A few photos to illustrate the text can be found at:

http://www.pbase.com/gould/langley_washington

*****

Langley

In the spring and summer months there are flowers everywhere. Emerald
vines slither across pastel Victorian covered porches. A kaleidoscope
of stems and blossoms respond to the suggestion of our often-reluctant
NW sun to carpet Langley with color and life.

A stone inserted into the brickwork of the Primavera Building
commemorates the completion of the edifice in 1929. Most of the
two-block stretch of Langley's main business district appears to have
been built in about the same era. Steep roofs to drain away months of
endless rain are concealed behind proud, rectangular façades that lend
a more formal and dignified appearance; (as well as create additional
space for a sign). The conservative agricultural and rural industrial
pioneers built Langley to stout and traditional standards: the false
front commercial buildings are reminiscent of structures
stereotypically associated with19th century towns in the American West.
If all the minivans, SUV's and Volvo wagons parked along the curbs of
this Whidbey Island village were replaced by horse drawn berry wagons
or Model T pickups loaded with apple boxes, the step back in time would
seem complete.

Langley built a small boat harbor in 1986, located immediately west of
Sandy Point on the south side of Saratoga Passage. Navigators will find
the end of the breakwater near 48.02.30 N and 122.24.17 W, but, as
always, will want to make a final and personal determination of safe
approach to exact coordinates. Langley's location is a short jaunt from
the largest single marina on the west coast (The Port of Everett), and
even at trawler speeds is only about three hours from the Chittenden
Locks. If the leg across the foot of Admiralty Inlet (between Point
Wells and Possession Point) is in reasonable shape, passage between
central Puget Sound and Langley can be pleasant on many weekends during
the "off" seasons.

The marina at Langley is fairly small. Too small, probably, to
accommodate a yacht club cruise or other rendezvous group. The Port of
Langley doesn't accept reservations, but is known to do everything
humanly possible to try to squeeze everyone in. Most of the slips are
intended for boats under 30-feet in length and larger boats are subject
to mandatory rafting, often several deep, along the faces of two
side-tie floats. In 2006, moorage for boats 21-30 feet cost $18, 31-40
foot boats paid $24, 41-50' vessels were assessed $36, and yachts
51-60' paid $36. Boats connected to shorepower will pay an additional
$3.50 per day.

Once secured to the dock or rafted off, Langley is a joy to explore.
The rustic, tire rutted boat ramp, a public section of sandy beach and
a cluster of deliberately quaint bed and breakfast inns (with 'Rooms to
Let") define the commercial waterfront at Langley. The ramshackle,
whimsically maintained bait shop that always appeared so precariously
balanced on its pilings and sported long beards of moss from its
gutters has now been torn down, (or has fallen down), and a previous
fuel dock here was decommissioned years ago. Providing services for
visiting boaters is evidently not the highest priority in Langley, but
in some respects that contributes to the unique and genuine atmosphere
of the community.

The main business district is a 5-minute walk up a moderately steep
hill. Vegetation along the sidewalk screens beachfront homes and b&b's
from the road climbing along the shoreside cliff. In downtown Langley
you are more likely to hear the sharp scrawing of a gull of the deep
whisper of breakers caressing the shoreline than the racket of heavy
traffic of the deafening thud of rap music on an in-your-face car
stereo system.

Downtown Langley can be walked in 20 minutes, but could take several
days to fully savor and explore. Visitors will discover a mix of
antique stores, bakeries, coffee shops, art galleries, gift stores, and
some remarkable restaurants. Jan always makes a beeline for "Quilting
by the Sea" when we put into Langley- and as an enthusiastic quilter
she rates this shop as one of her favorites in the Pacific NW.

Exceptional coffee is available at Useless Bay Coffee Company, prepared
on site in an antique roasting machine built in the 1940's. We bought a
pound of Panamanian coffee, with an amazingly complex flavor, and
enjoyed it thoroughly for many mornings thereafter.

Major attractions in the business district include the Star Grocery and
Dry Goods store. The Star store stocks an impressive variety of foods,
is where many local residents shop, and is an excellent resource for
restocking the galley. The movie house looks like something straight
out of "The Last Picture Show", and a handlettered sign in an empty
box office read "Sorry, all seats sold out" on a Friday night in July.
One can only assume that the pizza and ice cream store located
immediately next door to the theater must enjoy brisk patronage just
before and immediately after the scheduled showings.

On our summer 2006 visit to Langley, Jan and I set out to have dinner
at one of our perennially favorite spots- the funky Doghouse Tavern.
(The Doghouse has a family entrance around the side, so guests seeking
more of a restaurant atmosphere and preferring to avoid the bar can
enjoy dining here). We unfortunately forgot, until reminded by a sign
at the entrance, that the Doghouse is a "cash only" business and
doesn't accept checks, credit cards, or debit cards. We left most of
our cash on the boat. On this particular visit, that oversight proved
fortuitous. We found our way to the almost brand new Prima restaurant,
founded in a space above the Star Store the weekend of July 4.

We were seated at a table on the roof top deck and enjoyed a
resplendent view of Saratoga Passage. On a warm summer evening in late
July, we observed a mosaic of abstract blue, black, gray, and silver
shapes shifting and shimmering as a 2-knot current swept through
Saratoga and turned the passage into a languid river.

Dining at Prima was a wonderful experience. We began by sharing some
cheese and bread. Jan selected a toasty agour, described on the menu as
"Sheep's milk, France. Made in Basque country. Nutty, herbal, and
mild." And, indeed it was. My cheese selection was a soft blue cheese,
Fourme d' Ambert, ("Cow's milk, France. A creamy mild blue made in the
town of Ambert since the 7th Century"). The Ambert was so sensational
that Jan and I simultaneously attempted to use slices of bread to
scrape the last residual trace of blue cheese from the serving plate.

We ordered two items from the "appetizer" menu. Jan chose Penn Cove
Mussels a la Mariniere, steamed in white wine and served in a heaping,
delectable portion for $11. My confit of duck leg, which according to
the menu was served "over a salad of marinated Walla Walla onions,
frisee, puy lentils, and a warm bacon vinaigrette" was fabulous. Duck
done poorly is often dark, greasy, and tough. Duck at Prima is tender,
just dry enough to flake at the touch of a fork, and almost dissolves
on the tongue. The same dish at most Seattle restaurants would be about
a $30 entrée, but at Prima in Langley it's a $12 appetizer. Our bill
for two glasses of wine, two cheese selections, two very generously
proportioned appetizers, a shared desert, an after-dinner tea and
reasonable tip was about $60. For the quality of food and the service
we enjoyed at Prima, that's a bargain.

Tourism may turn the economic engine in Langley, but the town isn't one
of those "Magic Kingdom" places that switch on the illusions every
morning at 8 AM but where nobody actually lives. From our rooftop perch
at Prima, we could not avoid observing, smiling, and reminiscing while
young local teenagers (perhaps middle school age) interacted on a warm
summer night. There is a small park across the street from Prima, from
which a series of steps leads down the face of the cliff to the beach
below.

As twilight fell on a Friday night, the girls appeared first- and in
groups, of course. They stood in small circles, chatting freely, but
visual clues suggested that even at this young age they were conscious
of a social hierarchy. The boys arrived as individuals, with the oldest
and most confident first to brave an approach to the bevy of waiting
females. Everyone hoped to be discovered while making a poor pretense
of ignoring the opposite gender, until awkward and uncertain greetings
were encouraged into actual conversations. Before long, a few of the
kids paired up and disappeared down the stairway to the beach. In the
spring and summer months there are flowers. Everywhere.

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