Residents of other islands in the San Juan Islands archipelago call Friday Harbor lovingly and with a little wink, “sin city”. You might think: nights lit like daylight while people dance half naked in the street and exclamations of the “what happens here stays here” kind. Rest assured, it simply refers to the fact that we have more than one bar.

There is nothing like a picnic on the beach overlooking the Salish Sea with only Orca whales and Bald Eagles watching.  San Juan Island’s astonishing beauty offers breathtaking places to stop and have a snack. Let me share my favorite picnic spots with you, along with some tips on what to bring and where to get it.

It could be said that our Earth laughs in wildflowers.  Nowhere is this more true than in April and May on San Juan Island. Meadows, mountains, forest floors and prairies are abloom with Fairy Slippers, Fawn Lilies, Blue Camas, Indian Paintbrush, Buttercups and more, much more. You can’t pick or replant them, they won’t keep. You just have to be there, in the moment, and enjoy their sweet smells and the way they sway with the wind.  There are daffodil fields that some lovely soul planted on the prairie of American Camp and the meadows of English Camp. And wherever you go, you’ll find fresh flower stands on the roadsides, ready to adorn your hotel room or your home. Come on up and savor this precious time of the year with one of our favorite wildflower hikes on San Juan Island.

Pristine San Juan Island, a mere 65 miles north of Seattle, is a haven for wildlife at sea and on land alike.  The iconic Orca and impressive Humpback whales along with the mighty Steller sea lions make the waters around San Juan Island their home. The island lies within the Pacific Coast Flyaway, which extends from Alaska to South America, making it a popular stop for migratory birds, like the majestic Trumpeter Swans or a waterdance of Loons. Spring is a marvelous time to see bald Eagles teaching their young how to fly, baby foxes frolicking on the prairie and baby seals waiting absolutely still on a rock waiting for their Mom to come back from dinner hunting.

My husband and I got married on San Juan Island and decided to return for our “Wood” (fifth) anniversary to the place where it all happened. That was precisely why we chose San Juan Island as our wedding destination in the first place: a breathtakingly beautiful place, yet not so far away that it would remain a once-in-a-lifetime destination.

With our lush valleys and temperate climate, it’s no wonder that agriculture is San Juan Island’s second largest industry. We are so grateful for that. Most restaurants serve some of our healthy, clean island-grown food. The Saturday’s Farmer’s Market in downtown Friday Harbor is a festive, fun affair. You will also pass by countless farm and flower stands on your way to the beaches and sites. The best part: some farms on San Juan Island will pleasantly surprise you with their unique offerings, special tours and ways to spend time there. Here is how you do it:

Lisette and her adorable family (soon to be plus one) visit San Juan Island every year. They created this lovely tradition for their cute son Jasper. On their last visit, Jasper went on his first whale watch tour, got to eat home-made pasta at a Farm-to-Table restaurant and skipped stones at South Beach.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. We’ve all heard the statistics. Not the ones about elephant consumption, but the ones stating that only about 8% of New Year’s resolutions are accomplished. The reason they fail so predictably is simple: resolutions are vague and broad, open-ended and overly ambitious. Goals on the other hand, tend to be specific and measurable. We here at the Bird Rock Hotel deeply believe in specific goals, personal growth, the power of being kind and present and that the best is yet to come. Check out our goals for the next year and see which ones are for you. Many are easily achieved on a San Juan Island getaway, just saying….