happy memorial day weekend! it is officially the “social start” of summer.
:ast week I had a wonderful time clamming in deception pass, enjoying the vibes of a summer picnic while looking at one of the most beautiful places in Washington. (hello endless water and sun and beautiful PNW forests!) So this inspired me to cancel my backpacking plans deep in the cascades, and do a solo San Juan Island bike day trip from Seattle.
What are the San Juan Islands?
The San Juans are a group of islands (archipelago) on the Northwestern coast of Washington. They are so Northwest, that they are in parallel with Victoria/Canada.
I personally think the San Juan Islands are some of the prettiest, most relaxing places to be in Washington. The island vibes are very laid back. You can kayak, hike, bike, shop, whale watch, visit state parks and scenic overlooks, eat seafood, view art, and enjoy the slow pace.
Visiting makes me feel like I am microdosing retirement. Everything feels relaxed and slower. Google Maps hours often don’t match what is actually happening at the stores, and it doesn’t really matter. People go there to wander.
(also, when researching this: I found out that the San Juan Islands host the greatest concentration of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the contiguous United States.)
How to Get to the San Juan Islands?
The Washington State Ferry System has daily ferries to Lopez, San Juan, Shaw, and Orcas Island. These ferries are a treat on their own, even without the promise of an island visit. You get amazing Sound views while riding this unique form of public transportation. Mighty green-and-cream boats traverse the water and add to the magical experience.
Car reservations vs. bike-on
The toughest part of getting to these islands is landing a car reservation when you want one. Vehicle reservations open 2 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days before, with the final 10% saved for day-of car reservations. The more adventurious, like myself, can always walk or bike-on the Washington State Ferry instead if you are unable to get a car reservation. I intentionally did not try to get a car reservation this time, as I save that for when I do an overnight stay.
Alyssa’s Tip: Park at the ferry terminal at Anacortes for about $13/day. From there, you can bike or walk onto the ferry. Be ready to go about 20 minutes before the scheduled time. (You must buy a ticket first, so stop by the ferry terminal building. My round trip was $22. They do not take Apple Pay.)
Taking the Ferry with a Bike
I drove from Seattle, which was about ~2 hours with Saturday traffic.
Boarding with your bike
After parking at the terminal, I biked down the hill with my backpack and bags attached to my bike. Cyclists board first, ahead of the cars (walkers use a separate boardwalk entrance). Once onboard, dismount and tie your bike to the side of the ferry with the provided ropes so it doesn’t fall over during the ride. The ferry has ropes tied to the railing to make this easy.
Once the bike is secure, head up the stairs to enjoy the views of the San Juans from the main decks. If you are really lucky, there will be an open table with a puzzle in progress. (I was very lucky).
The ride took about an hour, since San Juan Island is one of the farthest islands out. About 5 minutes before arriving, crew ask everyone to return to their vehicles to get ready to leave.
Arriving in Friday Harbor
Friday Harbor is the county seat for San Juan County (which comprises all the San Juan Islands). When you get off the ferry, you land in the middle of a small town with boardwalk and docks overlooking the sound. Stores and restaurants line the waterfront, making Friday Harbor easy to explore on a San Juan Islands day trip without a car. So many people walk onto the ferries without cars.
Alyssa’s Tip: There are snacks and bathrooms onboard!
My San Juan Island Bike Route
Lunch
Since this was a solo trip, I was free to do what I wanted, as I wanted. I had a plan with main bullet points, but no strict times. I got in around 3 pm and wandered around a little bit with my bike to decide which sandwich place looked the most scrumptious. Spring Street Deli made a delicious Italian sandwich on a roll. (Most breakfast spots and cafes had closed by 3 pm and dinner places hadn’t opened yet. Arrival time wasn’t really an issue for availability, but just an FYI for future travelers. )
I grabbed food and ate in a park overlooking the sound. “Park” doesn’t quite do justice to the overlook. I was overlooking the pier and ferry terminals, but also watching boats come and go across the sound. I could see the other islands and mountains in the background, painting the horizon. The park was incredibly well kept, with lots of seating and picnic tables, making it the perfect place to stop.
Bike security felt fine here. I never worried about leaving my bike locked to a pole with a bag attached. I locked mine to a fence, walked a little ways, and tried to spot sea creatures.
Alyssa’s Tip: Keep in mind the balance between having great service, great food, or great views. It is hard to find a place with all 3, given the middling reviews. I chose to take my sandwich to go, since being outside and enjoy the nature were my main priority.
On my way!
There are a few main routes on the island once you get to Friday Harbor.
- Friday Harbor to American Camp / Cattle Point which is about 18–20 miles round trip, with rolling hills, farm views, and the lighthouse area.
- Friday Harbor to Roche Harbor, 20 mile round trip to the northwestern side of the island, which is home to the Roche Harbor resort + the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve.
- Full Island Loop, around 43 miles, with lots of hills that gets you to Roche Harbor and an optional side trip to Lime Kiln point on the western side.
I chose to do the 20 mile route to Roche Harbor, as that was the perfect distance to give me a good feel of the island without prepping for a big biking day. It takes you through the interior of the island, which opens up into these rolling hills with farmland and forests.
There are so many fields of grass, which horses, sheep, and cows meandering their way across the lawns. I saw a cute sign of a horse that said “Do not feed me!” with the inspiring creature standing a few feet away, looking hungry and expectant. All the grass is so green, with these mountains covered in trees covering the horizon. The San Juans have the air of a small village in Europe but then you look into the distance and see the Puget Sound, sparkling in the sun.
To route myself from Friday Harbor, I put my destination as “San Juan Islands Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve.”
Alyssa’s Tip: Warning! The San Juans are hilly! I was consistently going up and down hills the entire route, which kept it interesting, but tough on the quads. But this is not an easy flat route, so if you are taking your grandma biking, maybe get GamGam an e-bike.
Winery
My first stop was the San Juan Winery. It was about 3 miles on my route from town. The winery was gorgeous, with a white church being the main focal point, beyond the rows and rows of grapes. Who knows if grabbing wine at the beginning of my ride was the right choice, but I finished the route, didn’t I?
It was in a picture perfect area, with a great overlook of the fields below. There were so many people there, with a live band playing, which contributed to this sense of home and familiarity on this remote island. Given how peaceful everything was, it was amazing that the winery felt so lively.
Alyssa’s Tip: Yes, you can show up to the winery in bike pants and a helmet 🙂
San Juan Islands Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve
Several miles and One lovely glass of Rose later, I arrived at the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve in Roche harbor. There are signs on the door that say this Sculpture park was ranked in USA Today’s Top Sculpture park. That being a description felt strange… what do you mean this little art exhibit in the middle of nowhere is featured in USA Today?
I wasn’t convinced at first
I have to say, there are many places in these touristy towns across the US that have small dinky art museums and tiny gardens that are cool for 30 minutes, but do not sit in my mind as impressive. I may leave a bit inspired after looking at one particular piece, but I am not convinced. There are beautiful works in these places, but they are not grand.
Well, dear reader, buckle up, the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve is grand. It is impressive. It is inspiring. The curators of this museum put time and effort into making this museum thought provoking and inspiring. It works in conjunction of its environment and it longs to put more art at the hands of the people. I left wanting to create my own art, write my own poetry, and ponder how I could one day make a sculpture garden half as good.
Walking the paths
This is a large outdoor museum in an unassuming place. There is so many sculptures and statues from many different mediums, elegantly placed across the landscape, peeking eyes and corners and tails and beaks out of the forest and field. Visitors can take the forest path, bay path, shore path, and field path, each displaying a variety of sculptures with descriptions.
Throughout the park, there are snippets of poetry and quotes displayed in small panels across the sculpture garden, enhancing the surrounding by providing a commentary on art as a whole or a comment on the environment. I was constantly engaged and inspired. The descriptions asked me to touch, to think, to participate. I made music by hitting little metal bells and tubes w a hammer, and I took selfies in the mirrors. My favorite activity was spotting near-extinct birds in the Whimsey Woods. (Finding them was so fun I was considering abandoning my plans and geocaching the rest of my day).
Worth coming back
This sculpture garden is huge! I was there walking around by myself for an hour, and I did not get through everything. Coming back, I decided, is inevitable. I had to share the wonderful news of the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve. This must be the single best sculpture garden I have ever been to, and I look forward to coming back here again.
Alyssa’s Tip: if you had a magical experience like I did, don’t forget to donate!!!
Roche Harbor
From the sculpture park, I continued my journey down to the harbor to take a look. Not going to lie, this area confused me a bit because it seems like the majority of the downtown area is actually the Roche Harbor Resort. It looked like there were fancy restaurant and cafes on the boardwalk, but there really isn’t a downtown scene the way there is at Friday Harbor. Considering I was in my bike outfit and I had a half a sandwich calling my name, I chose to sit on a bench and eye the marina’s waters for some whales.
I sat and finished my sandwich, overlooking the pier. No whales, alas.
Alyssa’s Tip: The wind and weather made dressing for this ride difficult. I was continually layering and delayering, since I would get hot in the sun or on the ride. As soon as I stopped moving, and even in the slow meander through the Sculpture Garden, I had to add my layers back on again. So.. make sure to bring layers you can easily put on and off again.
The way back
Saying goodbye for now to Roche Harbor, I headed back to town. It was a pleasant 10 mile bike ride, giving me a second opportunity to see the beautiful green pastures and blow that hungry horse a kiss. The winery looked popping! …which did have me questioning if did actually close at 5 pm like google maps said. But, this is island time.
At this point though, I wanted to make sure I got to town before sunset. Sunset at 9 pm, of course! I had bike lights, but I was focused more on taking pictures of the sunset over the pier than I was on drinking another glass at the San Juan Winery. (sorry, San Juan Winery!)
Blue Water Bar and Grill
I parked my bike at the ferry terminal and walked across the street to the Blue Water Bar and Grill. They served me some delicious clam chowder and french fries, an excellent meal (only $10) to round out my wonderful relaxing day. I watched the sky fade from blue to orange to black, and my Anacortes ferry light up the Salish sea. It moved across the water like a skyscraper before docking.
Heading Home
I made the 30 second walk from the Grill to the waiting area for bikes and walkers. I recognized some people from the earlier ride over, so it was nice to see that other people did the day trip as well. After all the cars from the previous ferry got off, I took the 10 pm ferry back to Anacortes, sketching out some owls on my ipad. The ferry arrived at Anacortes around 11:15 pm. I disembarked, biked to my car, loaded up, and I was home around 1 am. What an amazing day!!!
