A Pacific Northwest Island Getaway

A PACIFIC NORTHWEST ISLAND GETAWAY
SAN JUAN ISLAND 

Imagine being on a ship in the 1800s and entering a beautiful, scenic harbor. The ship captain hollers across the water to a shore worker as the ship approaches, "What bay is this?" The man yells back "Friday," thinking he heard, "What day is this?" Although not accurate, it was the most humorous version I found in my research about how Friday Harbor got its name.

I got a sense of that bygone time while I was on a Washington State Ferry that floated gently into the town's ferry dock. 

This charming island town is fun to visit anytime, but if you want to beat the crowds, pack a few warm clothes, throw in a pair of water proof boots and you can have a wonderful late winter or early spring getaway that starts at Friday Harbor and circles the entire island.

Your escape starts long before you step foot onto the island. It begins the moment you board the ferry in Anacortes, sailing through the scenic San Juan Islands, a breathtaking archaeological group of islands in the Puget Sound. 

Friday Harbor

Winter was mild when we visited San Juan Island and the summer tourists had yet to arrive. Friday Harbor greeted us with one-square mile of charm. Colorful shops, cafes, bars, and galleries lined the sloped streets. We started our island getaway with lunch at one of the town's many charming cafes. It is just the best to drive or walk off the ferry and start your getaway with a meal at one of the local restaurants in this tiny harbor town. It gets you right into what I love about getaways--everything feels fresh, unexpected and delightful.

"Life is so gentle here," said my friend, who was now a local. We were talking over coffee in a town cafe--obviously a local hang out. She had moved to the island a few years before and was telling me what it felt like to live here. She loved it. I was getting a sense from our conversation that San Juan Island was distinctly different then the busy mainland of Washington State. 

Roche Harbor

We were traveling with another couple and staying in Roche Harbor, which was about nine miles from Friday Harbor. This quaint town is built on sloped land that overlooks a beautiful little harbor. You'll feel enchanted as you explore the white-washed buildings, lush winter gardens, cobblestone walkways, secluded spots, and expansive marina docks. You can tell it's lovingly cared for. Meticulous attention is given to every detail from the beautifully pruned garden to the freshly painted white buildings to the scrubbed cobblestones. And it has an essence of sweetness with its ivy encased Jupiter thrown (I'll let you find that on your own), profuse tiny white winter flowers, wood trellis that covers a walkway to the hotel, and the etched names in each cobblestone. It’s a tiny place with three restaurants, a seasonal espresso stand, a general market and a farm garden where they grow their own vegetables and flowers for the restaurants and market. Condos and town homes have built up around the town, but in no way do these take away from the look and feel of quaintness. They are designed to fit in with the period look of the town. 

After exploring the island for a couple of days, I got what my friend was saying about being distinctly different. 55-square-miles of tranquil beauty. Windy country roads with panoramic and peek-a-boo views of the Salish Sea. Tiny lanes named Frog Song trail, Earth Song lane, Rainshadow drive, Wood Duck lane, and Raven Ridge road made me sigh. Beaches just made for walkers and rock-hounds. Farmlands and pastures with surprising amounts of forest covered the island's rolling hills. Douglas firs, Madronas, Hemlocks and Alders were common, but I was especially struck by a beautiful grove of Garry Oakes.

Garry Oak Trees

One day I was exploring the island with my life partner who has a talent for photographing nature in beautifully fresh and original ways. Happy to be out the car, we followed a steep, but not difficult trail to a tiny British soldier cemetary enclosed by a white picket fence. We unexpectedly came upon a stand of Garry Oak trees just beyond the cemetary. The sloped grounds were beautiful, almost park-like, but not manicured and sculptured by any human. The giant Garry oakes were standing amidst a soft expanse of mossy grounds interrupted by mounds of uneven exposed bedrock. Wide views of the Olympic mountains, other San Juan islands and the Salish Sea were to the west. A high forested hill to the east. I could hear Canada geese and an eagle calling. So picturesque. A photographer's haven. Mine, too.

A sign told us that these were the only native Garry oakes in Washington. Revival efforts by the park service (we were in English Camp, which is part of a National Historical park on the island) were evident. What once was 120 acres is now 50 acres. Efforts included selectively removing Douglas fir, and invasive and non-invasive plants. And they were paying off. The oakes were coming back.  

American and English Camps

In the mid-1800s American and English camps were established when Great Britain and the United States peacefully held joint occupation of San Juan Island.

American Camp is located on the southern tip of San Juan Island. A nice salt water beach for exploring borders the grounds. And, amazingly, it’s home to red fox, which you can watch forage, run, and play in the grassy areas near the parking areas.

At the opposite end of the island, English camp is located on Garrison Bay. It’s an interesting historical place to visit with barracks, a blockhouse, pretty formal gardens, and more.

Both camps have visitor centers, but at the time of this article, a new center is under construction at American camp.