Welcome to Whidbey Nice, our second home. We love hosting here, whether it's a big family holiday or a cozy weekend with friends' families. We think you will, too. Enjoy 6 bedrooms (3 with en suite bathrooms!), a thoughtfully renovated 6000+ sq ft interior, 5 acres of grass & forest, a massive deck with beautiful views, a hot tub, and endless activities. The space •••••••••••••• Details about Whidbey Nice •••••••••••••• • • • Bedrooms and Sleeping Arrangements • • • • Total of 6 bedrooms with beds for 14; 3 of which have en suite bathrooms • Sofa bed, 2 trundles and 4 floor mattresses to sleep an additional 8 for a total of 22. To help cover the extra wear and tear and strain on the septic system, we do charge an extra guest fee for groups exceeding 14 people. The extra guest fee is $50 per person (beyond 14 guests), per stay. —— • Bedrooms 1, 2, 3: King beds and en suite bathrooms. Bedrooms 1 and 2 have closets that can also fit pack-n-plays. • Bedroom 4: King-sized bed. Closet fits a pack-n-play. • Bedroom 5: 2 bunk beds, 1 trundle bed, and 2 twin beds that can covert to a king (so this room sleeps 5 in total) • Bedroom 6: 2 bunk beds and 1 trundle • Office (on first floor) has a queen-width sofa bed and privacy doors • All bedrooms are large enough to fit 1-2 floor mattresses. Four floor mattresses available, along with 2 pack-n-play cribs and 2 inflatable toddler beds. If you will need the floor mattresses, just let us know how many to leave out for your stay. • Black-out roller shades, Casper mattresses, and luxury linens in all bedrooms • • • Entertainment and Recreation • • • • Main floor family room with wood-burning fireplace, sliding glass doors to the expansive deck, and sweeping views • Large 2nd floor rec room with pool, ping pong, foosball, karaoke, puzzle table, reclining couches, and movies on a 78" TV • 3rd floor bonus room with Xbox, TV, and large couch • Large outdoor deck with hot tub, gas fire pit, and 2 gas grills • Wood burning fire pit in the large grass backyard • Secret play area for kids under the staircase • Well stocked with a selection of puzzles, board games, and books to keep kids of all ages entertained • • • Kitchen and Dining • • • • Fully renovated kitchen (2023) with 2 islands, 2 sinks, 8 burner stovetop, 2 ovens, 2 fridge/freezers, 2 dishwashers, wine/beer fridge and a walk-in butler’s pantry • Well equipped kitchen with chef’s array of tools, small appliances, and sharp knives • Plenty of counter space to prepare food • Main kitchen dining table seats 14 adults; we've fit 20 with kids • Additional dining room table seats 10 • Outdoor table seats 10 • Walk-in butler's pantry for additional storage • • • Outdoor Spaces • • • • 5 acres of grass and forest for exploration • Massive deck with scenic views, dining area, hot tub, and ample seating around the fire pit • Access to the beach full of gorgeous driftwood, beautiful rocks, and mountain views by walking ~15min or driving ~3min to Mariners Cove • Lawn games available for outdoor entertainment, including a pickleball net that turns the concrete driveway into a perfect pickleball court • Frequent wildlife sightings, including a family of bald eagles in a nearby tree, deer, and Bruiser, the single elk who lives on Whidbey • Strawberry Point Preserve is a 3-minute walk away and features a 2.5-mile hike through beautiful forest • • • Utility Spaces • • • • Two sets of laundry machines, located on the first and second floors • 2-car garage with mud room for jackets and shoes • High speed EV charger in garage • • • Technology and Comfort Amenities • • • • Built-in speakers for music in ceilings and on deck • Internet suitable for video conferencing and streaming • All TVs equipped with signed-in Netflix, YoutubeTV, Disney, HBO Max, etc. • • • Getting There and Accessibility• • • • Predictable ~2-hour drive from Seattle (no ferry needed!), with the last hour offering picturesque views of lakes, Deception Pass, and rural farmlands. • Can also take Mukilteo ferry, but ferry delays are a risk • Restaurant delivery is available via Doordash and groceries can be delivered from Safeway via Instacart. • Oak Harbor is a ~15 minute drive and offers a wide range of convenient stores to stock up on any needs • Coupeville is a ~30 minute drive and has cute shops, restaurants and a scenic pier overlooking Penn Cove • • • Amenities for Families w/ Young Kids • • • • Plastic plates, cups, bowls, utensils • BOB stroller available for use on walks or runs • Booster seat for dining • Two pack-n-play cribs and two inflatable toddler beds. • Changing table and pad • 2 trundle and 4 floor mattresses that can go anywhere in the house • Two bathtubs • A wide array of toys, games, books, puzzles available in rec room and office for entertainment. • • • Remote Work Capabilities • • • • Dedicated office for focused work • Two bedrooms equipped with desks • Internet bandwidth sufficient for multiple video conferences or HDTV streaming simultaneously (Verizon 5G Home Internet) ••••••••••••••••••••••• About the Owners ••••••••••••••••••••••• We’re two families that live in Seattle (the dads are brothers). Between us we’ve got five young kids, two local grandmas, a lazy dog named Cocoa, and a very not-lazy puppy named Maverick. We bought this five-acre property so we could get out of the city and into nature with friends during the summer, and so we could host our huge extended family for holidays. As such, we really care about creating a welcoming space, and we’ve invested significantly in fixing it up. Hopefully it will be clear to you when you stay that we take pride in our work and in the visiting experience we offer. If there's anything we can do to help make your stay even a little bit better, please reach out and we’ll take action as quickly as possible. ••••••••••••••••• A Day at Whidbey Nice ••••••••••••••••• You’ll wake up to a beautiful sunrise over the water. Your kids have been up for a while, playing in their bunk rooms with the other kids. Sip coffee looking out over Skagit Bay towards Camano Island, with the Olympic Mountains in the background. Everything in the house just feels nice. And warm, too. The people who built it cared about the details. Tromp down to the beach with your kids, smell the sea air, and build a structure out of driftwood. Maybe you’ll find a rock with a painted design, left here for a kid to find. Maybe tomorrow you’ll paint one yourself to leave here. After lunch, friends play lawn games in the yard and pickleball in the driveway. Kids play foosball and pool in the rec room. You sit out on the deck by the fire pit and read. The whole downstairs and deck area is pleasantly awash with music from the built-in speakers. A bald eagle swoops by and lands in her family’s nest nearby. A small cloud floats wonderfully across the bay below you. Deer will be by later. You go in and hear some giggling from under the staircase. Little kids are behind a secret door, smiles lit up by fairy lights. You smile and walk to the office to finish off one little work thing. The kids explore the five acres of forest and grass (later you’ll hear rumors of fairy houses on the property). The adults start making dinner. Two ovens, two stovetops, two dishwashers, two fridges, three sinks, sharp knives aplenty, oils and spices, and more counter space than you’ll ever need. All with a view. Pleasant. Someone makes drinks at the cocktail bar. The bar’s spalted maple surface is gorgeous, the lights are funky, and the chairs are comfortable; this is a nice place to have a drink. As is the couch, where friends play a game by the strangely mesmerizing wood-burning fireplace. The kids go to bed. The rec room transforms into the karaoke room, with microphones and lights and room to dance and sing. It’s pretty surprising how loud you can get without waking the little ones. Before bed, you stand on the deck and take one last look at the stars. They’re a lot brighter out here. You’ll remember this place. Guest access There's a small guest house on the same property that may be occupied by us or by other Airbnb renters. It’s at the edge of the property, so it won’t in any way limit your exploration of the other four acres of forest and grass. If you want 4 more beds in 2 more rooms right near this property, please contact us about also reserving the guest house. Link is here: airbnb.com/h/whidbey-nice-guest-house There is also 1 large shed with additional garages that is off limits. Other than that, the entire 5 acres is free for you to roam! Other things to note ••••••••••• Exploring Whidbey Island ••••••••••• • • • Deception Pass State Park (20min drive) • • • is rated by travelers to be one of the top 5 in all of Washington State. It features a wide variety of hikes, Rosario beach and its gorgeous wave-smoothed rocks, kayaking, lakes, little islands, dramatic views, boat tours, and more. Search “tripadvisor things to do in deception pass” for more ideas. • • • Coupeville (30min drive) • • • is a classic cute coastal town. Front Street is full of little shops, wine bars, and ice cream, and Penn Cove Brewery is a short walk away. Coupeville sits on Penn Cove, home to some of the best oysters and mussels in the country--and many of its restaurants serve those same shellfish. Our personal favorite is Oystercatcher, which we prefer to any restaurant we’ve eaten at in our last ten years living in Seattle (even for its non-seafood). A new cocktail bar called Overboard recently opened as did an excellent casual Mexican spot called Molka Xete. Search “tripadvisor things to do in coupeville” for more ideas. • • • Mariner’s Cove (3min drive, 15min walk) • • • is the easiest way to get beach access, and it’s one of the few publicly accessible boat launches. The beach is covered in gorgeous driftwood, the rocks are smooth and beautiful and beloved by our kids, the views of the Cascade Mountains to the left and the Olympics to the right are awe-inspiring (when the weather is clear), and if you’re lucky you’ll find one of the cute painted rocks created by locals (search for “painted rocks treasure hunt” to learn more). • • • Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (15min drive to Ault Field and 15min drive to Seaplane Base) • • • hosts search and rescue aircraft as well as 20 squadrons of F/A-18 Super Hornets (the workhorse of U.S. Naval Aviation). If you like airshows, there are specific locations where you can get a very close view of these aircraft taking off and landing. • • • Note about jet noise • • • Some parts of Whidbey have constant loud jet noise from the naval base. Our house generally does not! An occasional jet while hiking is fine and even a bit fun, the same amount all day at home is not--we’re lucky to not be in the takeoff and landing paths. There are occasional days where general flight patterns are closer to our house, but we’ve never found it bothersome while staying here (which we do a lot). • • • Dugualla State Park (10min drive) • • • features pleasant hikes that wind through wetlands, an alder grove, and shoreline hikes. It isn’t as epic and exciting as Deception Pass State Park, but it’s a pleasant change of pace. • • • The Farm Stand at K & R Farms (15min drive, but only open April through October) • • • is a great place to take kids---ice cream and shaved ice, lawn games, beautiful views, and seasonal activities like a fall corn maze. You may also drive by seasonal farm-run stands where you can drop some money in a pot and walk away with a beautiful bouquet of flowers or a tasty box of eggs produced on that farm. • • • Oak Harbor (15 min drive) • • • is largely oriented around serving the needs of the Naval Base community, and as such has plenty of groceries, stores, pharmacies, a hospital, and so forth. It features a lovely little downtown strip near Windjammer Park, an open grassy area on the sound. We’re partial to Noe Jose Cafe for breakfast, Orlando’s for barbeque, The Terrace for drinks, and Fraser’s Gourmet Hideaway for a nice dinner. Whidbey Island Bagel Factory is also a big hit. • • • Whidbey Island weather • • • benefits from the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, and as such is significantly dryer than Seattle. Different regions have different rainfall microclimates---some areas of north Whidbey Island have half as much rain as some areas of south Whidbey Island. (See images for a map of rainfall.) (Legalese that you can ignore: Technically this property is owned by Whidbey Nice, LLC, the entity we set up to share the property between the two families.)