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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.

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.

Honeymoon Destination -- San Juan Island

Planning a wedding is an enormous task, not just logistically, but also emotionally. And you did that. You are amazing! Now if only there was an absolutely gorgeous honeymoon destination requiring little to no planning. One with tons of fun things to do, but also room for solitude and romance. One with a pleasant climate, where you can drink the water. Not too far away, but somewhat unusual and exotic. We have that.  All of that. Right here on beautiful San Juan island, a mere 65 miles north of Seattle. Find 10 Tips for an unforgettable San Juan Island Honeymoon here.

Cover Photo Courtesy of San Juan Outfitters.

Visiting San Juan Island with Small Kids

Some people say travelling with babies and small kids is an unnecessary hassle, since they won’t remember anyway. We disagree. Kids will remember, maybe not the exact timeline of events, but they will remember the huge gumball machines at the sweets store, seeing their first whale and the fun captain who skippered their boat, as well as feeling the sand on their little tootsies and the wind in their hair.

Show your kids this magnificent world we live in, how different and yet the same we all are, regardless of socio-economic status, skin color, sexual orientation and age. Kid-friendly San Juan Island is the perfect place to get your proverbial feet wet.

Find fabulous tips and practically a weekend itinerary in this lovely article San Juan Island with Baby from our friends at Earthbox Inn & Spa.

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