Hello everyone! Welcome to our brand new website. We are really excited about it. One reason for that enthusiasm is it will provide an opportunity for us to become a bit more interactive with the folks that sign our paychecks -- our customers! Anyway, we hope that this spot on the site, Destinations, will provide some good information and a little fun as well. Please feel free to participate with your comments, suggestions and ideas.



If you just picked up your new camper or are just getting it out of storage to enjoy fall camping, a great little trip for a shakedown cruise is Whidbey Island. There are 5 really nice campgrounds on the island. These are Deception Pass State Park, Oak Harbor City Beach Park, Fort Ebey State Park, Fort Casey State Park and South Whidbey Sate Park.



There are two ways to get to the island from the mainland: If you drive to the northern tip of the island you do not need to ride the ferry. Take I-5 to Burlington and then drive west on Highway 20 to Highway 20 South. From there, Turn south on Highway 20 South and go across the bridge at Deception Pass.



Many of us have visited Deception Pass State Park on this northwest tip of the island and it is a great park. With over 250 sites set on more than 4000 acres, 15 miles of salt water shoreline, 6 miles of fresh water shoreline, a lake for fishing right in the park, 38 miles of hiking trails and 6 miles of bike trails, there is definitely something for everyone. The views are absolutely astonishing throughout the park and the landscape includes wetlands, sand dunes, old growth forest and even rugged cliffs. The park is open year round but you might want to make reservations at 888/CAMPOUT or on line at www.parks.wa.gov/reservations ($7 reservation fee). About 20 miles down the road, you will find Oak Harbor City Beach Park. There are 56 sites with full hook-ups. It is open year round. You can laze in the sun, fish or swim here. It is also a perfect place to launch your boat. So for those of you with a truck camper and a boat behind or a folding trailer with your boat on top like us, go for it! No reservations are accepted. You can contact the park at 360-679-5551 (website: www.oakharbor.org).



Another method for arrival on Whidbey Island is take catch the ferry in Mukilteo (southeast of Everett). This is our favorite way of visiting the island. When our kids we small, we made this trip just about every year. For them, the ferry ride made it just that much more fun! From the ferry landing on the island in Clinton, it is not far to South Whidbey State Park. You will find 54 sites available here (some with electric or water hook-ups). This is the one park we have never camped in but many of our customers have related that it is excellent for shellfish harvesting; check the regulations. When driving through, we noticed that many of the sites are really private with lots of thick forest surrounding them. The park is open late February to October.



Normally, we make a point to visit both Fort Ebey and Fort Casey State Parks. Use the same method as listed above for Deception Pass State Park to make reservations. Both parks are open year round. Fort Ebey State Park is really situated nicely in the trees and has 28 miles of trails for biking and hiking. 50 developed campsites with picnic tables and grills are available. Most of the sites are primitive (no water or electricity), so make sure your batteries are charged and your water tank full before you go! There is access to a rocky beach which is great for exploring. Its just a really nice park for everyone. Stuff for the kids to do and relaxing for the adults. The park was the site of an historic war bunker and the concrete platforms are still there where the old gun batteries were located. When you see the vistas from the park looking west, it is easy to understand why the spot was chosen. You can see forever! Well, almost.



Not far away is Fort Casey State Park which sits close by the ferry landing in Coupeville. You can catch the ferry from there to Port Townsend over on the Olympic Peninsula.. There 35 developed sites for RVs with fire grills, picnic tables, flush toilets, coin operated showers The views are fantastic but you should remember that this campsite is fairly exposed. Years ago, during a winter outing, we were camping with the kids in a small Fleetwood folding trailer. It was as still as could be when we set camp but sometime around midnight a 60 mph gale blew in. We never had to exaggerate when we explained to customers that our folding trailers would hold up to just about any wind. They will! When morning broke, several of the motor homes had packed up and left but we were still there. All the same, I did wonder if we were going to end up somewhere other than Kansas that night!



Which brings up an interesting point. Camping fun is about ALL of the experiences -- good AND bad. When we look back, the fishing pole that broke when the "big one" was one the line, the time we brought graham crackers and chocolate bars but the dog ate the marshmallows or when we woke up with a herd of Roosevelt Elk 7' high at the shoulder (anyway, it looked like it) surrounding our trailer; those are the memories as unforgettable as the perfect sunsets or the stories told around a bright campfire in a dark forest.



Happy camping this season and thanks for trusting us with your business!

Kevin and Kristi,

And all of us at Team Apache