It’s Spring on San Juan Island. The wildflowers are blooming, baby foxes are frolicking on the prairie and the wildlife tour operators are ready to take you on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to see Orcas, Humpbacks, Bald Eagles and sea lions. Friday Harbor’s cute shops, boutiques and museums are open, restaurants offer take-out and indoor dining and you can even get a massage again at the Spa at Earthbox. Treat yourself to a San Juan Island getaway this Spring and find the 10 Spring Break Must-Dos on San Juan Island here.
8 Ways to bring San Juan Island to your Home
2020 was the year to learn how to do things differently. We worked, learned and socialized differently. We travelled, ate and got entertained differently. We changed our minds on who and what is important and which businesses to give our money to.
We here on San Juan Island are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from our mainland friends. For buying gift certificates for future getaways and our fabulous island made fare online like the former Bird Rock Hotel guest, who cooked San Juan Island themed dinners for her family during the pandemic when they couldn’t travel.
Find her (and quite frankly ours as well) 8 Absolute Favorite Ways to bring the Tastes of San Juan Island to your Home here.
Handcrafted Libations and Local Arts Trail San Juan Island
San Juan Island has so much to offer when it comes to island made arts, may it be visual or liquid. To take it all in, we’ve devised a deeply enjoyable tour taking you all over the island and indulging all your senses. Please drink responsibly and have oodles of fun!
San Juan Island Brewing Co
Start with a hearty lunch at San Juan Brewing in Friday Harbor. Have a Bratwurst Sandwich or a burger and a Beer Flight (5 x 5oz of beer samplers) to experience their fine craft brews. Fill a growler or get a 4 pack of cans to bring home.
Insider Tip: Treat yourself to a Porter Float for dessert, oh my!
San Juan Islands Museum of Art
A few blocks up Spring Street find the gorgeous IMA, exhibiting art from the Pacific Northwest with an emphasis on a sense of place and the environment. Enjoy the Artists Registry Exhibition through May of 2021: work from over 70 San Juan County artists in a wide array of mediums.
Insider Tip: IMA offers free Saturday Family Arts days, remote through March and hopefully in person again this Summer.
San Juan Vineyard
Three miles outside of town along the lush valleys of Roche Harbor Road lays this beautiful boutique vinery famous for its Siegerrebe white. Their new tasting rooms is open for glass and bottle sales every Saturday.
Insider Tip: On a sunny day this is a really fun outing from Friday Harbor on bicycles or mopeds.
Pelindaba Lavender Farm
Cross San Juan Island on Egg Lake & Boyce Roads until you reach Pelindaba Lavender Farm on Wold Road. As you meander through the lovely lavender fields dotted with sculptures and antique farm equipment, cleanse your palate with a lavender lemonade or a lavender ice cream and brush up on your lavender knowledge at their illuminating learning center.
Insider Tip: Pelindaba’s lavender fields are open 24/7 and are one of the best places to see stars on San Juan Island.
San Juan Distillery & Westcott Bay Cidery
On the north end of the isle on stunning Westcott Bay San Juan Distillery is concocting award winning spirits and liquors, apple brandies and ciders. Open for tastings and tours every Saturday.
Insider Tip: San Juan Distillery’s award winning spirits are rarely distributed outside of San Juan County. Stock upon all the goodness!
San Juan Islands Sculpture Park
Just minutes from the Distillery this 20 acres gem with five trails, water access and forests, displays over 150 sculptures. Find interactive exhibits for kids and kids at heart, inspiring and whimsical sculptures and poems lining the trails. Keep your eyes out for Blue Herons, Bald Eagles and other wildlife.
Insider Tip: Sign the Friendship Totem pole and feel connected to the people of the world.
Picturesque Autumn Escape to San Juan Island
Your Guide to Visiting San Juan Island Right Now
The San Juan County Park on San Juan Island
This 10-acre gem on San Juan Island’s westside is not only the only place to camp on the isle’s waterfront, it is also one of the best places to launch your kayak, paddle board or small boat. A grassy bluff dotted with picnic tables divides the two beaches and is the perfect place to watch whales, have a picnic or enjoy a ball game. The friendly park staff even offer kids’ activities during the Summer months. On Friday evenings during Summer the Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center holds wildlife talks at 7:00pm.
5 Hidden Gems on San Juan Island you didn’t know existed
Sometimes we yearn for a weekend getaway to a place we know will generate beautiful memories and offer the comfort of familiarity. Other times we want to explore, see new places, and do new things. San Juan Island offers it all: dinner at our favorite restaurants, whale watching at the famous whale watch park and then hikes you never knew existed. Find 5 Places you didn’t know existed on San Juan Island here.
The Best Cocktails in Friday Harbor!
For our friends at the Earthbox Inn & Spa, providing unrivaled customer service and knowledgeable concierge information is the absolute highest priority. In an effort to really know who serves the best cocktails in gorgeous Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, they took it upon themselves to investigate in person. See the stunning results of their extensive research in this article Friday Harbor’s best Cocktails and where to find them.
Independence Day on San Juan Island
Ring in the Summer in style and celebrate the true values of our country with the old-fashioned 4th of July celebrations on adorable San Juan Island. Where else will you find a parade within walking distance of your hotel, two fireworks displays, log rolling and pie eating contests, as well as dancing into the night on the shores of the glistening Salish Sea?
It all starts at 10:30 in the morning where in Friday Harbor pulls out all the stops with the cutest small-town parade ever. After you’ve fill up on candy tossed from the floats, head up to the grounds of the San Juan Historical Museum, the former homestead of James King, to enjoy the 4th of July Pig War Community Picnic, live music and tons of kids’ activities.
Next visit the historic resort of Roche Harbor on the north end of San Juan Island and their extensive 4th of July celebration. They feature kids’ games at the Pool Lawn and good ol’ fashioned Donut Eating Contest at the West Lawn, followed by the not-to-be-missed Blindfolded Dinghy Race and a Log Rolling contest at the Wharf Building. Their fireworks start at sundown.
Back in Friday Harbor it’ll be time to get your dancing shoes on for live music at the Port until the sun sets and the fireworks begin.
Insider Tip: if you are done with the crowds when the fireworks start, head out to 4th of July Beach in American Camp National Historical Park and watch not only Friday Harbor’s, but also Lopez Island’s fireworks while sitting on the beach and listening to the waves and sea lions. It’s an amazing way to experience the light show.
How to Get Around on San Juan Island without a Car
To get around on San Juan Island in the Summer a car is not necessary. It may even be easier to get around without one. That way you won’t need to make ferry reservations or worry about parking and driving while on the isle.
The Washington State Ferry lands right in downtown Friday Harbor, which is completely walkable. Right at the ferry landing you will find two public transportation options: San Juan Transit and the Friday Harbor Jolly Trolley. Both service most of the island’s visitor sites and also offer custom tours and charters. Other transportation options include
· Suzie’s Mopeds, a couple of blocks away, renting mopeds and fun scoot cars.
· M&W Auto rental rents cars, and
· Meat Machine Bicycles offers bikes for all sizes and skill levels.
So come on up and be car and care free on San Juan Island.