jason_g

Hi Everyone.

My wife and I are heading to the Seattle area this summer for a wedding and are going to stick around to make it a quick vacation.

Basically what I want to know from you experts/locals is whether the San Juan islands are going to be so crowded over Labor Day weekend that it won't be worth it to visit. We only have a few days (leaving for the islands from Seattle on Thursday 8/30) so fighting the crowds or waiting for hours in ferry lines is not appealing.

We appreciate any tips that will help us avoid the crowds (e.g. is doing Lopez island instead of one of the bigger islands a good alternative?, if we park our car in Anacortez will we avoid long ferry lines?).

Also we appreciate any anecdotes that will help us understand if we're making the right call to go there that weekend for some biking, hiking, maybe kayaking, good meals, and general hanging out.

Thanks in advance.

Gardyloo

For ferry trips to the islands, probably the worst weekend of the year. Sorry.

Yes, you can leave your car at Anacortes, but then you're rather limited as to what you can do on the islands. One really needs a car to see them properly. Going over on a Thursday would definitely be better than on Friday; however it's the coming back that's the big issue - many folks spend most of Monday waiting in the ferry lines - all islands.

And yes, there will be a lot of people all over the place, although it should be said that a crowded day in the San Juans is a pretty empty day most other places.

You might have a look at Whidbey Island - you can drive on and off, so no ferry hassles.

Or suck it up and go kayaking on Lake Union or Lake Washington, then take in the Bumbershoot festival (www.bumbershoot.org) at Seattle Center. It's the un-rural option.

Orcas

You could take leave the car in Anacortes and take bikes to Lopez Island and stay in a B&B. You can bike all over Lopez as it is relatively flat. There are some nice parks there, like Spencer Spit. Plus there are little galleries in the little town as well as studios out and about that you could find by bike.

You could take the ferry from Lopez to Friday Harbor and use the shuttle transport available to see that island. I think you'd have a great time.

I was just looking at my photos of Lopez and one of them is a B&B called Edenwild. It looked really pretty from the outside. It's in the little town area. They might be booked. Check it out on the web.

Bumbershoot is so full of people, you can barely catch your breath, in my opinion.

Orcas

I just looked at Edenwild on the internet and they have some bikes available. there were also rentals at Spencer Spit, when we were there, so you could probably just walk on the ferry and rent bikes when you got to Lopez. You'd want to check with the B&B you were planning on staying in and reserve the bikes in advance, if needed. I can't imagine Lopez is ever crowded, as there are few places to stay on the island. And what is crowded? I can't imagine the San Juans ever seeming too crowded, compared to Victoria, Seattle, or other cities. Victoria gets positively overrun by tourists in the summer. I've never seen the San Juans choking. Limited access prevents that....You just have to get there....

jason_g

Thanks everyone for your advice, it was exactly what we needed. We ended up booking Edenwild on Lopez, they were very nice and made dinner reservations for us etc.