This is a personal introduction created just for you and it's all about our spectacular weekend getaway on Whidbey Island, in Washington.

On each episode of Travel Connections, I ask each guest: "Travel Connections is about the deeper connections we make when we travel. I would love to hear about special trips and connections or personal travel stories that have made an impact." So this introduction to Whidbey is my travel story for you!

During the summer of 2020, my husband and I moved from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest. We now live about 30 minutes east of Downtown Seattle. So we have a lot of exploring and discovering to do and that's exactly what we've done. We have discovered local farms, wineries, small towns, gorgeous places to hike and kayak. There's so much that the Northwest has to offer!

Smitten with Whidbey Island

My connection to this destination was instant. I knew I had found something unique and I was going to love it. I was so smitten that I decided to create a trio of episodes devoted to Whidbey and a couple of the people who contribute to the specialness of the island. (There are many special people we could talk with, but you know there is only so much time!)

In this episode, I quickly take you through our itinerary, a couple of the places we ate, and introduce you to three terrific people that Craig and I personally connected with! My goal is to take you inside of a destination and give you a taste of what it feels like to visit.

In my next two episodes, you will meet business owners Holly and David Price who own edit, a gorgeous shop full of eclectic, yet practical items you would use every day. They curate beautiful things that are made by over 80 different craftspeople from around the world.

David is also an architect and gifted artist and Craig and I purchased one of his encaustic paintings. What is encaustic? Come listen to the episode to find out!

Additionally, Jenn Jurriaans will be my guest on a future episode as well. She is the co-owner of several restaurants Prima Bistro, Saltwater, and Seabiscuit Bakery along with her chef husband Sieb. Jenn and I enjoyed a wonderful conversation and we talked about the restaurant business, family, travel and how they managed to survive COVID lockdowns during the Pandemic. Their team pulled together and their story is quite inspiring!

I hope you enjoy this suite of episodes which allows me to dive a little deeper into a destination rather than cover it in just one episode!

Remember to sign up to receive an episode summary when our episodes are published every two weeks!

Places mentioned in this introductory episode!

• Go Whidbey Camano Islands
• The Braeburn Restaurant
• Callahan's Firehouse Studio & Gallery
• Inn at Langley
• Moonraker Books
• Prima Bistro
• Saltwater Fish House & Oyster Bar
• Seabiscuit Bakery
• Ciao
• How to Find Adventure & Thrive in the Empty Nest - Suzanne's E-Book
• My Amazon Travel Store - Suzanne's Favorite Must-Haves
• Hear No Evil Media Podcast Audio Production by Erik Hulslander