Winters on San Juan Island are invigorating, quiet, festive and just what the doctor ordered when holiday planning, cooking and shopping gets you down. Our brisk, sunny days – courtesy of the Olympic Rain Shadow
Even if you have been coming to the San Juan Islands every year since you were a child, we have gathered some fun facts about this beautiful slice of paradise, some of which may surprise you. May we present, in no particular order, 10 little known facts about San Juan Island:
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.
The most fantastic and comprehensive way to experience San Juan Island for the first (or fiftieth) time is driving or biking the Washington’s Scenic Byway route. Explore breathtaking beaches, National Historical Parks, unique farms and world class art and find your favorite spot on our little slice of paradise. Here’s a guided tour to keep you going for a full weekend.
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.
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.
If you have ever lived in a place with seasonal tourism you’ll know: the exhale after the high season is over, the giddiness of the first rain after the Summer, the gratefulness resulting from the earth's changing position in regard to the sun. We San Juan Islanders created a month-long celebration around this feeling and call it Savor the San Juans.
On June 30, 2019, San Juan Island’s most recognizable icon, the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, turns 100 years old. It was one of the last lighthouses being built in Washington State, the last to be connected to electricity in 1951 and it’s still in operation today, sending its light beam 17 miles over the Salish Sea every 10 seconds.
Visiting beautiful San Juan Island with its stunning wildlife, breathtaking nature, rich history and culture is the most relaxing, awe-inspiring and rejuvenating experience. Planning such a getaway can be a little intimidating, especially when you haven’t been to the island before and ferry travel is involved. But don’t worry, we’ll give you the insiders scoop. Here are the most common mistakes when planning a trip to San Juan and how to avoid them.
