Three Days: San Juan Islands

Three days in the San Juan Islands is the perfect amount of time for a relaxing vacation or a long weekend.

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We weren’t actually planning to go to the San Juan Islands, not at first. Our original summer vacation plan was to visit another island thousands of miles away. But COVID-19 made a trip to Ireland all but impossible.

Fortunately, we live in a big country with lots to see. Some parts of the United States remained de facto off limits this summer due to quarantine restrictions. But Washington State never went down that path, instead opting for strong mask requirements and (mostly) good public policy instead.

My wife and I visit the Northwest several times each year. And despite the pandemic, 2020 has been no exception. We have family in the Seattle area, and I lived there for nearly two decades before following my career to the Gulf Coast. But I’d barely passed through the San Juan Islands in all those years.

Short Day Trips to the San Juans

I had been on a 7th grade trip to Orcas Island for a junior high soccer game. It was only a day trip, but in the San Juans, you don’t just hop on the road and go. You get around on the Washington State Ferries, coming and going on their schedules. So with a little time to kill, our bus driver drove us to the highest point in the islands. At 2,409 feet above sea level, Mount Constitution treats those who drive, bike or hike to its summit spectacular views of the San Juan Islands and beyond. I haven’t been to Orcas Island since, but those views have stayed with me more than forty years later.

Another time, we sailed through the San Juans during a bicycle trip to Vancouver Island. The ferries have always been bike-friendly, and the route between Anacortes, Washington and Sydney, BC is a beautiful ride. It’s well worth it even if you’re not stopping on the San Juan Islands.

Three years ago, we had another day trip. This time, to Friday Harbor, the bustling heart of the San Juans. Understand that bustling is a relative term. The San Juan Islands are about as relaxed a place as you’ll find. But its small downtown offers plenty of diversion if you’re taking a ride out on the ferry. We had a nice lunch and stopped at a couple of the small shops, before taking the ferry back.

A Long Weekend from Seattle

I enjoyed those short visits, but day trips are almost by definition rushed. We seemed to be missing the point of these idyllic islands so close to Seattle. I’d long wanted to take a few days and really visit the place. In this pandemic year, our canceled plans gave us the opportunity. So we booked our hotel — really, more of a bed & breakfast — and set sail to Friday Harbor for three days in the San Juan Islands.

The San Juans are off the beaten path, but still easy to visit. From Seattle, the ferry terminal is a 90-minute drive north on I-5, and then west on SR-20 to Anacortes. If you’re driving onto the ferry, it’s good advice to make a reservation beforehand. Our guide to the Washington State Ferries has complete information. Kenmore Air offers seaplane flights from Seattle’s Lake Union and Boeing Field to the islands, as well, giving you more time on the islands and less time traveling.

Choose Your Island

The San Juans include 172 named islands and reefs, but you can visit just four of them by ferry.

Shaw Island is sparsely populated, with a land use plan designed to keep its rural character intact. The other three islands are where you would likely spend the bulk of your vacation.

• Lopez Island is the most rural of the archipelago’s three major islands. It’s mostly flat, making it popular with cyclists. And there are just enough restaurants and shops to keep things interesting. If your idea of a perfect getaway is to walk on the beach or curl up with a good book, Lopez Island may be the spot for you.
• Orcas Island is the largest island in the group, and offers all that visitors expect from the San Juans. Get great views from Mount Constitution, take a whale watching tour, or discover the island’s thriving art scene.
• San Juan Island is the most populated and home to Friday Harbor, the largest town and county seat of San Juan County. The island offers stunning landscapes, whale watching from the shore, fine dining, and some fascinating history involving a disputed border… and a pig.

But Just One Island…

If you have just three days in the San Juan Islands, I’d recommend you pick just one island. We stayed in Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island. It was a relaxing, even though we could hear the announcements from the nearby ferry terminal on our patio. Still, with plenty of restaurants and shopping nearby, Friday Harbor worked well for our tastes.

My wife and I had been hoping to hop the ferry to Orcas Island for one day. But we’d have found ourselves rushing once again, and would have barely scratched the surface of Orcas anyway. So we decided to stick with San Juan Island for our entire trip. Thus, the focus of this blog post. We’ll probably choose Orcas when we are able to return.

Accommodations

You won’t find chain hotels in the San Juan Islands. There are no opportunities to book with your hard-earned hotel points. And that’s okay. Save the points for your next trip. But if you have enough points from a flexible rewards currency, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, there are several San Juan Islands hotels available to book with points. (I recommend you have at least one credit card offering flexible rewards points in your wallet).

We stayed at the Tucker House Inn & Harrison House Suites, a nice bed and breakfast just a few blocks up from the ferry terminal and Downtown Friday Harbor. The original Tucker House dates back to 1898, while the Harrison House was built in 1905. Our room, called Amethyst Chain, was in the Upper Tucker House. With a small patio overlooking the town, it had everything we needed for a quiet stay.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the property has largely gone into a self-service mode. They called us on the phone when our room was ready, and left instructions to get into our room. They did not offer housekeeping during our stay, nor did we see an actual employee more than once. But they delivered a delicious hot breakfast to our room each morning. Each day, it was something different — a loaded breakfast burrito, a Monte Cristo-style panini, or a frittata made with local eggs.

It’s all very nice, but the B&B’s comfort and convenience comes at a price. Even with hotel prices down globally during the pandemic, the accommodations on San Juan Island did not appear part of that trend. We paid $357/night, including taxes, for three nights in August. If you’re willing to go off-season, you’ll save. I found rates for the same room at $152/pre-tax in November.

Sights

With three days in the San Juan Islands, you’ll be able to see the sights that interest you most. And take in the laid-back ambience of the place. Nature is the defining feature of the San Juans. Its landscapes are quietly stunning, and you need only look to the water to experience the thrill of its wildlife.

Whale Watching Tours

A highlight of any trip to the San Juan Islands is a whale watching trip. We were lucky enough to book a last-minute reservation with Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching, based in Friday Harbor. It was a cloudy, overcast day when we booked our late afternoon sailing. But as so often happens in the San Juans, the cloudy morning turned into a beautiful afternoon. Clear skies, plenty of late afternoon sunshine, and a perfect day to be out on the water.

Had we not seen any whales, the trip would have been enjoyable and well worth our time. But we did see whales. Orca whales and baleen whales. Lots of them. Along with sea lions, eagles, and more. It was easily the most unforgettable whale watching adventure of my life.

The whales come and go during the year, but the guides get to know their names and their personalities. They can tell you stories about specific whales. One fun fact: Male orcas are mama’s boys. They stay in the pod with their mother throughout their lives. And when their mom dies, the males are nearly 14 times more likely to die within a year themselves.

Lime Kiln Point

If you want to stay on land, you may be able to spot orcas at Lime Kiln Point State Park, on the western side of the San Juan Island. The park boasts a working lighthouse built in 1919, and great views across the Haro Strait to Vancouver Island.

You’re practically in Canada here. So close, in fact, that you could be charged for international roaming if your phone’s wireless plan doesn’t include Canada. Seriously! We had plenty of bars from a Rogers Wireless tower across the strait.

We didn’t see orcas this time. Locals will tell you it’s hit or miss to see these beautiful killer whales from land. But if you have three days in the San Juan Islands, and you’re based in Friday Harbor, take the drive to this state park. From the lighthouse, it’s a short walk over to an old lime kiln, from which the point got its name.

The Pig War

San Juan Island is home to a strange bit of history, one that’s commemorated at San Juan Island National Historical Park. The headline version of the story sounds preposterous:

American Shoots British Pig, War Nearly Breaks Out.

Of course, there’s more to the story. When the United States and Great Britain agreed to set their international boundary in 1846, they inadvertently set the stage for conflict. The British received Vancouver Island, but the treaty did not make clear the fate of the San Juan Islands.

Both countries claimed the islands as their own. British sheep farming thrived on San Juan Island, but Americans had also settled on the island. So when Lyman Cutler shot that pig in 1859, emotions came to a boil. After the British threatened to evict the American settlers, both sides starting amassing troops and preparing to fight. I know, right?

When word of this silliness reached London and Washington (DC), American and British officials were taken aback. They weren’t about to let their two countries go to war over a pig. They eventually agreed on a joint military occupation, which lasted for 12 years. It ended when Germany, who’d been asked to arbitrate the dispute, awarded the San Juan Islands to the United States. So thanks to Germany, I was able to spend three days in the San Juan Islands during this pandemic year.

The San Juan Islands National Historical Park tells the story of the Pig War at two distinct park units. The American Camp is on the island’s south side, while the British Camp on the northwest side. Both are worth a visit.

Cattle Point Road

You can easily reach the American Camp with a drive down scenic Cattle Point Road, heading south from Friday Harbor (past the airport). Be sure to drive all the way down past Cattle Point Lighthouse, or you’ll miss a stark, yet stunning, landscape that I did not expect to see. The island’s south side clearly gets less rain than other parts of the island. It’s virtually treeless, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported off the island altogether.

We stopped for awhile at South Beach, the longest public beach on the island. It’s a good spot for a picnic, beachcombing, or to simply grab a seat on a big piece of driftwood and watch the world go by. While we didn’t see whales from shore, this was the area where we saw an abundance of orcas during our whale watching tour. If you don’t see them from here, you may have a better chance of seeing orcas down the road a bit further, after a short hike to Cattle Point Lighthouse.

Shopping & Sightseeing: Lavender and Gin

With three days in the San Juan Islands, you could easily spend a day combining your sightseeing with shopping. We stopped at the Pelindaba Lavender Farm, where visitors are free to wander through the fields bathed in purple hues. The farm produces some 200 lavender products from these plants. We brought home several of those products, including their all-natural lavender insect repellant. Apparently, insects don’t much care for the smell of lavender and will keep their distance.

The best time to visit Pelindaba Lavender Farm is in July and August, when the lavender plants are at their peak of color. You can walk the fields anytime, even after hours.

The San Juan Island Distillery was a bit tricky to find, but totally worth the effort. Located on the northwest side of the island, near trendy Roche Harbor, the distillery makes brandy and vodka, but specializes in gin. We weren’t able to do a tasting this time (thanks, COVID-19), but we had a nice conversation with co-owner Suzy Pingree. She took time to explain their products and help us find what we might like the most, based on our preferences. We took home a bottle of gin and a nice bottle of Westcott Bay Cider. Our 26-year-old daughter loves gin, and we’re saving that to have our own tasting during her next visit.

Restaurants

The best part of just about any trip is the food. With three days in the San Juan Islands, you’ll be able to sample plenty of good restaurants.

Coho Restaurant was among our favorites. It’s a small, intimate restaurant in Downtown Friday Harbor, located inside a converted historic home. The restaurant has a nice wine list and works closely with local producers for a farm-to-table experience. I’d characterize the restaurant as small town fine dining. It’s unpretentious and at times unpolished, but you’ll have a great meal.

For great food and craft beer, the San Juan Island Brewing Company has you covered. In the Northwest, a restaurant’s clam chowder will tell you plenty about them. SJI Brewing Company’s chowder is pure goodness in a bowl, the best we had during our three days in the San Juan Islands. But the real point of visiting a craft brewery is their beer, right? You can get a flight of five beers (and cider), and once you’ve found a new favorite, grab a pint. I’m sold on their Quarry No. 9 Pale Ale.

Downrigger’s wins with its location. It’s right on the water, where you can watch the ferry traffic coming and going. Sip on one of their scratch-made cocktails, share a few appetizers, and enjoy the view.

In Roche Harbor, on the northwest corner of the island, we ate lunch outdoors at Madrona Bar & Grill. It’s another restaurant with a view, as it overlooks the marina at Roche Harbor. Currently, they are closed for the season and will reopen in Spring 2021.

A couple words of warning. First, if you plan to book with Open Table or Resy, make sure you’re booking a restaurant on the correct island. Victoria, BC is close by, and its restaurants show up constantly when checking out online bookings.

Second, we discovered that Friday Harbor rolls up the sidewalks fairly early. Don’t plan to have a late dinner, not without a reservation, or you may not have much to choose from. It may be due to COVID-19, but there wasn’t much of anything after 9PM.

Getting Around

If you want to leave the car behind, you’ll save money on your ferry transportation to the island. But if you rent a car while you’re there, you’ll more than make up the cost. Unless you are an avid cyclist, the best way to get around the islands is by car.

You can rent a bicycle on the islands, or bring your own. The islands and the ferries are bike-friendly. In Friday Harbor, Susie’s Mopeds is another option.

Public transportation is normally available on the three main islands. But in 2020, not so much. San Juan Island Transit serves many of the main tourist sites during the summer tourist season, but not all of them. Chances are, you’d want to supplement transit service with either taxi service, a bicycle, or a guided tour.

Final Thoughts

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This pandemic year has offered up plenty of lemons. So instead of a trip to Ireland, we stayed in the USA and spent three days in the San Juan Islands. The laid back atmosphere made for a nice break, and we’ll look forward to visiting again in the future.

If you’re like me and believe getting there is half the fun, the San Juan Islands are for you. You’ll enjoy riding the Washington State Ferries to your island escape. While the ferry itself is unspectacular — these are workhorse vessels, after all — the views are incredible. And riding a ferry to your destination is always an experience.

If you go, the summer months are the best (but most expensive) time to visit. The weather is usually nice, the lavender fields are at their loveliest, and all the seasonal businesses are open. But if go during the offseason, you’ll realize some nice savings on your accommodations, while still enjoying the tranquility of island life.

For more information, visit the San Juan Island Visitors Bureau.

All pictures by Mason for Planes, Trains and Travel (unless otherwise noted)