Hi - my god daughter is getting married out at Roche next June. Our family of 5 will go. WOuld you stay there and take day trips (we will make it a vacay) or split our time between Roche and another place? The wedding will be late June and we’re told we want to celebrate the 4th at Roche.

Kids are in their 20’s and we love to hike, explore, and generally be active. Thanks for any suggestions.

If you can swing it, grab your passports and take a 20-minute seaplane ride to Victoria, BC which is the most English city/town in North America. Stroll around the famous and lovely Butchart Gardens; explore the Neo-Baroque Parliament Buildings; wander around the Inner Harbour with its fishing boats and colorful floating homes; and take a tour of the stately Craigdarroch Castle mansion.

How many days would you stay in the area? What date is the wedding (in relation to Saturday, July 4th)?

If you only have a few free days, I'd stay on San Juan Island and perhaps split the nights with somewhere else on the island. There are enough things to see/do, and it takes easily under an hour to drive anywhere (assuming you'll have a car). If you have a week or more, you could visit another island but need to research/understand the logistics of moving from island to island. Ferry routes, travel times, how early to arrive for ferry, reservations, etc. We happen to be going to Roche Harbor late next week (after the 4th) but by boat, no car, and for only one night on our way to Vancouver Island. We've been to the S.J. Islands previously with a car, but not around the July 4th holiday which I assume is a very popular time. We stayed 2 nights in Roche Harbor and one night in Friday Harbor and had a great time exploring the island before heading to Orcas. We haven't been to Lopez.

I like PrairieHikerI's suggestion. We really liked Victoria, and I think we stayed there 3 or 4 nights.

I’ve heard of those gardens - thank you for the suggestion. Would not miss them for anything!

@Jean The wedding is on the 28th but my friend said July 4th is great. We don’t have to be there for the 4th. Could come in on the 26th and leave the 30th or so. Would love any ideas. We are flying from the east coast and I didn’t plan on having a car but haven’t really thought that far ahead TBH. DH and I will probably make this a 3-week trip. Do you recommend renting a car?

I guess you first have to decide where you want to be on the 4th. June 26th will be a day lost to just getting there. I would want at least three full days to explore San Juan, although I'd love a week. But that's me. You need to decide what you're going to do/see.

Will you fly into Seattle or Bellingham? Would you round-trip back to the same airport or fly home from another airport? Depending on that decision, you might want to spend a couple of days in Seattle or Vancouver (if you visit Victoria).

AFAIK, there are car rentals on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez Islands. I don't know whether you could use one car to explore several islands, or if you would need to rent/return on each island. You should look into that. Moving five people around would be a lot easier with car rentals rather than relying on a patchwork of public trans options. As with lodging, I'm guessing cars need to be booked well in advance.

Cutbacks in the Washington State Ferry system have added further stress to an already highly stressed picture. Access to the San Juans has suffered due to staff shortages, an aging fleet, and big budget shortfalls. It is imperative that car reservations for sailings to the islands from Anacortes be made as early as possible, and even then, access to the islands around holidays - and the three "summer" holidays - Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day - are the worst, can be pretty much a madhouse. Inter-island service has been cut back, so the idea of bouncing around the islands is way more problematic than in the past.

I'd probably stick to San Juan Island (Roche Harbor and Friday Harbor, among numerous destinations) rather than trying to add Orcas or Lopez; there's plenty to see and do on SJI, but whether there's enough for 4+ days is questionable (in my mind,) but you have plenty of time to research it.

Victoria is very pleasant but remember July 1 (today!) is Canada Day, followed (sometimes the same weekend) by the 4th of July in the US, and travel to Victoria can be just as tough (or tougher - higher demand) as getting to and from the San Juans. Frankly, if you want a Canadian experience, Vancouver on the mainland has lots going for it, including some fabulous gardens (free, not like the expensive Butchart Gardens) that might fill the bill. (Google Queen Elizabeth II Park in Vancouver.) Vancouver is a gorgeous city in a glorious setting, accessible without worrying about ferries.

I wasn't aware of the current ferry situation. Thanks, Gardyloo.

Weespxx, if you have 2+ weeks post-wedding, I think the choice would be between exploring another island or heading to Canada. FWIW, I think Victoria is great for a brief visit and Vancouver better if you have more time. Depending on where "home" is, flying home from Victoria would likely involve at least one connection in either Seattle or Vancouver.