Beautiful San Juan Islands
Jun 28th, 2023, 11:31 AM
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Beautiful San Juan Islands
We recently spent a week in the beautiful San Juan Islands. It’s a favorite vacation during the summer and we are fortunate to live in Seattle so it’s not a far destination. The islands are in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, so it is much drier and sunnier than the rest of western Washington. We live in downtown Seattle and it is a two hour drive for us to reach the Anacortes Ferry terminal. If you are driving directly from the Sea-Tac Airport (during rush hour) then I would recommend adding another hour to your journey. Seattle is considered #5 worst cities for traffic per CBS News and I can concur, especially when we were returning home (during rush hour) regarding how bad traffic can be in Seattle.
This June we noticed the tourism was down in the San Juan Islands (at least during our visit). When talking to some of the locals, we suspect it could be due from the ferry issues/cancelations the ferry system been having due to staff shortages and ferry breakdowns. We had no problems with our ferries to and from Seattle, but I decided to provide some tips/advice to those who may be visiting the islands for the first time. You may not know that you need to make Car ferry reservations if taking the Anacortes ferry to the San Juan Islands and you need to have reservations for returning to Anacortes. You won’t be charged until you reach the Anacortes Ferry terminal but if you miss the scheduled time you will be charged a minimal fee. Summer time is especially busy so ferry reservations are a must. You won’t need reservations for inter-island ferries. We split our time in San Juan and Orcas Islands. When we leave San Juan island we just check the ferry schedule for Orcas. We normally take the noon ferry to and from the San Juan Islands. It seems that the people who get stuck are ones who have scheduled evening ferries and so if there are delays/cancelations maybe there won’t be ferries until the next day.
https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries
We make our lodging accommodations way in advance so there is a certain window of when you are able to get online to make your ferry car reservations.
Our preference for lodging lately has been Roche Harbor Resort https://www.rocheharbor.com/. We have stayed in the hotel but I prefer the condos because we like to make our breakfasts. IMO, this resort has everything you need from restaurants, rental kayaks, swimming pool, spa, grocery store, etc. on the property. There is a very nice Sculpture Park that you can walk to from the resort (by taking the road past the McMillan Restaurant) which is a pretty level walk. There is a large hill that you can walk up and down to the Sculpture Park but one year we found this easier path.
Roche Harbor Resort - hotel
Roche Harbor Resort restaurants/marina
Zylstra Lake Reserve
Cattle Point beach
They were taking a nap. I zoomed in on this photo.
Mama fox looking for food
View from waterfront Landmark Inn condo on Orcas Island
Turtleback Mountain (south) trail
The San Juan Islands are very scenic and they don’t have any traffic lights on the islands. Lots of beautiful farmlands and idyllic island life. Some of the great places to visit besides Friday Harbor, Saturday farmers market, English and American Camp Parks, and Lime Kiln Park is where you might get lucky and spot whales, dolphins, seals or porpoises. On this visit we were delighted to watch four porpoises. We had really nice weather for the middle of June. In past visits, when it’s been foggy, we were surprised one year that we couldn’t see the whales but we could hear them! That was pretty exciting. Another favorite of ours is Cattle Point and South Beach. We have been lucky to see wild red foxes during our beach walk. There are few picnic tables at Cattle Point and a small rocky beach below the view point. We saw wild red foxes on the beach while the mother was looking for food along the shore. The babies didn’t seem to mind us getting photos of them. Also, in Friday Harbor, there is a great wine/cider tasting place near the ferries called Madonna Winery. They have a beautiful patio in the back as well as places to sit inside. Their hard pear cider is wonderful.
There is a nice short hike up Mt. Finlayson (4 miles) when you pass the sign for South Beach. There is one part of the trail where you are above the road and have water views. The name of the trail mark parking spot is called Jakles Lagoon. Half of this trail is through the woods if you do the loop. We saw bald eagles, deer and other birds along this trail. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Baker.
I’m a birder so another special place we really enjoy is the Zylstra Lake Reserve. There is a small parking lot off the San Juan Valley Road. It opened in Sept. 2020. We discovered this gem in the summer of 2021. It’s a very short but beautiful walk (2 miles trail). Dogs on leash are only allowed from April through September. There has been lots of bird species recorded at this spot. I have spotted an American Goldfinch in my first year at this place, red wing blackbird on my second time and this year we spotted a Great Horned Owl which I was so thrilled to see in mid-day. There were other birds that I saw but these mentioned were very special. Bring your binoculars.
Favorite restaurants on San Juan Island are McMillan Restaurant (Roche harbor marina view), Madonna Grill (marina view and large deck), Duck Soup Inn, Vinny’s (Italian) and San Juan Brewery and Fisherman Landing (nice view of harbor and ferry landing). If you have a special celebration, then I highly recommend McMillan restaurant. It is expensive but probably the best restaurant on the island. Around 9pm (sunset) they perform a ceremony on the grounds and you can have them announce your loved ones birthday, anniversary, etc. Just let the restaurant know ahead of time. It is a nice surprise when they hear their name. Just make sure your loved one isn’t talking away and doesn’t hear the announcement. LOL.
We took the inter island ferry to Orcas Island. (No reservations needed) and we try to take the noon ferry. The ferry stops at Shaw Island and then heads over for Orcas. Orcas is the largest island of all the San Juan Islands. It’s shaped like a horse shoe. Our favorite place is to stay in East Sound at Landmark Inn Condos https://www.orcasisland-landmark.com/ They have 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom condos. It’s more space than we need but since it’s with walking distance to the little town and has amazing views if you get a full water view condo. There is a little park across the street and beach access (when low tide). It’s got the best view.
There is a Saturday farmers market in East Sound. There is a Market store & Coop when you can get your groceries.
Our favorite hike are Mt. Constitution via Little Summit and Mountain Lake(6.5 miles). You can also drive up to the summit area but we prefer to do the hike. Starting at Little Summit (trail starts near the Mountain Lake restrooms) and it starts off steep but then it turns into a zig zag trail till it connects to Mt. Constitution fort trail. You have the best views when you get near and at the fort. There are a few picnic tables and it’s a great place to enjoy lunch and then when we head back we do a loop and cross over the parking lot where you see the signs for “Twin Lakes/Mountain Lake trails. It is a wider dirt trail covered with pine needles until you come to the lake and then it’s a beautiful view along the lake back to the parking lot. At the end of the trail, there is paved road that you have to go a very short distance and then you’ll see the parking lot.
Another great trail is the Turtleback South trail (6.5 miles). We used to do the hike at the north entrance which is nice (through forest) but a friend of ours told us that the South trail has better views. He was right. The South trail is closer to Deer Harbor and you turn on Wild Rose Lane when you see the grassy parking lot. We had pretty good weather while on San Juan Islands so the views of the islands were amazing. The signage is a bit confusing but if you want to do a short hike (2.5 miles) you can go to Ships Peak to your left. You should follow the sign to Ridge Trail to the right and it will connect to the Center Loop trail. When you return you can either go back the same way or
Go over to Ships Peak and then follow the Lost Oak Trail which is through the forrest and you’ll see lots of “wild cucumbers”. At least, that is what a fellow hiker said they were. The trail returns you back to the parking lot.
Orcas Island is the largest island of the San Juan Islands. There aren't as many restaurants to choose from but we have enjoyed the restaurant at the Rosario Resort. The dinners can be hit or miss but the view is stunning. If you go on a Sat. There is a pipe organ concert at 4pm so that would be nice to include in your outing. We didn’t get a chance to see it but there is a small museum downstairs that is interesting to see the Moran estate and history. There is also a more casual restaurant near the small marina that is good for lunch. In East Sound, we like White Horse Pub for casual pub food and they have a great water view with also a deck available, and Leaf’s Cafe. We have tried other places but these were the restaurants we normally visit.
San Juan Islands is a throw back in time and a magical place to visit.
This June we noticed the tourism was down in the San Juan Islands (at least during our visit). When talking to some of the locals, we suspect it could be due from the ferry issues/cancelations the ferry system been having due to staff shortages and ferry breakdowns. We had no problems with our ferries to and from Seattle, but I decided to provide some tips/advice to those who may be visiting the islands for the first time. You may not know that you need to make Car ferry reservations if taking the Anacortes ferry to the San Juan Islands and you need to have reservations for returning to Anacortes. You won’t be charged until you reach the Anacortes Ferry terminal but if you miss the scheduled time you will be charged a minimal fee. Summer time is especially busy so ferry reservations are a must. You won’t need reservations for inter-island ferries. We split our time in San Juan and Orcas Islands. When we leave San Juan island we just check the ferry schedule for Orcas. We normally take the noon ferry to and from the San Juan Islands. It seems that the people who get stuck are ones who have scheduled evening ferries and so if there are delays/cancelations maybe there won’t be ferries until the next day.
https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries
We make our lodging accommodations way in advance so there is a certain window of when you are able to get online to make your ferry car reservations.
Our preference for lodging lately has been Roche Harbor Resort https://www.rocheharbor.com/. We have stayed in the hotel but I prefer the condos because we like to make our breakfasts. IMO, this resort has everything you need from restaurants, rental kayaks, swimming pool, spa, grocery store, etc. on the property. There is a very nice Sculpture Park that you can walk to from the resort (by taking the road past the McMillan Restaurant) which is a pretty level walk. There is a large hill that you can walk up and down to the Sculpture Park but one year we found this easier path.
Roche Harbor Resort - hotel
Roche Harbor Resort restaurants/marina
Zylstra Lake Reserve
Cattle Point beach
They were taking a nap. I zoomed in on this photo.
Mama fox looking for food
View from waterfront Landmark Inn condo on Orcas Island
Turtleback Mountain (south) trail
The San Juan Islands are very scenic and they don’t have any traffic lights on the islands. Lots of beautiful farmlands and idyllic island life. Some of the great places to visit besides Friday Harbor, Saturday farmers market, English and American Camp Parks, and Lime Kiln Park is where you might get lucky and spot whales, dolphins, seals or porpoises. On this visit we were delighted to watch four porpoises. We had really nice weather for the middle of June. In past visits, when it’s been foggy, we were surprised one year that we couldn’t see the whales but we could hear them! That was pretty exciting. Another favorite of ours is Cattle Point and South Beach. We have been lucky to see wild red foxes during our beach walk. There are few picnic tables at Cattle Point and a small rocky beach below the view point. We saw wild red foxes on the beach while the mother was looking for food along the shore. The babies didn’t seem to mind us getting photos of them. Also, in Friday Harbor, there is a great wine/cider tasting place near the ferries called Madonna Winery. They have a beautiful patio in the back as well as places to sit inside. Their hard pear cider is wonderful.
There is a nice short hike up Mt. Finlayson (4 miles) when you pass the sign for South Beach. There is one part of the trail where you are above the road and have water views. The name of the trail mark parking spot is called Jakles Lagoon. Half of this trail is through the woods if you do the loop. We saw bald eagles, deer and other birds along this trail. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Baker.
I’m a birder so another special place we really enjoy is the Zylstra Lake Reserve. There is a small parking lot off the San Juan Valley Road. It opened in Sept. 2020. We discovered this gem in the summer of 2021. It’s a very short but beautiful walk (2 miles trail). Dogs on leash are only allowed from April through September. There has been lots of bird species recorded at this spot. I have spotted an American Goldfinch in my first year at this place, red wing blackbird on my second time and this year we spotted a Great Horned Owl which I was so thrilled to see in mid-day. There were other birds that I saw but these mentioned were very special. Bring your binoculars.
Favorite restaurants on San Juan Island are McMillan Restaurant (Roche harbor marina view), Madonna Grill (marina view and large deck), Duck Soup Inn, Vinny’s (Italian) and San Juan Brewery and Fisherman Landing (nice view of harbor and ferry landing). If you have a special celebration, then I highly recommend McMillan restaurant. It is expensive but probably the best restaurant on the island. Around 9pm (sunset) they perform a ceremony on the grounds and you can have them announce your loved ones birthday, anniversary, etc. Just let the restaurant know ahead of time. It is a nice surprise when they hear their name. Just make sure your loved one isn’t talking away and doesn’t hear the announcement. LOL.
We took the inter island ferry to Orcas Island. (No reservations needed) and we try to take the noon ferry. The ferry stops at Shaw Island and then heads over for Orcas. Orcas is the largest island of all the San Juan Islands. It’s shaped like a horse shoe. Our favorite place is to stay in East Sound at Landmark Inn Condos https://www.orcasisland-landmark.com/ They have 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom condos. It’s more space than we need but since it’s with walking distance to the little town and has amazing views if you get a full water view condo. There is a little park across the street and beach access (when low tide). It’s got the best view.
There is a Saturday farmers market in East Sound. There is a Market store & Coop when you can get your groceries.
Our favorite hike are Mt. Constitution via Little Summit and Mountain Lake(6.5 miles). You can also drive up to the summit area but we prefer to do the hike. Starting at Little Summit (trail starts near the Mountain Lake restrooms) and it starts off steep but then it turns into a zig zag trail till it connects to Mt. Constitution fort trail. You have the best views when you get near and at the fort. There are a few picnic tables and it’s a great place to enjoy lunch and then when we head back we do a loop and cross over the parking lot where you see the signs for “Twin Lakes/Mountain Lake trails. It is a wider dirt trail covered with pine needles until you come to the lake and then it’s a beautiful view along the lake back to the parking lot. At the end of the trail, there is paved road that you have to go a very short distance and then you’ll see the parking lot.
Another great trail is the Turtleback South trail (6.5 miles). We used to do the hike at the north entrance which is nice (through forest) but a friend of ours told us that the South trail has better views. He was right. The South trail is closer to Deer Harbor and you turn on Wild Rose Lane when you see the grassy parking lot. We had pretty good weather while on San Juan Islands so the views of the islands were amazing. The signage is a bit confusing but if you want to do a short hike (2.5 miles) you can go to Ships Peak to your left. You should follow the sign to Ridge Trail to the right and it will connect to the Center Loop trail. When you return you can either go back the same way or
Go over to Ships Peak and then follow the Lost Oak Trail which is through the forrest and you’ll see lots of “wild cucumbers”. At least, that is what a fellow hiker said they were. The trail returns you back to the parking lot.
Orcas Island is the largest island of the San Juan Islands. There aren't as many restaurants to choose from but we have enjoyed the restaurant at the Rosario Resort. The dinners can be hit or miss but the view is stunning. If you go on a Sat. There is a pipe organ concert at 4pm so that would be nice to include in your outing. We didn’t get a chance to see it but there is a small museum downstairs that is interesting to see the Moran estate and history. There is also a more casual restaurant near the small marina that is good for lunch. In East Sound, we like White Horse Pub for casual pub food and they have a great water view with also a deck available, and Leaf’s Cafe. We have tried other places but these were the restaurants we normally visit.
San Juan Islands is a throw back in time and a magical place to visit.
Jun 28th, 2023, 01:13 PM
#3
I really like San Juan islands. It is truly beautiful and the ferry ride is memorable. It was 2014 that I visited the islands. It is time to plan for a trip to revisit the islands. Thanks for the report.
Jun 28th, 2023, 02:40 PM
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Thanks for this timely trip report, lots of useful information and great photos! I recently relocated to the Seattle area and am hoping to visit the San Juans in late September. I love pipe organ concerts so that was an especially inviting detail.
Jun 29th, 2023, 12:09 PM
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Thanks everyone for your kind responses.
I realized that my edit didn't get included in my Orcas Island restaurants so I wanted to add that we found our best dinner at the Inn at Ships Bay restaurant. (10 min drive from East Sound).
Also, welcome to Seattle, Bon Voyage.
I realized that my edit didn't get included in my Orcas Island restaurants so I wanted to add that we found our best dinner at the Inn at Ships Bay restaurant. (10 min drive from East Sound).
Also, welcome to Seattle, Bon Voyage.
Aug 28th, 2023, 03:47 PM
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