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8 Must-Dos on your Romantic Getaway to San Juan Island

This year don’t wait until February 13th to make a hasty Valentine’s Day plan or to grab some flowers and a teddy bear on your way home. Instead treat the love of your life to a romantic San Juan Island getaway to have time for each other and make new memories. Right around Valentine’s Day we here on the isl enjoy a tiny teaser of Spring with stunning sunny days and the first wildflowers emerging. On the wild side, last year we saw an abundance of Biggs Killer Whales as early as February, plus this is the time to watch the seabirds migrate. Are you ready for your romantic island getaway? Here is your romantic island getaway Must-Do list:

1)         Romantic Jacuzzi Suite in the heart of town

For lodging, check out the adorable, historic Bird Rock Hotel a block and a half from the ferry dock. Many of their 15 unique rooms offer luxurious jacuzzi tubs, some even offer a harbor view or a private outdoor hot tub and a (indoor) fire place.

Insider Tip: Add a bottle of champagne, island made salted caramels and/or a spa decadence box for your room on arrival.

2)         Couple’s Massage at Spa at Earthbox

A relaxing couple’s massage at the delightful Spa at Earthbox might be just what Cupid ordered. Make it an Open Sky Signature massage, which incorporates a mini-facial and some hot stone work and feel the tension and stress leave your body.

Insider Tip: both Earthbox and Bird Rock hotel guests get to use the Earthbox’ indoor, heated pool, sauna, hot tub and exercise room for free.

3)         Romantic Dinner

Friday Harbor is dotted with cozy Farm-to-Table restaurants offering delicious island fare and fresh seafood. For a truly memorable experience, head a few miles out of town and find San Juan Island’s renowned Duck Soup restaurant in the woods by a lake.  Duck Soup serves local farm produce, meat and seafood, foraged edibles from land and sea, and local goods from island crafts-people in a lodge like setting.

Insider Tip: Their handcrafted cocktails made with island spirits and seasonal botanicals are to die for.

4)         Distillery Tasting

Speaking of island made spirits: San Juan Island is the proud home of a vineyard, two breweries and San Juan Distillery, which also produces Westcott Bay Ciders. The distillery and cidery are open for tours and free tastings on Saturdays from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. The grounds are gorgeous and their shiny all-copper Adrian still is worth a visit alone.

Insider Tip: San Juan Distillery’s award winning spirits are rarely distributed outside of San Juan County and make a unique gift for a special occasion.

5)         Bonfire at South Beach

San Juan Island’s longest beach on the south end of the isle is truly remarkable. This rugged drift wood beach is the perfect place for a bonfire and picnic while watching the sun set over the snow-covered Olympic mountains and the moon rise over majestic Mt. Baker.

Insider Tip: Bring your binoculars and watch Bald eagles, foxes, otters and sea lions feed right around sunset.

6)         Whale Watch Tour

With the Humpback comeback and the vast increase of Biggs Killer Whales in recent years our whale watching season really doesn’t end or start anymore. Treat yourself to a whale watch tour with Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching in one of their super-fast, super comfy, heated zodiacs and see what’s out there.

Insider Tip: Don’t spend all of your time trying to get that amazing shot of a whale. Enjoy the ride instead, really take in your surroundings, the sights and smells (hello, sea lions!), the sounds of the whales breaching and singing. Then sign up for Maya’s newsletter and get the most amazing photos taken with professional cameras sent to you.

7)         Sculpture Park

Close to San Juan Distillery on the north end of the island, find the 20-acre San Juan Sculpture Park with over 150 sculptures and poems on display along five trails through woods, along Westcott Bay and around a natural lake. A breathtaking place to get inspired, have a picnic or just a little stroll before dinner.

Insider Tip: Write a wish on a piece of paper and place it in one of the gorgeous Tibetan wishing urns.

8)         Buy a Souvenir together

Meander the streets of completely walkable Friday Harbor. Check out the seven galleries and countless craft and souvenir stores and pick a souvenir to remember your trip.  Perhaps a beautiful painting or a photograph of San Juan Island, something fancy for the kitchen at Gourmet Galley or island-made jewelry and accessories from Deer Hazel Boutique.

Insider Tip: San Juan Island has more working artists than any other county in Washington State. Make a point of buying something unique and island made.

Secret Season Getaway to San Juan Island

Friday Harbor and San Juan Island are known for their legendary whale & wildlife watching, bustling Summer festivals and fairs, hiking & biking, boating & kayaking, elaborate outdoor weddings and fantastic farms. Not so well known is San Juan Island’s secret season from September through February, when the hotels and restaurants offer enticing specials, you’ll have the beaches to yourself, and it rains about half as much as in Seattle.

How to plan such a trip? Is there enough to do? Check out this Spontaneous, Fun, Secret Season Itinerary from happy guests at the Bird Rock Hotel.

Before you go: Bird Rock will take a brief beauty sleep in January and will re-open in February. Their fun sister hotel, the Earthbox Inn & Spa, is open year-round.

Cover photo courtesy of Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching.

5 of the Most Beautiful Places to Propose on San Juan Island

The place to propose is to be chosen with care. You will both remember it forever. You will come back for anniversaries and a sweet while from now, you may even show it to your kids and grandkids. It needs to be undisputedly romantic, breathtakingly beautiful, out of the ordinary and easy to plan. We here on San Juan Island deeply believe, the island is the perfect place to propose.

Find the 5 Most Picturesque Places to Propose on San Juan Island here.

San Juan Island in January – Just What You Need After the Holidays

Most of us could use a little break after the buys holiday season. A break from planning, a break from shopping, a break from being in charge and on our best behavior.  We could just use a breather to get away from it all and to gather strength for the year to come. A weekend getaway to San Juan Island might be just what the doctor ordered.

 January on the isle is calm and affordable with just enough to do to not get bored, but not so much, that you feel obligated to be “on” all the time. Nestled in the rain shadow between the Olympic Mountains and Vancouver Island, the weather is much nicer than in the rest of our gorgeous state, but it’s still Winter in Washington and you know the drill: layers, layers, layers. So what is there to experience? Here are our 5 January favorites:

1)         Reconnect

Do you miss your husband even though you see him every day? Come for a romantic getaway. Have you had zero time for your girlfriends since summer? Come on up for a Girlfriend Getaway. Have you not been able to fit in a visit with your favorite aunt or cousin for ages? Come for a mini family reunion. Just make sure you visit with someone who lifts you up, makes you giggle and increases your energy for the season to come.

2)         Spa Day

Stay at the Earthbox Inn & Spa, which offers phenomenal spa and lodging specials and has, as the name says, a super cute on-site spa, the only indoor heated pool, sauna and hot tub on the island and free bikes to check out. Set time aside to soak in the hot tub and get a spa treatment to soothe those achy muscles, detox from all that rich holiday food and de-stress your body and mind.

3)         Hiking & Birding

It’s not difficult to find privacy on San Juan Island even in the middle of the Summer, but in January you’ll truly have all the beaches and mountains, trails and woods to yourself. It’s also an outstanding time to go birding (bring those binoculars). Over 200 migratory birds call the archipelago their winter home. Our favorite place to hike, beach comb and watch birds is on the shores of American Camp National Historical Park.

4)         Be inspired

A rainy winter day is perfect to explore Friday Harbor’s museums and the seven galleries all within walking distance of the ferry. Learn about the history, habitat and challenges of our endangered killer whales and of the latest whale sightings at the Whale Museum. The Museum of Art specializes in thought-provoking exhibitions about living in the Pacific Northwest. The island’s galleries will delight you with the impressive paintings, carvings, woodwork, pottery, photography and jewelry of our talented island artists. Also poke your head into the Griffin Bay Book store for a good read by one of the many local authors.

5)         Whale and Wildlife Tour

One of the few adventure providers offering whale and wildlife watching year-round is Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching. Find their office at Cannery Landing right next to the ferry dock. Their astonishingly fast, heated, very comfortable zodiacs are an unrivaled way to respectfully observe whales and other wildlife like Dall’s porpoises, Stellar sea lions, Bald Eagles and the strange, exotic game on Speiden island, left behind after a big game hunting endeavor failed in the 1980’s.

(Sea Lion Photo Courtesy of Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching)

Open on All Holidays – COHO Restaurant

There are over 30 restaurants within walking distance of the ferry dock in Friday Harbor. That usually is a very delicious problem to have. Very few restaurants are seasonal and close for the Winter. Quite a few though are closed on holidays. That’s why it’s good to know that COHO Restaurant in the heart of Friday Harbor is open on all holidays, year-round. Cozy COHO serves seasonal Farm-to-Table fare and often offers set multi course dinners paired with wine for special occasions. Reservations are highly recommended.

10 Ways to Cherish the Arts on San Juan Island

There is so much more to San Juan Island than just whale watching and kayaking. Friday Harbor’s renowned, vibrant art scene, ranging from native carvers, sculptors, jewelers and painters to thought-provoking photographers, not to mention the singers and songwriters, actors and writers, is well worth a visit all on its own. Uncrowded Winter is a fabulous time to come up for a visit dedicated just to the island’s arts.

Find 10 Ways to cherish the Arts on your next trip to San Juan Island in this fabulous article.

10 Gift Ideas from Beautiful San Juan Island

Visiting San Juan Island during the holiday season is such a treat. The sweet coastal town of Friday Harbor is all decked out. The streets are lined with cute shops and boutiques. There are old fashioned Christmas celebrations and holiday markets to explore, making finding unique, island made gifts for everybody on your list a breeze. Get inspired with this comprehensive list of 10 Gift Ideas from beautiful San Juan Island.

A Guide to Staying Sane with Extended Family over the Holidays

It’s Holiday gathering and Christmas getaway time. Are you so excited to see how tall your nephews got, to hold the new baby, to taste your brother’s pot roast and your aunt’s cookies? Are you also perhaps a little anxious, that emotions will run high, that certain things will be said? Or not said? We all want to truly connect over the holidays, feel grateful, loved and seen. Even in the best of families, the holidays can be triggering. Here is a brief guide on how to stay sane with your extended family over the holidays:

1)          Meet your Needs

Do not put yourself last. Check in with yourself whenever you get annoyed or upset. What do you need? Food, water, alone time? Eat when you are hungry, as opposed to getting upset for how long it takes everybody to get ready and out the door. Go visit that art exhibition or tree lighting ceremony, if that was your plan. It’s your vacation too! Read your book for a while in bed, when another family has a meltdown and the tension gets to you. And remember, there’s a reason we put this first on the list—to give the others, you have to give to yourself first!

2)          Check in with your family unit

Take a walk around the block with your spouse and kids to re-group and check-in. Express your expectations regarding upcoming events and behavior. Talk through an upsetting event and discuss possibilities on how to do better next time.

3)          Walk away when getting emotional

Are politics for breakfast just not your thing? Don’t get angry, but do leave. Not upset, just say a nice goodbye and get some personal time (refer back to item 1 above). Go to the beach, listen to the waves, be present. Don’t dwell. You know the opinions of your bunch by now. You know you won’t change them. Having different world views is just fine. Nobody can judge or validate you, but yourself.

4)          No triangle gossip

We all know that family member, the one who starts whispering as soon as one person leaves the room. Don’t take the bait. If there is something you would like to know about a situation, ask the people directly involved. If you are asked about another person, refrain from feeding the rumor mill. Say a friendly: why don’t you ask her herself?

5)          Don’t mess with bedtime

Especially with smaller children, routine is everything. No matter how fun it sounds to play board games until after midnight, you know that your 4-year old will have a meltdown and be useless the next day.

6)          Keep it short and positive

Is there a subject that your dreading talking about? Your illness, your husband losing his job, your kid failing in school? Don’t get defensive, don’t over explain. Say something acknowledging the issue and end on a positive note, like: yup, we’re still going through some trials, but we have hope. 

7)          Create memories

Bring the light. Make somebody smile. Sing!  Caroling, as a family together, at the tree lighting ceremony, before ducking into the Whale Museum for hot chocolate is an absolutely magical holiday experience. Leave treats or little toys on the beach trail for the kids to find (and make sure they find them all--so you don’t litter), or treat your family to a Winter Wildlife Tour. For more fun tips for a family getaway to San Juan Island, check out our 10 Reasons to visit San Juan Island in December.

Fall is our Favorite Color!

Fall and early Winter on San Juan Island, nestled in the Olympic rain shadow, are simply stunning. The colors, the crisp air, the uncrowded beaches. Join us for the Friday Harbor Winterfest and Festival of Lights, from November 30 through December 31, and ring in the season with style. Now is the time to treat yourself to an uncomplicated island getaway, complete with massage, romantic dinner and Winter wildlife watching, when our friends at the Earthbox Inn & Spa are offering their irresistible lodging specials. 

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