San Juan Island Weekend Getaway
San Juan Island opened her arms to us and gifted us with unsurpassed beauty, magical beings, adventure and relaxation. We enjoyed fine dining under the stars, wine tastings, fresh oysters, historical tours and wait until you hear about our Scoot Coupe!
San Juan Island is the most populous of the San Juan Islands. Of the 172 islands and reefs that comprise the San Juan Islands only three have regular ferry service; San Juan, Orcas and Lopez. The San Juan Island Ferry delivers visitors to Friday Harbor which is the largest town on the island. (see below for more ferry information)
We stayed at the most wonderful and comfortable Airbnb centrally located in Friday Harbor. It was the perfect homebase for all our adventures and just a 5 minute walk to the downtown core.
Stocked with every type of cooking item you might need, the kitchen amenities were overly gracious and easy to find. We especially appreciated the Keurig Coffee in the morning.
At the end of a long day of activities we kicked our feet up in the cozy living room and shared a delicious bottle of wine. The King sized bed was a welcome sight and proved to be just as comfortable as it looked. The neighborhood was very quiet and for two people who are used to city noise we slept through the night. (Here’s a link for your stay.)
Our adventure began when we rented a Scoot Coupe from Susie’s Moped’s. What a blast! This small but mighty two-seater confidently took us around the island’s 48 mile loop. Trainers were on hand to teach us how to drive our Scoot (who’s name was Charlie) and stay on the designated loop.
Once we were on the open road we visited; American Camp, Cattle Point Lighthouse, Pelindaba Lavender Farm, English Camp, and Westcott Bay Oysters. You all know how much Mike loves oysters so we spent a significant amount of time at Westcott Bay.
On West Side Road we saw Orcas! What an incredible and emotional sight.
The next day we also visited Lime Kiln Lighthouse, Roche Harbor Resort and San Juan Vineyard. We fell in love with Roche Harbor and had a romantic lunch on the harbor at Madrona Bar & Grill.
Places we ate that we would highly recommend are Duck Soup, Cask & Schooner and Downrigger’s.
You might be thinking, this seems like an awful lot of activities for one weekend. The island is small enough and each place is easy enough to access that visits don’t take nearly as long as they might elsewhere. Each stop is restful and eating is conveniently along the way, making it easy to stop as often as you like.
Visitors can either take a ferry or fly to San Juan Island. The San Juan Ferry leaves from Anacortes, Washington. If you take the ferry you can drive or walk on. We highly suggest ferry reservations (ferry reservation details here). The San Juan Island ferry docks at Friday Harbor which has lodging, restaurants and transportation options. You can also take a small plane or seaplane from various Seattle locations.
***We would like to acknowledge that the San Juan Islands are on the ancestral lands and waters of the Coast Salish people who have called these islands home since time immemorial and honor their inherent, aboriginal, and treaty rights that have been passed down from generation to generation. ***
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