How to Plan a Solo Trip to Whidbey Island, Washington

"I stopped at a parking lot that overlooked a shallow bay and followed trail markers across a pebbled beach, climbed a steep cliff hugged by Douglas firs, and clambered over rocky outcroppings until I found a clearing where harbor seals darted below; farther offshore a lone elephant seal fished and an otter bobbed on its back with a crab. Rivulets streamed down my rain gear as I stood on a promontory, blissfully alone and feeling small in the dramatic, foggy, rainy landscape." - Sara B. Franklin Sara B. Franklin Sara B. Franklin is a journalist and oral historian. She teaches courses on food culture, writing, and oral history at NYU Gallatin. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Afar, and Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines