Summer is coming, and one of the things that comes with summer is vacation in all its forms.  Whether you call it vacation, holiday, break, or retreat, it’s a great time to dust off your daily routine and exercise your sense of tourism.  Take off to that place you always wanted to go to, attend that annual festival you never miss, visit those friends and relations you’ve been meaning to spend some time with, or escape to that quiet out-of-the-way place you’ve heard about.  Take a book, and get a souvenir — or better yet, buy a book as a souvenir!

Here on Whidbey Island we know tourism — at a certain point in spring it turns on like a fire hose!  Suddenly we go from being a rural island to having people EVERYWHERE!  We appreciate that you want to come to this somewhat out-of-the-way rock of ours — we are off the beaten-path, so it’s flattering that you thought to come here and visit little-ol’-us.  With any luck, about now you might be asking yourself, “Well, if I visited Whidbey Island, what would I do — where would I go, what would I see???”

Whidbey Island has plenty to offer in the way of tourism — various farmers markets, Deception Pass and its historic bridge, car shows, historic Fort Casey State Park and its light house, the Island County Fair, the Oak Harbor Music Festival — and that’s just to name a few!  We also have historic towns that will carry you back to the Victorian Era — be sure to visit them — Langley and especially Coupeville.

Of course, I’m biased — I’m going to tell you that if you are visiting Whidbey Island to go drop by one of the shops carrying my book.  Frankly though, that’s not just a plug for my book — I’m suggesting these shops because they’re in great locations that I believe you will enjoy, and these shops are are operated by delightful people.

If you take the ferry from Mukilteo to get on the island at the south end in Clinton, just go a little ways up Highway 525 and you’ll see Goose Grocery on the right in Bayview.

A curvy-road-ways after Highway 525 turns into Highway 20, you’ll come to an intersection with a foot-bridge crosswalk, a gas station, and our hospital.  Turn north to visit historic Coupeville and find The Kingfisher Bookstore located overlooking Penn Cove on Front Street.  They have a local-authors table that includes my book.  Ask for Meg or Brad and tell them I sent you.
(Read my recent blog post about Kingfisher Bookstore.)

I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE …

Last and certainly not least … As of Today I am once-again doing business with The 3 Sisters Farm Market, located at 779 N Holbrook Rd, Coupeville, WA 98239 — that’s on the north side of Penn Cove on the south side of Highway 20 — red building, you can’t miss it.  Visit the 3 Sisters Market — their farm is the biggest producer of food here on the island and everything in their market is local-Local-LOCAL!  Pick up a copy of my book, show it to the clerk at the register, and tell them that “Don The Author sent me!”  You’ll probably also want to tell them that they have a great shop … why … Because They Do, hands down.