We are planning a weekend trip to Coupeville this fall. Whidbey Island is such a great getaway place from Seattle. Langley is where we've spent most of our time, so I need advice on where to stay and dine further north. Are the two towns similar?

No, not really...Langley is much more shopping/tourism oriented, IMO. I recently took a day trip with an out of town friend to both towns and was struck by the difference...and while I've always liked Langley, I preferred Coupeville on this trip, it seems more "real" to me.

As far as places to stay...there's the Captain Whidbey which I'm not wild about (I think it's expensive for what you get) as well as a couple nice Victorian B&Bs. I think a cool place is the Fort Casey Inn where you can stay in the old officer's quarters.

We ate lunch at a pasta/seafood place on the main street that I really liked but I'm not sure of the name. I did a quick google search and I think it might have been the Mad Crab.

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to Coupeville. It's been many years since I last visited. I thought Captain Whidbey's looked too pricey for lodging, but might be worth visiting for a meal. The Anchorage Inn (Victorian B&B) looks promising on their website, but would love first hand experience.

After a little more research online, I'm pretty sure the restaurant we went to was in fact the Mad Crab. It's right on the waterfront downtown, and the crab bisque was fabulous!

Yes, the towns are different enough. I really like Coupeville as it is pretty quiet. We sail from Oak Harbor and pull into Coupeville for afternoons and just wander.

The Captain Whidbey Inn is nice, but another place you may want to consider is the Coupeville Inn. I have not stayed there overnight, but have been inside (for the Whidbey Marathon) and the owners are very gracious! Based on my several times there and seeing how helpful they are, I would stay there in a heartbeat.

Ditto the Mad Crab.

One night this past summer we stayed in a view room on the second floor of the Coupeville Inn (which is a very well maintained motel). The bed was comfortable and the price was right, but the breakfast didn't amount to much.

We had a very good dinner at Christopher's, which is an easy walk for the "Inn."

Definitely visit Captain Whidbey Inn. It is a wonderful old building, which the staff proudly lets you explore.

We were in Coupeville last month and had dinner at Christopher's and thought it was very good. The restaurant at The Captain Whidbey is supposed to be good from what I've read. Happy Trails described the Coupeville Inn well. A well run, fair priced motel and a short walk to the downtown area.

We just returned from our weekend in Coupeville. The weather was sunny and in the upper 60's so we were very lucky. Stayed at the Anchorage Inn B&B which is located a couple of blocks from the historic waterfront area. Our room had fabulous views of the water and the town and was very private for a bed and breakfast. There are only 7 rooms and the owners supply a wonderful 3 course breakfast in the morning, cookies and beverages all day, and a nice selection of videos to watch in your room. I highly recommend it. We dined at the Oystercatcher on Friday night and had an amazing meal in a small, intimate setting. We also enjoyed meals at the Mad Crab (had lunch upstairs and dinner below in the bar). One of our favorite shops was the Bayleaf wine and cheese store below the Oystercatcher. She has a great selection of cheese and meats and very affordable wines. We made a couple of small road trips to Fort Casey and the lighthouse, and also to the Captain Whidbey Inn. We had considered staying there, but while it's a cute place it's very remote and the dining is very over priced. It was a great weekend and I appreciate all of your thoughts and ideas.