Washington’s Whidbey Island is often overshadowed by its neighboring San Juan Islands, known for their pine-dense hiking trails and restaurants with foraged tasting menus. But the recent refurbishment of the historic Captain Whidbey Inn and the introduction of new commercial flights to Paine Field in Everett, Washington, as well as a new charter flight service from Seattle, just 30 miles away, are helping shift the spotlight.

With a nautical soul and agricultural heart, this 45-mile-long island in Puget Sound feels like the West Coast’s version of Nantucket. There are no big chains here, just homey bed-and-breakfasts that have ruled for years. Now, the reimagined Captain Whidbey is luring a new kind of crowd north. It opened outside of major town Coupeville over a hundred years ago as an inn, but saw life as a post office and general store before eventually being bought by Matt and Mike French, the brothers responsible for turning the remote Pioneertown Motel near Joshua Tree National Park into a magnet of cool. They partnered with Eric Cheong, an avid sailor, maritime nerd and Ace Hotel Group alum, as well as a team of artists, designers, oral historians, and gardeners, to help breathe fresh life into the 30-room lodge.

The decor of Captain Whidbey is inspired by the inn's history. Meghan Klein/Courtesy Captain Whidbey

The result: an adult summer camp with a Moby Dick-meets-Moonrise Kingdom vibe. There are vintage photos on the walls, plus an original stone fireplace anchoring the lobby and a logo inspired by the handwriting of a past owner’s wife. Upstairs, 12 lodge rooms still have creaky floorboards, shared bathrooms, and a library of classic sea tales, but now there’s also a rotary phone with a direct line to the bar down below. Across the street, 14 Lagoon rooms have a Scandi sensibility with interiors influenced by Mira Nakashima and Aino Aalto. And just above the shores of Penn Cove, four private cabins have each been outfitted by Pacific Northwest tastemakers including Filson and Whidbey’s own modern mercantile, Edit. The property is full of hidden secrets, ranging from secluded firepits and hammocks to a poem written in Morse code along the bar. DJ brunches and sunset happy hours have been big hits for both locals and out-of-towners.

There are more options than ever for accessing the island. Unlike the San Juans, you can drive directly to Whidbey over the breathtaking Deception Pass Bridge or hop a 20-minute ferry in Mukilteo, located 20 miles from Seattle. Travelers can bypass Seattle’s daunting traffic by flying into Paine Field in Everett. Located 15 minutes from the ferry, the new terminal recently debuted commercial flights with United and Alaska airlines, servicing nine major cities including Denver, San Francisco, San Diego, and Phoenix. As of June, you can skip the ferry all together and fly direct to Whidbey from SEA-TAC with Lynk Air, a new charter airline from former Navy pilot and Whidbey local, Chris Taylor. And the team at Captain Whidbey is working on launching direct-to-dock seaplane service later this summer with Kenmore Air.