port townsend ferry to san juan island
 

I researching a trip to seattle & ONP summer 2005. We want to see San Juan Island and are deciding whether to stay overnight or just take the Port Townsend Ferry there for a day trip. Does anyone know about that ferry? I've only read about taking the ferry from Anacortes or Seattle.

the islands are so beautiful i think i would try to stay on one of them for an evening.
we have always left from anacortes.
so i can't help you there.

The PT-Friday harbor "ferry" is more a tour boat.

IMO seeing only Friday Harbor does not justify the cost. The main attraction of the San Juan Islands is the countryside and coastal areas, for which a car is needed in almost all cases. I would suggest an overnight at a minimum, with transporation, to justify the trip. Car ferry service to the islands is only through Anacortes, the Anacortes terminal is rather inconvenient (couple of hours) to Port Townsend.

We drove up to Anacortes from Seattle, took the car on the ferry through the San Juans, got off on the island just a few miles from
Buschart Garden. Visited there and overnighted in Victoria. Then took the ferry from there to Port Townsend. Nice two days.

Thanks for your advice--the more i learn the more I am confused--we are staying 2-3 nights in Port Ludlow--golf etc. I thought it would be more accessible from there--i'll rethink my itinerary

Just a thought. We've been to the San Juan Islands on our boat, so have had to get around on the islands without a car. There is a really good shuttle service on San Juan island that isn't expensive. You can buy a day's pass for around $5, if I recall, and get on and off as you wish. It starts out in Friday Harbor near the ferry terminal and stops at all the highlights - the English and American Camps, Roche Harbor, lavendar fields, a major park with views west of the Haro Straits, etc. You have to work your time around service, but it works really well.
Plus there are taxis if you want to go somewhere out of the way. We went to a Shakespeare Play in the middle of nowhere a couple of years ago by cab. So, you can do San Juan Island, at least, without a car.
We've taken cabs on Orcas Island before. I don't know if there are shuttle buses.
I don't know anything about the ferry service from Port Townsend, though. It is not part of the State ferry system.

Thank you Orcas--that might be just our answer--we are going to many other places, we don't have time to stay an entire day--but i'd love to see the highlights and perhaps spend more time during another trip.