Hiking in our incredibly gorgeous State of Washington is its own reward. Every cell in your body gets energized, your heart is pumping and after an especially steep stretch, your body is flooded with endorphins, making you feel happy and giddy to be alive. Then there is hiking on San Juan Island with its clean, salty air, tons of wildlife and beautiful surroundings. Just when you think, it can’t get any better than this with the eagles, the foxes and the wildflowers, you come around a corner with such a spectacular view, it might just take your breath away.

I love San Juan Island and make a point to visit at least three times each year. I love how everything slows down as soon as you set foot off the ferry – island time. I love that even in the midst of August when the entire world is coming to visit, the island folks are smiling...

San Juan Island and its quaint coastal town of Friday Harbor are especially charming in the Winter. When Seattleites are bundling up in rain gear and have said goodbye to the sun for months to come, the San Juan Islands, just 65 miles north, are enjoying many sunny, crystal clear days, courtesy of the Olympic Rain Shadow.

A romantic getaway to beautiful San Juan Island is so easy to plan. It says “we love each other”, expressing your longing to connect, play, relax and relax together.

Most people visit San Juan Island to see Orca whales in the wild, watch rare birds and other wildlife, eat in fancy restaurants and have dessert, take a guided kayak tour, do wine and distillery tastings – the things you do on vacation. Have you ever wondered what the folks who live here do for fun? Check out our insider tips to experience San Juan Island like a local.

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.

We San Juan Islanders love our island and we love to share this special place with our visitors.  And we especially love you to be well informed and totally excited about coming here and knowing what to expect when you get here.

San Juan Island is an amazing place to spend your honeymoon. It simply has it all: breathtaking vistas, amazing wildlife, stunning beaches, fun adventures like whale watching, kayaking, hiking and biking, rich history and the adorable coastal town of Friday Harbor with shops, restaurants, boutiques, museums and galleries, all in walking distance. Whether you want to get away from it all or be entertained and awed every minute of your trip, you’ll find it here, on beautiful San Juan Island.