Worth Leaving Town For: The San Juan Islands

Now that the weather is warming up, how can you enjoy the outdoors in the spring without spending too much? For about the price of a movie, you can get a walk-on ticket and spend all day ferrying around the San Juan Islands. Okay, you’re not actually “outside,” but this is a great way to take in the Puget Sound.

Washington State’s ferry system is the largest in the country, and it was an accident. The Black Ball Line ran the ferries until the 1950s when the state took them over as a short-term solution to high and unpredictable rates.

Some of the original boats are still in operation!

The Friday Harbor waterfront // Kate Bobal

There are several ferry routes in the WSDOT system, but my favorite way to spend a winter day leaves from Anacortes for Friday Harbor. Anacortes and the San Juan Islands are located in the Olympic Rain Shadow, also known as Washington’s Banana Belt.

One study reported that the rain shadow saw five times as many sunny days as Seattle during winter! The trip takes about an hour one-way if you take a boat that doesn’t stop.

If you really want to make a day of it, you can choose a ferry that stops at Lopez, Shaw, and Orcas Islands on the way for two hours of panoramic seascapes.

The adventure starts with a stunning view of Mount Baker (if the clouds cooperate) as you’re leaving the dock. You can get some fresh air on the deck or work on one of the puzzles and enjoy free wifi inside. Stop into the cafeteria and treat yourself to a mocha and some Beecher’s Mac and Cheese or Ivar’s Clam Chowder.

I feel like a plant in a greenhouse soaking up the scenery through nearly 360-degree windows while staying perfectly warm and dry inside. This is a nice date or family excursion, but I also enjoy taking this trip alone for the peace and tranquility.

Friday Harbor is a busy tourist destination in the summer, but in winter you have the place to yourself. If there’s not a complete downpour the town is very walkable, so there is no need to add the expense of bringing your car on the ferry. You can step right off the dock to the Island Wine Company for a $5 tasting at a mom and pop wine store with a great selection. You can continue on to the Pelindaba Lavender Product Gallery and immerse yourself in the relaxing smell of lavender grown right on the island, or check out a unique 125 year old Camperdown Elm tree at The Robin’s Nest.

Why not pay a visit to the Whale Museum and warm up with a latte from one of the coffee shops you’ll pass on your way? If it’s a really blustery day, you can just anchor down at one of the great seafood restaurants overlooking the waterfront. One of my favorite things to do in town is to stroll along the waterfront trail. You may not jump up and down with excitement every time you see a sea lion, but I do.

When Vitamin D supplements are not quite getting the job done, unplug your happy light and conquer your cabin fever with an adventure. Sure, you could read your book at a coffee shop on a rainy day, or you could do the same thing while floating through the Puget Sound on one of Washington’s historic and distinctive ferries.