Some great weekends require lots of research and planning to decide where to go to get away. It’s Valentine’s Day weekend. Take a look at the tourism sites for Whidbey and Camano Islands and it is easy to understand why islanders will see lots of visitors for a few days.

Let’s start with a simple given: the islands are naturally beautiful, and just far enough away but not too far away.

Thanks to WhidbeyCamanoIslands.com for collecting most of the following links. 

Where To Stay

Hotels, B&Bs, AirBnB, vacation rentals, even places to camp or moor mean there is lots of room and lots of variety as people try to find the just the right place for romance, (or at least recuperation considering the current chaos.) Also, don’t be surprised if distant family or friends decide this is the time to visit.

Hotels, B&Bs, AirBnB, vacation rentals (check for availability)
https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/lodging/

Places to camp (check for availability and temporary closures – especially this time of year)
https://islandcountygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d0fdb78e6f9e4305ae6270d857e11c37&level=10

Places to moor (check for availability)
https://aboutwhidbey.com/2020/10/26/sailing-whidbey-island/

Where To Eat
Get fancy, and let someone else take care of the cooking and cleaning. Here’s a partial list of Fine Dining.
https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/activities/category/fine-dining/

Locals know there are more restaurants. While some will consider them Casual Dining, many others find them more than good enough – and possibly much more relaxing, and possibly more affordable.
https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/activities/category/casual-dining/

The more adventurous may skip sitting inside to get takeout and dine outside (weather permitting, of course), or get their dinner to go and then go back to the place they are staying where there’s no need to drive any further, dress up to look good anyone except each other, and can cheat on a diet and indulge without being spotted by your doctor.

Get Outside
For those who want to get out and about, there are more parks and gardens that can be visited in a weekend.

Parks
From city parks to those run by the Port Commissions, the county, the state, and even federally, pick a place that matches what you’re looking for. History and views are two main reasons, and several places have both. If the map looks overwhelming, that’s a measure of how much there is to see and do here. Good luck picking.
https://islandcountygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d0fdb78e6f9e4305ae6270d857e11c37&level=10

Gardens
While February isn’t the warmest or most colorful month, the gardens that are open can be quieter and sweeter than usual, which is very quiet and sweet. Good boots may be the unromantic but necessary bit of apparel.

Desserts and more
It is relatively easy to point out wine and chocolate; there are even events based on them.
https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/calendar/

And here’s yet another partial list of places making and selling wine and spirits.
https://www.whidbeyislandvintners.org/wine-spirits-trail/

A partial list of this, a partial list of that. One of the reasons these are only partial lists is because the island is larger than most people realize, and that includes the number of people providing rooms, making things to eat and drinks, on an island that has an abundance of parks – and gorgeous views that are obvious to find simply by driving around (fog permitting, of course.)

Oh, and keep in mind that islanders take vacations too, and sometimes do that by running away to another part of the island. There’s always something new to see, and there’s always a place where a couple can quietly get out of sight.