Since you are already visiting Port Townsend, I'd take the whale watching trip from there. If you drive to Anacortes, take the ferry to Friday Harbor and take a whale watching trip from there before taking the ferry back to Anacortes and driving to Seattle that will take a full day as well (and too much of the day will be on the road).

Also, I'm not sure how realistic your plan is to make a stop at hurricane ridge on the day you drive from Port Orchard to Port Townsend to Whidbey Island.

Kathie- Thanks for the reply. If we visit Port Townsend, it's on the way to Whidbey. I don't think there is a way to do the whale watching trip from there unless we return there via the ferry after we get onto Whidbey.

Regarding your thoughts on Hurricane ridge...it looks like 2.25hrs from Port Orchard to Hurricane Ridge. I'm assuming we might spend a couple of hours there an then head to Whidbey. Am I seriously under estimating the time we should/could spend at Hurricane Ridge? Maybe under estimating the time it would take to get from there to Whidbey?

If you have suggestions for an alternative way to handle this I'm definitely open to ideas and appreciate the help!

Unless you're hiking around, an hour at Hurricane Ridge is probably sufficient. I'd say 2 - 2 1/2 hours from Port Orchard sounds about right - around 90 min. to Port Angeles, another 45 min. to an hour up to the visitor center.

Whatever your plans, you MUST make reservations for the Port Townsend - Whidbey ferry. I'd do any whale watching from Anacortes, or take one of your Whidbey days for a day trip to Friday Harbor, then go whale chasing from there. (Drive to Anacortes from Freeland, but go as foot passengers to San Juan Island.)

Gardyloo,

Thanks for the input. I'm trying to get a sense of whether cashing in a Whidbey day for Friday Harbor makes sense. It seems that Friday Harbor his mostly shopping and dining...is that the case...more a beautiful place to spend either side of a day after whale watching? Was thinking to or from Anacortes is spending time at Deception pass may be good..unless that is a relatively brief stop for the most part?

On your advice I looked at reserving the Port Townsend-Whidbey Ferry. Looks like you can't actually book an actual date/time---is that correct?

I checked the state ferry system site and had no problems doing a dummy booking for some arbitrary day in July. Are you going here? - https://secureapps.wsdot.wa.gov/Ferr...e/default.aspx (click on "make a reservation.")

Friday Harbor is reasonably attractive, but the main reason for going there (IMO) is the beautiful ride on the ferry through the islands. In general, you'll most likely see the same whales regardless of your whale watching tour starts in Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Friday Harbor or Anacortes. Depending on where the pod(s) are swimming, you might have a longer or shorter "positioning" ride to get to them.

I love Deception Pass, particularly once you get down to the water level. You can make it a long or short stop; there's plenty to see.

With a Whidbey base, you can also visit La Conner, which is around 20-25 min. past Deception Pass. La Conner, like Langley and Coupeville on Whidbey, is a very pretty little waterfront town, full of galleries and shops.

Thanks for the link...I was not on the same page oddly enough. It looks like in this case I just reserve a slot for the car and then pay for the car and people once we arrive? Doesn't look like I reserve for the people, just the car (must assume enough people space)?

Right, no reservations needed for passengers - there's plenty of room on the boat. https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7003/6...8f212668_b.jpg