Northwestern Washington & the San Juan Islands - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 210

( 800-247-6162; www.thecoupevilleinn.com ; 200 Coveland St; r with/without balcony incl break-
fast $150/110; ) It bills itself as a motel, but with its French architecture, oak fur-
niture and rather plush interior this is far from your standard highway sleepover. Situated
close to Coupeville's tiny town center, this plush place is a bargain, given its fancy fur-
nishings and substantial complimentary breakfast.

Eating

Christopher's SEAFOOD$$$
( 360-678-5480; www.christophersonwhidbey.com ; 103 NW Coveland St; mains $15-23;
11:30am-2pm Mon-Fri, noon-2:30pm Sat & Sun, nightly from 5pm) The mussels and clams are
the best in town (no mean feat in Coupeville) and the seafood alfredo pasta is wonder-
fully rich.

Toby's Tavern PUB$$$
( www.tobysuds.com ; 8 Front St; mains $15-20; lunch & dinner) A quintessential Coupeville
pub housed in a vintage mercantile building dating from the 1890s; even the polished
back bar was originally shipped here around Cape Horn in 1900. These days the attention
to detail is no less fastidious, with home- produced microbrews and a menu spearheaded
by local classics like fantastic mussels, clam strips, and halibut and chips.

Information

Visitor Information Center (

360-678-5434; www.centralwhidbeychamber.com ; 23 NW Front

St; 10am-5pm) Right in town.

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve

This National Historical Reserve was the first of its kind in the nation when it was cre-
ated in 1978 in order to preserve Whidbey Island's historical heritage from the encroach-
ing urbanization that had already partly engulfed Oak Harbor. Ninety per cent privately
owned, Ebey's Landing ( www.nps.gov/ebla ; 8am-5pm mid-Oct-Mar, 6:30am-10pm
Apr-mid-Oct) comprises 17,400 acres encompassing working farms, four historic
blockhouses, two state parks and the town of Coupeville itself. A series of interpretive
boards shows visitors how the patterns of croplands, woods (or the lack of them) and
even roads reflect the activities of those who have peopled this scenic landscape, from its
earliest indigenous inhabitants to 19th-century settlers.