considering a 6 day bike trip to the san juan islands in early september. what is weather like then? is it still crawling with tourists? is 6 days too much for this area of the country? honestly don't know that much about it. thanks all

jr

You should have gorgeous weather at that time! We lived in the area until just a few months ago and definitely 6 days is not too much time for this part of the country. Will you spent all 6 days on the islands or go other places nearby as well?

FWIW, it will be the height of hurricane season. Not sure what the odds are......

hurricanes in the pacific northwest???? i had no idea. . .

Don't worry...we don't have hurricanes in the PNW

Early September should be the most ideal time to visit the San Juans; most of the tourists will be gone, and the weather will still be good. 6 days would be a great period of time for biking around the islands.

The 3 good biking islands are Lopez, San Juan, and Orcas. All are accessible by WA State ferries, and have good road systems. Lopez is quite small and flat, and can easily be done in a day or two. San Juan is substantially bigger and a little hilly-er, but can still be easily covered in a couple of days. Orcas has some tough (but worthwhile) climbs, but is quite scenic. We've tried biking to the top of Orcas' Mt. Constitution twice, but both times gave up and hiked the rest of the way (maybe you are in better shape than me!).

Here is the itinerary for a commercial 6-day San Juan Islands tour, just to give you a better idea: http://www.bicycleadventures.com/where/sj_6.html

You also might want to consider ferrying over to Victoria, B.C., on Vancouver Island, for an overnight trip.

There are several guidebooks:
Bicycling the Backroads of Northwest Washington, by Erin Wood. Mountaineers Press.

Exploring by Bicycle: Southwest British Columbia, Northwest Washington, by Janet Wilson. Gundy's & Bernie's Guide Books.

Exploring by Bicycle: Southwest British Columbia and the San Juan Islands, by Tim Perrin. Douglas & McIntyre Publishers (this one is pretty old)

Touring the Islands: Bicycling in the San Juan, Gulf, and Vancouver Islands, by Peter Powers. Terragraphics Press (I like this one)

I think bardo is thinking about Puerto Rico?

Duh! I was.

i was actually thinking about the bicycle adventure tour. . . anyone ever done this?

I have not gone with Bicycle Adventures, but I have met participating cyclists along the road on Orcas Island. They appeared to be very professional and well-run, with a nice sag-wagon van with roof racks.

We hit the Seattle-Vancouver area once a year. The San Juans will be very nice in September. That being said, I'd aim for mid September or at the earliest after Labor Day. Kids are back in schools, families are not on vacation as much and the ferry waits are not so extreme. This is our favorite time to travel in the Pacifc NW>

BTW~Lopez is divine!