Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is the largest of the islands in the state of Washington located 30 miles north of Seattle.
Inspiration
“ Practical Magic 2”
Practical Magic 2 is a sequel to the 1998 film - based on Alice Hoffman's 2021 novel The Book of Magic. Starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, who reprise their roles as the Owens - a family of women cursed in love but blessed with supernatural abilities. The 1997 fictional house had to embody centuries of accumulated magic, wisdom and secrets - Director Griffin Dunne called upon the design duo firm of Roman and Williams to translate the literary descriptions into a three-dimensional reality. Construction spent six months building the exterior on a bluff above Penn Cove in Coupeville on Whidbey Island - built entirely on a platform to preserve the sacred Native land below and crafted specifically for the cameras, the house was structured to look as though it had weathered decades of New England winters. The house that captured audiences' hearts existed only during filming - the Victorian shell was dismantled within days of wrapping and restored to its original tribal land condition. Filming of Practical Magic 2 took place entirely in England with a studio recreation of the house built on set for the 2026 sequel.
Coupeville
The town of Coupeville on Whidbey Island served as the fictional, charming seaside town that was portrayed in the film Practical Magic. Here you'll find historic houses lining the streets and waterfront from Colonial-era saltboxes to frilly Italianate and Victorian Queen Anne style homes - making the town feel as if it was plucked straight from the shores of New England. Full of historic charm, many of the old buildings and local shops nod their connection to the movie. Every Autumn, Coupeville embraces its Practical Magic legacy with a seasonal torchlight parade, pumpkin race, scarecrow tours and costume contests to its Practical Magic-Themed Weekend walking tour and movie screenings with trivia and Midnight Margaritas.
Captain Whidbey Inn
Just five minutes outside Coupeville, the historic Captain Whidbey Inn is the closest thing to shacking up at the Owens house. The presence of the inn itself demands a kind of myth making - from hidden staircases and infinite doorways to narrow pathways and intricate stonework. The rustic cabin-in-the-woods exterior and cozily furnished rooms within a tranquil setting among old-growth firs on the driftwood shores of Penn Cove was once a boarding house, private residence, post office, general store and girl’s school. There were dances and orchestras and Charles Dickens dinners at the “Whid-Isle Inn” - Judge Still’s euphonious name for the inn he designed and built before it changed in the 1960s to “The Captain Whidbey Inn”. Expel bad energy with a sauna sweat and cast your own love spell by leaving a romantic note in a hidden cranny within the 112-year-old stone fireplace. Explore the property with clues from the front desk 'Scavenger Hunt' or receive a complimentary house-made s’mores kit to enjoy inside the lobby or at the outdoor firepits. Reverent of the island's many past lives - the rooms at Captain Whidbey champion the stories behind things, with novel interplays of old and new and through natural harmony with the surrounding culture, the landscape and the sea.
Bayview Garden
Langley, Whidbey Island
Ranked on the list of the Top 100 independent garden centers in the US - Bayview Garden is open seven days a week for your enjoyment. Walk through their nursery and arbour - and view the expansive and rare plant selections as well as browse gift items. Nestled within the scenic grounds of Bayview Garden - is the Flower House Café, baking care and craft lovingly sourced from local ingredients. This love extends beyond the food and into the mindful environment and the vignettes that make an inclusive home to celebrate the art of living each day deliciously.
photos courtesy Bayview Garden
PASSAGE
The Inn at Langley
NEW DINING EXPERIENCE
Newly opened this year, "Passage is a restaurant built on the idea that the most generous offering is the feeling of having truly arrived. Perched above the Saratoga Passage on Whidbey Island, within the Inn at Langley, Passage is an invitation to be fully present: on this island, in this season, at this table, in this moment. A place for guests, travelers, and islanders alike, Passage offers a multi-course tasting menu at dinner, with à la carte beverage offerings and curated pairing options. Executive Chef Johnny Spero came up through the kitchens of James Beard Award–winner Johnny Monis and José Andrés' celebrated Minibar in Washington D.C., where he earned the Eater 'Chef of the Year' and led the kitchen to a four-star review from the Washington Post. In 2018, he opened Reverie - an intimate, seafood-forward restaurant that earned a Michelin star in 2022. At Passage, Spero brings that same depth of craft to the Pacific Northwest: working in close relationship with the farmers, fishers and foragers of this region, and informed by a curiosity that has never stopped traveling."
PASSAGE >
Photo Chef Johnny Spero/Inn at Langley
Penn Cove Musselfest
BOLD, BRINY & BLUE
Scheduled for March 6th & 7th 2027 - The Penn Cove Musselfest on Whidbey Island celebrates all things bold and briny. This multi-day Washington seafood festival features chowder tastings, mussel-cooking demonstrations, guided boat tours of a local mussel farm, kids’ activities - little ones will love meeting the mermaids, and more. Festival centers around historic downtown Coupeville, which sits on Penn Cove.
photo courtesy Penn Cove Musselfest
Flamingo Estate
IMPRATICAL MAGIC
"To celebrate PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, Flamingo Estate did the most impractical thing they could think of: they went back to old magic. The kind of time-tested witchcraft that comes from the earth. The apothecary. The ancient, patient, slowly alchemized way. Ten objects. Ten rituals. Ten invitations to cross a threshold."
Cast your spells...
Practical Magic
VIGNETTE
The Practical Magic aesthetic is a cozy, witchy and nostalgic style inspired by the Owens’ Victorian home in the film Practical Magic. Blending whimsical enchantment with grounded, rustic charm - the warmth of a lived-in home, comfort of soft textures and a spark of hidden magic. Key Aesthetic Elements - Vintage & Thrifted Finds: worn-in wood floors, mismatched antiques, clawfoot bathtubs and weathered cabinets. Layered Textures: velvet, wool, embroidered pillows, chunky knits and layered rugs. Botanicals & Nature: herb gardens, trailing vines and plants like rosemary, sage, lavender. Whimsical Accents: apothecary jars, vintage botanical prints and celestial decor. Lighting Magic: candles, lanterns, warm lighting to create a cozy atmosphere. Victorian Touches: crown moldings, wainscoting, velvet and lace drapery to add to old-world charm.
