Fall is San Juan Island’s secret season.  It feels a lot like Summer, but with fewer people and more food. The island is graced with long, sunny days. Lodging and the ferries are less expensive, while none of the seasonal restaurants have packed up shop yet.

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.

The slower pace and peace of Winter on San Juan Island lend itself perfectly to an island getaway with a focus on rejuvenating your body, mind and soul. Being intentional with your self-care will help you find your center and get you ready to face life’s storms with grace and gratitude. Give yourself the great gift of a wellness weekend on San Juan Island.

Eloping used to strictly mean running away to get married in secret, especially without parental consent, evoking images of fair maidens being swept onto galloping stallions in the middle of a foggy night. As times have changed elopers have evolved from budding Romeos and Juliets to romantic realists, who don’t care what other people think about who they love and how they marry.