These days, as we chug along behind giant RVs on our two-lane highway, or as we wait a while for a table in all our restaurants, or as we endure the unusual experience of hunting for a parking spot, it’s important for we Rock dwellers to find those still places that the hordes of summer visitors don’t haunt.

One of my favorites is the bluff trail at Fort Ebey State Park. It meanders for more than a mile with gorgeous views of the Admiralty Inlet shoreline, Port Townsend in the distance and even a glimpse of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. And this time of year it usually doesn’t rain and the wind usually isn’t strong enough to blow you off the cliff. What’s also nice is that, although the camp sites are fully booked, the trail entrance isn’t crowded and there are quite a few places to park your car.

I also really enjoy the waterfront trail in downtown Oak Harbor. It’s a combination of sidewalk, gravel and beach. I start at Flintstone Park on Bayshore Drive then walk west through Windjammer Park and eventually to the Scenic Heights Trailhead Park. This walk is amazingly uncrowded and I have yet to meet a group of tourists on it. And while walking it, it’s hard to imagine that Pioneer Way and Highway 20 are bustling nearby.

In Coupeville, while visitors swarm Front Street and the Wharf, I like to walk along the beach from the Town Park to the Boat Launch. You get a close up look at barnacles, tiny shore crabs, sailboats and kayakers. You also get to walk below all those historic buildings on Front Street clinging to the bluff. And you ponder what climate change and rising sea levels may mean in the decades to come.

When I feel truly adventurous, I like to take the Ebey’s Prairie trail. Not the bluff trail that starts at Ebey’s Landing and attracts thousands of hikers every year. No, I much appreciate the relatively new trail that stretches from Fort Casey Road all the way to Rhododendron County Park — three and a half miles! It passes through acres of gorgeous farmland and forest. The only drawback is that either you hike three and a half miles back to your car or you have somebody pick you up at the park.

Then there is nothing as pleasurable as taking my dog for walk at Double Bluff. It’s been a favorite for dog walkers forever and it’s easy to see why. Dogs can run off leash (so long as they don’t get angry with other dogs). You can take your shoes off and walk a distance in the water with your dogs. There are always quite a few others there when I go, but they are almost always Rock dwellers too.

There is lots of peace and quiet at South Whidbey State Park. It has no campgrounds so relatively few visitors go there. It has nice picnic tables, some with a view of Admiralty Inlet and it has nice trails. I like to just go sit there and appreciate the sounds of nature around me.

And finally I like to spend time at the Clinton Beach Park. It’s adjacent to the ferry terminal, where visitor cars are often backed up half a mile up the hill. As they sit, grumble and wait, I like to stroll around a beautiful local park that has nice amenities including restrooms and picnic tables. You can also walk down the beach and admire some really nice beachfront homes.

So, that’s just some of the places I find stillness and peace in our busy summer season.

Harry Anderson is a retired journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Times and now lives on Central Whidbey.