Freeland<\/a> is the island\u2019s retail and financial center. We continue on S Stewart Rd to Freeland Park<\/a> for a quick pit stop. This park has a boat launch area with gorgeous views of Holmes Harbor! I even spot a bald eagle perched up on a tree-WOW!<\/p>\n The short steep climb up Shoreview Dr takes us across WA-525 to E Bush Point Rd; this road goes through the rural farmlands out towards the small residential areas\u00a0around Mutiny Bay. Smugglers Cove Rd is a\u00a0road that runs parallel to Bush Point and continues north through the lush forests to South Whidbey State Park<\/a>. This is a great shaded place to stop for a quick snack, water & restrooms. The rolling climbs on Smugglers Cove Rd continue pass Lagoon Point and weaves its way out to WA-525.<\/p>\n From\u00a0WA-525, we make a quick turn onto North Bluff Rd into the\u00a0smallest town on the island-Greenbank<\/a>. This town is situated on the narrowest\u00a0point of the island and is home to the historic Greenbank Farm<\/a>-a popular tourist destination. You simply can\u2019t miss the bright red barn-it stands out against the green agricultural fields!<\/p>\n We stay on North Bluff Rd for next rolling 3.8 miles\u00a0to the steep climb up Houston Rd and get back on WA-525 N to Race Rd. Race Rd runs along the east edge of the island\u00a0near Harrington Lagoon. Morris Rd turns west and opens up to the expansive meadows of Smith\u00a0Prairie.<\/p>\n Parker Rd leads us into the town of Coupeville<\/a>, on Penn Cove along the eastern shore of the island. Our lunch stop is at the Knead & Feed Bakery Restaurant<\/a> on Front St. There\u2019s a little sitting area next to the bakery with fabulous views of Penn Cove.<\/p>\n Coupeville is like a blast from the past with its beautiful Victorian homes and original blockhouses. The historic Front St has the usual mixes of antique shops, boutiques and restaurants. The Coupeville Wharf<\/a> is one of the only remaining original wharfs and wharf building in the Pacific Northwest-WOW! This is another popular tourist destination spot!<\/p>\n We exit Coupeville and head a bit further west along Madrona Way;\u00a0this beautiful madrona tree lined road hugs the shoreline of Penn Cove to Kennedys Lagoon. The 3.7 miles on WA-20 takes us back into Coupeville.<\/p>\n From\u00a0Coupeville, we turn onto S Engle Rd for the flat stretch through Ebbys Prairie; this rural area is a rich coastal farmland with fields and fields of barley, oats and organic grains. With views of Puget Sound in the far distance, the road drops down into Fort Casey State Park<\/a>, north of the Coupeville Ferry Terminal.<\/p>\n We continue on Fort Casey Rd up to the Crockett Blockhouse<\/a> and Crockett Farm with views of Crockett Lake.<\/p>\n W Wanamaker Rd cuts through the coastal farmlands and ranches near Crockett Lake out to WA-505.<\/p>\n This section of the route retraces itself on WA-525 to Houston Rd and North Bluff Rd back to Greenbank. We continue on WA-525 S to the rolling hills on Resort Rd and Honeymoon Bay Rd towards Holmes Harbor. We get back on WA-525 through the towns of Freeland and Bayview<\/a>.<\/p>\n The turn on Bayview Rd takes us through the small neighborhoods towards the southern point of the island near Cultus Bay. We weave our way along the shoreline on Ewing Rd, Sills Rd to Maxwelton with views of Useless Bay.<\/p>\n The steady climb up Swede Hill Rd takes us to the descent on Scatchet head Rd to Bailey Rd. We continue north on the rolling climbs up Cultus Bay Rd to Deer Lake Rd. The last few rollers on Deer Lake Rd take us back onto WA-525 into Clinton and to the Clinton Ferry Terminal.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a relaxing scenic 20 minute ferry ride\u00a0back to Mukilteo. The steady climb up Mukilteo Speedway\/WA-525 takes us to WA-99 and back to the RV Park in Everett.<\/p>\n Whidbey Island is the largest island in Puget Sound and only 29 miles away from Seattle. It\u2019s still very close but seems a far distance away in terms of old world feel-it\u2019s a wonderful getaway! It\u2019s a beautiful rural island with many small communities dotted and hidden amongst the verdant forests with plenty of history and charm! Here\u2019s another tidbit I learned from talking to a local, there are no mosquitoes and because the island is situated in the rain shadow of the Olympics, they have more sunshine than any other Western Washington location! It might be time to move! So go ahead, go\u00a0north and enjoy the quiet hilly country roads and gorgeous coastal rural landscapes that comes along with it! There are no bad roads, they\u2019re all well maintained with minimal\u00a0to no traffic except for the busy sections along\u00a0WA-525 and WA-20, even then, there\u2019s plenty of shoulder area to ride on.<\/p>\n Garmin Stats: Weather: FANTASTIC! Sunny, warm and\u00a0clear\u00a0with temps ranging from the low 50\u2019s to the low 80\u2019s. NNE winds with 94% humidity<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n107.23 Miles with 7776\u2032 of elevation gain
\n(includes 16 out\u00a0& back miles from Everett to Mukilteo)
\nMax elevation: 398\u2032
\nMax grade: 14%
\nTerrain: Hilly<\/p>\n