Taking the Washington State Ferry from Anacortes, WA to San Juan Island and Friday Harbor is so breathtakingly beautiful, it may just be worth a trip to the isle by itself. But what is up with all the crew shortages and cancelled trips this season?  How difficult is it to get here?

Turns out not difficult at all.

After suffering severe crew shortages due to Covid resulting in cancelled sailings during most of 2021, the Washington State Ferries decided in November 2021 to go to an alternate schedule to provide more reliability. For us here on San Juan Island that means no vehicle reservations. It’s back to first-come-first-serve until further notice and in winter that is no problem at all, especially given Washington State Ferries are running the same amount of vessels they always do on San Juan Island’s winter schedule.

So treat yourself to that Winter Getaway to San Juan Island. Make a reservation for a massage instead of the ferry. Go storm watching, have fresh oysters and do some early holiday shopping in the cute coastal town of Friday Harbor. Just arrive in Anacortes a couple of hours before the ferry leaves. Bring a good book and a yummy picnic or plan on going beach combing in Anacortes, right there where the ferry docks, as a little appetizer to your trip to gorgeous San Juan Island.