San Juan Island

3 day bike trip on San Juan and Lopez in the early summer. Stayed at a quiet B&B a few miles out of town, and explored the roads every day. Stopped by the winery, saw some porpoise/dolphin things from the cliffs at Lime Kiln, went around English camp, and ate cookies and milk (provided by the B&B).

The island is slowly but surely getting more developed and popular with time—the States Inn, where I stayed at last time, is still around, but much of the surrounding ranchland on the fringes is in the hands of newer owners, for residencies or farms. Down around the American Camp, new houses are popping up near the park borders. And so on and so forth, and yet much of the island remains sweetly, calmly bucolic, and I hope always does so. If you need even quieter spots, the other islands are there to be explored, but San Juan Island’s own charms are still plentiful.

I first visited here in 1994, when a lot of my dad’s side of the family gathered for a mini-reunion and celebration of my grandma’s eightieth birthday and my uncle’s fiftieth. It was one of the last times I saw grandma, bless her heart, so that makes it a stronger memory still. So much about the island is a calm and wonderful retreat from it all, and I value that greatly. Will be there for a few days at the start of July, and I cannot wait.

My dad opened a B&B on the island a little ways from Friday Harbor. It is a Japanese styled B&B and is on a secluded 15 acers.

The island has crappy bars (around two I have found), but it is a nice place to relax. Also, the restaurants have started to get better (120 Nicoles, Steps, Duck Soup, etc.).

My favorite San Juan Is. Make sure to go out to American Camp. Bring a picnic and eat lunch on a ledge looking out over Puget Sound. Its gorgeous.