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Beautiful view on San Juan Island by Benjamin Massello

48-ish Hours Exploring San Juan Island

While it’s not the largest island in the San Juans, nor does it have the tallest peaks, San Juan Island is arguably the most popular. Home to the biggest town (downtown Friday Harbor), along with one of the world’s best land-based whale watching destinations (Lime Kiln Lighthouse), this iconic getaway is the perfect place to rest, refresh, and refuel.

With travel to San Juan Island taking as little as 25 minutes, it’s easy to maximize your time for a quick weekend getaway — a serious boon when there are so many fun things to do. This 48-hour itinerary is a sampling of the best things to do in Friday Harbor and throughout the island. Enjoy.

July 31, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

Friday Harbor House. Prime Location. Fireside Views.

Things to do in the San Juan Islands

A picturesque refuge, Friday Harbor House is nestled on a bluff just one block above Front Street. The dead-end road offers a sense of quiet in the most populated of the San Juan Island towns, while the elevated perch treats visitors to expansive views of Friday Harbor Marina.

July 29, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

Why Orcas Island Should be Your Next Girls Getaway

Things to do in the San Juan Islands

Low-key adventures loaded with scenic views and an internationally acclaimed food and wine scene, make Orcas Island the ideal testosterone-free, comfy jean destination.

Even those born and raised in the Pacific Northwest may not have heard of the San Juan Islands. The remote archipelago sits as close to Canada as it does to the lower 48. Like a marooned captain’s daydream, the roughly 175 forest-covered rocky inlets feature lush farmland, freshwater lakes, and protected coves.

July 25, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

Zackarya Leck Blacksmith on Orcas Island

Zackarya Leck, Orcas Island Artist-Blacksmith

Featured Artists

On the western horseshoe of Orcas Island, where the cell service is spotty and the rolling farmland is studded with forest groves and rainwater ponds, Zackarya Leck turns iron to playdough in his 2,000-degree forge. A bespoke blacksmith, his weathered hands coax salvaged junkyard scraps into new forms — some functional, some sculptural, all stunning.

His work can be found as far east as Maine and as high as the Colorado Rockies. However, the bulk of his mastery is scattered throughout Orcas Island among large public art installations and private homes. Most prominent are Zackarya’s 70-foot kelp-inspired sculpture, installed at the Orcas Island Ferry Terminal, and his slide that is part of the Playground-on-the-Green at the heart of Eastsound.

July 6, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

Meet A&P Mechanic Jason Wills

Kenmore Family

Specializing in de Havilland Otter Annuals, Jason Wills has been part of the Kenmore Air family for 17 years.

Kenmore’s changed a lot since Jason Wills first started fueling planes and washing windows on the dock 17 years ago — not just the landscape, but also the fleet. And yet, some things are just as true today as they were when he first joined the Kenmore Air family as a young college student.

June 26, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

Cynthia Burke on San Juan Island

Things to do in the San Juan Islands

If you know anything about Cynthia Burke, you know she makes good food. It’s not necessarily a work of art. Her kitchen isn’t equipped with tweezers. Her staff doesn’t make gold leaf garnishes. And her cuisine doesn’t fall into a specific Mexican, Italian or Mediterranean camp.

June 13, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

Bobby Ryan of Inspired Earth Teas on San Juan Island

Inspired Earth Tea – Handcrafted on San Juan Island

Things to do in the San Juan Islands

The salty crispness of a craggy, windswept shore. The heady scent of damp wood. The warmth of sweet sunshine. The San Juan Islands have long been a refuge for weary hearts and creative minds — and it’s this wildly scenic and peacefully unimposing beauty Bobby Ryan is capturing in a cup.

June 7, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

Fisherman Bay Spit Preserve on Lopez Island

Walking Trails at Fisherman Bay Spit Preserve

Things to do in the San Juan Islands

Fisherman Bay is a calm and protected inlet located near the northern end of Lopez Island. Boaters both love and dread the protected anchoring grounds, as the one-way entrance and exit is well-known for its narrow navigation lines. (Spanning just five feet in some sections at low tide, boaters are strongly encouraged to come and go when the water is at its peak.)

May 30, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

The Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden

Things to do in Victoria

While coffee is the ‘get up and go’ boost that starts many a day, tea invites the mid-day respite from the hustle and bustle. This afternoon practice brings with it a sense of calm and luxurious indulgence. It speaks to a time when life was slower and device free — as it was when the Prince and Princess Abkhazi began cultivating their stunning estate in the mid-1940s.

May 24, 2023/by Mikaela Judd

Boating in the Salish Sea by Vancouver Island

Where to Dock When You Cruise the Salish Sea

Things to do in Victoria

There are hundreds of islands in Puget Sound, the San Juans, and Canada. The Straits of Juan De Fuca divide Washington from Vancouver Island, Canada and connect to the Pacific Ocean 60 miles west. The islands form a protected inland arm of the ocean that covers over 1,000 square miles called the Salish Sea. Astounding water depths dropping over 900 feet fill gaps between the rocky islands. Over a trillion gallons of water move during each tide refreshing the sea every day and providing a home for myriads of sea life.

May 23, 2023/by Scott Meis