My wife and I hiked the Fort Ebey loop: Up and along the bluff from the parking area at the beach and down and along the beach back to the parking lot. There was filtered sunshine and a mild breeze, which was good for hiking. As usual, there were many hikers, even on a Monday morning. We saw many birds, including an eagle and red-winged blackbirds. The wildflower extravaganza has yet to begin. There are a few flowers on display, but the vetch and the lupine have yet to bloom. The trail is easy and in great condition.

The bluff trail has views of the Olympics, birds soaring at eye level, and the waves breaking below. The trails wandering through the kettles are quiet woodland walks. Hokey Ka Dodo (the name of this trail is enough to set your feet wandering just to see where it leads ) Cactus along the trial down to the beach..... these will be a lovely garden when they are in bloom.

We followed the signs to the gun battery and parked in that lot. After exploring the old battery (bring a flashlight) we took up the Bluff trail. The trail was well maintained and relatively free of rocks and tree roots, although footing may still be an issue for those with small children. It follows along the water, sometimes you can see it, other times you can't. There are some nice viewpoints along the way but take care with small children as there are some serious dropoffs along the trail. You'll want to keep them close at hand. The trail is about 1 mile from the gun battery to the Cascadia Marine Trail campsite. At the campsite, there is a path down to the beach. We spent a little time exploring the beach and headed back up. There is a parking lot, toilets, and picnic area close by the Cascadia campsite area. From there, we decided to take the short trail to Lake Pondilla. After our brief pause at the lake we got on the Bluff trail and headed back to the gun battery and parking lot. We experienced our first, first aid "emergency" on this hike. My son must have touched his hands on something and then touched his face because his cheeks turned fiery red and then broke out in hives. In our first aid kit I carry anti-itch cream with diphenhydramine so I put that on him. Once we got back to the gun battery I had him wash his hands and face at the drinking fountain there and reapplied the cream. Whatever it was, it responded well to the cream. Doctor's visit avoided, yeah! This is a great hike for the whole family. Even more fun with the gun battery to explore. This state park is filled with hiking (and some biking) trails so we will be heading back in the future. To see more of our trip visit http://1retromama.blogspot.com/2011/11/fort-ebey-state-park-whidbey-island.html .

Went for a hike on this gorgeous day along Fort Ebey State Park Bluff Trail. This is hike 9 of 50 planned at age 50 this year. Fort Ebey is located on Whidbey Island, Washington. This is normally a great place to find Bald Eagles flying around or perched in a tree. This is about a three mile round trip trail. There is some ups and downs along this trail and great views of the Whidbey Island Coast, Olympic Mountains and Pudget Sound. There is camping all year round so coming up for a weekend would allow you a better chance of seeing this park. There is lots of beach to walk on to search for sea shells and smooth rocks and to possible get a glimpse of crusise ships sailing by as well as eagles, seals, and whales. Mountain biking, camping, fishing and hiking. A great get away from the city in a country setting. You can see my videos of my hikes on youtube at lmm3181. Check them out. Here is a video link to Fort Ebey. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQFXRvVYMb8 Enjoy Mike