Ferry-themed Airbnb welcomes all aboard

Tucked behind the Clinton ferry line off the Whidbey Scenic Isle Way, a small path along the ocean leads to Ferry Cove, a vacation rental meant to bring out the inner kid.

Ryan Anderson’s Airbnb blends the feel of Whidbey with Disney magic. Guests won’t find Mickey and Minnie roaming around like Disneyland, but immerse themselves in classic scenes of the 20th century like “The Parent Trap” and “The African Queen.”

“I’m a huge Disney fan,” Anderson said. “I love anything that brings out the inner kid in somebody. When people stay here, typically anyone that’s older than 50, they’ll go in here and be like, ‘Oh, this is like my childhood.’”

Outside, beyond a sign reading “Ferry Cove” in “The Parent Trap” font, it looks like a national park, with benches and signage that could have been pulled right from the dirt. According to Anderson, he found most of it on Etsy.

“I grew up going to Mount Rainier as a kid with my parents in a Volkswagen camper,” he said.

Along with this are Whidbey staples: a rustic wooden boat leaned against the wall and scattered driftwood.

Enter the living room, and Washington State ferry photos line the wall from the first half of the 20th century. A game table, which looks like a ferry booth, sits.

Yellow chairs lie on the deck, where guests can watch the ferry come in and out throughout the day. At night, the ferry moors right before the home, with its lights reflecting on the shimmering, dark waters.

The camp theme persists. Past the coffee bar is an old, camp-style intercom system to make announcements to the yard. Around back, it’s half beach, half grassy campground. Crushed oyster shells surround a firepit before a boathouse labeled “Ms. Inch’s Kayak Rentals,” after the cranky “Parent Trap” camp director.

Oil lanterns, camp thermoses and cafeteria trays fill the kitchen, and portraits of Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir hang in the Rainier-green bathroom. The bedrooms, whether camp or Disney theme, bring on the nostalgia, with old memorabilia bottles and vintage “Cinderella” and “Pinocchio” posters.

Anderson started his Seattle-based construction company, RW Anderson Homes, 24 years ago. Starting with remodels, they now construct new homes and custom residential projects.

“One thing we believe is that great design elevates human experience,” he said. “When you’re at a great restaurant, a great hotel, a great city or a great park, if it’s done well, you feel it, right? Even if you’re not consciously aware of it, it’s like ‘Oh, this is magical.’”

Beneath the Ferry Cove national park campground style is the true reason for its namesake. Open the doors to the basement, and step onto a ferry.

Immediately, every previous display is forgotten as the guest is surrounded by a compelling ferry replica down to the last detail. Hang onto the railing down to the cabin, where bunkbeds for kids look like an authentic stateroom.

Ferry speakers sound pre-recorded ferry announcements, but just like the camp intercom system, guests can take to the radio and make their own.

Beyond the bunks is a door labeled “Captain’s Quarters,” where guests find vintage books, antique typewriters, maps, plants and décor suggesting adventure.

For this room, Anderson was inspired by the 1951 flick, “The African Queen,” which was the model for Disney’s Jungle Cruise.

In every room, there is something to excite the young child to the elder. Anderson plans on continuing this mission. He dreams to acquire more boutique properties and fix them up into different themes, like a Nashville farmhouse, one like “The Jetsons” and other mid-century cartoons, a treehouse and anything else that brings out the inner kid.

Learn more about Ferry Cove at Airbnb.com.