Life Abundant

Road Trip!!!

There is nothing like an end of summer adventure to close out the season! Chris and I both work in the Summer Studio program for university students with 100 Fold Studio (the organization we work and serve with here in Montana). We work a ton of overtime during the summer program and therefore get a few comp days at the end of the program. Our comp time this year just so happened to fall over our 6 year anniversary. We decided to head west on a road trip to the San Juan Islands, after hearing incredible things about them from our West Coast friends. We figured, while we live in the West, we should take advantage of all there is to offer out here.

We split up the 11-hour drive out to the islands with a stop in Leavenworth Washington, a little German style town in the middle of the Washington countryside. We spent the night just outside of Leavenworth, and stopped in for breakfast the next morning and spent some time exploring this beautiful German-themed town for a few hours before continuing on.

Then, After a drive through the Cascade mountains, we caught the ferry from the port of Anacortes.  You can buy a round trip ticket for $64? Your ticket will take you to the island of your choice (be sure to purchase a ticket to whatever island you’re planning to go to), and the ferry back to the mainland is free. However, if you are on one island and want to travel west to another, you’ll have to pay again. So we suggest starting with the furthest island West (San Juan), and making your way back through the other islands on your free ticket going East.

Camping On San Juan

We ended up planning this trip a little last minute because of some infertility doctors appointments that we were waiting to figure out the timing for, so there were not a lot of affordable Airbnb options to choose from. Thankfully the weather that time of year is still beautiful on the West Coast, and perfect for camping!  

Our friends had recently introduced us to the website called Hipcamp, so we decided to give it a try. Hipcamp is sort of like Airbnb for camping. On this platform, established campgrounds can post available sites but it is also open to individuals advertising a camp spot or site set up on their property.

For our night on San Juan Island, we decided to stay on someone’s property in this beautiful lotus tent. They had no plumbing or running water on the site, so that was the only downside. To shower, we ended up driving to Roche Harbor where they have public showers that you can pay about $1.25 for a 7-minute shower in a private lockable room. 

We also spent two nights on Orcas Island at Mt. Baker Farm and Campground (also booked through Hipcamp). This was a more established campground with running water, fire pits, a little farm and petting zoo, and even a historical train that you can ride around the campground at certain times of the day.

Both campsites were great. Quiet with towering trees, reasonably priced and off the beaten path. Our first experience with Hipcamp didn’t disappoint, we would absolutely recommend them!

Roche Harbor, San Juan

Roche Harbor was by far our favorite little town on the islands that we visited. It’s definitely upscale, with a gorgeous harbor full of everything from multi-million dollar yachts to patinaed fishing boats. The water is clear and a beautiful gray-blue color. If you’re lucky, you might see a harbor seal pop his little head up in between his dives for fish. There are few cute restaurants in the area, we decided on the Madrona Bar and Grill for their outdoor deck that overlooked the harbor, and weren’t disappointed!

We also stopped at the Roche Harbor Resort for some fresh maple donuts in the morning.

Also while you’re there, head to the harbor for sunset to witness their famous Colors Ceremony as they take down the flags of the USA, Canada, and the UK while playing Taps. The Colors Ceremony has evolved into a classic Roche Harbor tradition since it was originally started in 1956.

Westcott Bay Shellfish Company, San Juan

We absolutely loved this relaxed spot on the NorthWest corner of the Island. You can grab a drink, some of their freshly baked bread, or raw oysters anytime that they are open. If you want some of their specialty grilled oysters (we decided to try those since we’re not huge fans of sucking down a raw shellfish), you’ll have to come during the week, as they don’t serve grilled oysters on the weekends. Order your choice of shellfish, grab a picnic table in the sun and enjoy!

Westcott Bay Shellfish also sells “pick your own shellfish” of oysters, clams, and mussels. We also ended up buying a pound or so of freshly caught mussels to cook up for a special date later in our trip.

Lime Kiln Point State Park, San Juan

If you’re visiting San Juan Island, please DO NOT MISS the Lime Kiln Point State Park. This park looks west across the beautiful ocean towards Vancouver Island. There are a few trails that you can walk along through the park and some gorgeous picnic spots. This park also a well-known spot for whale watching, especially for the famous orcas of the area.

We thought about paying to do a whale watching tour (which are pretty expensive), I think the cheapest options were about $85 a person. It seems like the Lord knew that we didn’t want to pay for a whale watching tour but really wanted to see Orcas. Soon after we arrived we overheard someone say that the whale watching boats had spotted two Orcas moving up the coast in the direction of the park, and should probably pass through in the next 10 minutes. So we made our way to nearby the lighthouse and sure enough, about 10 minutes later you could see the Orcas coming our way right off the shoreline.

Within minutes they were passing along the coast no more than 50 feet in front of us, rising and submerging in and out of the ocean, hunting along the shore. It was absolutely incredible! We were able to watch them for about 15 minutes, and after this sighting, we didn’t feel like we needed to pay to join one of the whale watching tours.

Mt. Constitution, Orcas Island

On your visit to Orcas Island, be sure to make a stop at Mt. Consitution. Mt. Consitution is the tallest point on the San Juan Islands (2,409 ft) and is located in the heart of Moran State Park. The views from the top of Mt. Consitution are stunning! Climb to the top of the stone tower that sits atop this mountain for a 360-degree view of Mount Baker, the North Cascades, and the other islands of the San Juan Archipelago.

You can take your pick of how you want to get to these views, by either driving to the top of the mountain, or by getting your steps in by choosing to hike. There are a number of different starting points to trails that will lead you to the mountain’s summit, Cold Springs, Mountain Lake, and the West Boundary. We chose Cold Springs, since I was newly pregnant during our trip to the San Juans, and didn’t want to push myself too much with a long hike.

Buck Bay Shellfish, Orcas Islands

For a great shellfish and fresh seafood stop on Orcas Island, give Buck Bay Shellfish a try. This adorable shellfish farm has fresh oysters for you to enjoy at one of their cute outdoor picnic tables, or you can take your seafood to go. Stop inside their store and choose something for dinner from their fresh shellfish tank or maybe a filet of fresh salmon from the cooler. You’ll also find some fresh produce, flowers, and other seasonal goodies for sale in their farm store.

Their prices are reasonable especially for what quality of what you’re getting, plus you’ll feel good about supporting a local business.

Our Foodie Favorites – Coffee and Baked Goods 

When in the San Juan Islands, please do yourself a favor and make at stop worthwhile while foodie/coffee spots, the Brown Bear Bakery (Orcas Island), and Salty Fox Coffee (San Juan Island).

The Bown Bear Bakery is in a cute little house turned bakery in the center of Orcas Island in the town of Eastsound. They open at 8 am sharp Thursday – Monday and trust us when we say you’ll want to arrive as close to opening as possible. This bakeries goods are truly some of the best we’ve ever had, and word has gotten out. In the summer, a line starts to form out of the door fairly quickly. So if you don’t want to stand in line, and you want the prime choice of all the goods they have to offer, be sure to arrive early.

We tried a number of their baked goods (all phenomenal), but the top of our list was their homemade (fresh that morning) sticky bun. As you can see above, our sticky bun choice made Chris a very happy man!

The Salty Fox is also a must stop on San Juan Island. It’s located right in Friday Harbor and serves a great cup of coffee. They have a fun atmosphere, friendly staff, and good prices. Take a seat and enjoy your cup of joe at one of their comfy inside tables or couches, or sit outside at one of their cute outdoor tables and watch the passers-by.

Sunset On Orcas Island

What better way to end our time in the San Juan Islands than to experience a gorgeous watercolor-like sunset as we listen to the waves lap up on the rocky pier we sat on to enjoy the view. seat. Bring a blanket, your binoculars, and a bottle of wine to enjoy while you watch the day fade and the night rise. We drove to the North Beach Public Access, parked our car and walked along the beach to one of the rocky piers for this gorgeous view of the setting sun into the calm salty ocean below.

The San Juan Islands are full of fun food, places to explore, and adventures to be had. We loved our long weekend away together for our anniversary here, and absolutely recommend a trip to the islands the next time you’re in the Pacific North West.