If there is one thing California has taught us, it’s that the distance between snowed in mountains and warm ocean beaches can be strikingly short. Of course, “warm beaches” is a relative term, but just being not frozen can be an upgrade. We picked San Juan Islands, the place where residents of the bustling Seattle metro area go to get away from hurried city life.
We took a ferry to Whidbey Island and rode the length of it through the scenic Deception Pass towards Anacortes. Opting for a back road instead of state highway 20, we had an opportunity to stop at the Price Sculpture Garden. It looked more like a forest trail than a garden, and a very welcome addition to our busy itinerary.
We had one more ferry that day, to Orcas Island. Motorcycles are treated as VIPs by Washington State Ferries, loading and unloading first. Let’s hope we don’t get too spoiled by such preferential treatment.
San Juan ferry routes are fairly short and close enough to shore that we never actually lost internet connectivity. After enjoying the views outside, we also got a chance to watch a bit of Apple’s WWDC presentation, where in passing, almost as an afterthought, they mentioned that Apple Maps is getting offline maps. Personally, I was very excited to try out this feature, assuming I could endure the wait until public release. It’s been 8 years since Google Maps came up with offline downloads and became my go-to tool when I want to get lost in the backcountry but still know where the nearest pizza shop is. I could manage 3 more months to see if Apple can get this lucrative job done better.
We spent a night each on Orcas, San Juan and Lopez Islands, with the first one being my favorite. The weather was so pleasant, with not a snowflake in sight (except on very distant mountains on the mainland). We camped and enjoyed the temperate night air. On Orcas, the campsite was nestled in the woods, peaceful and close to the glorious viewpoints of Mt. Constitution. On San Juan Island, it was next to a serene lake. On Lopez Island, it was right on the beach, with prime sunset views.
Being somewhat touristy, these islands had no shortage of good spots to eat, albeit short on the budget end of the spectrum. A brunch spot on Orcas Island had shakshuka on the menu, which I failed to resist. Friday Harbor on San Juan island had a small family run take out shop that prepared amazing meals which could be enjoyed in a nearby park.
Lopez island was the smallest and quietest of the bunch, and we even found some dirt trails to snack on here. San Juan islands are known for being mostly private property with little in terms of public unpaved roads. Yet, we rode miles and miles of dirt on Lopez Island. From the main road and toward the coast, we rode a whole 1.2 miles of delicious forested trails.
A fun thing happened on the way from Orcas to Friday Harbor. We checked the ferry schedules online, came to the docks a little ahead of time, purchased tickets, took our place in line, loaded up on the ferry (it was only about 5 minutes late), and headed up to the passenger deck. While I was blissfully listening to an audiobook and gazing out the windows, Alex mentioned that it didn’t seem right where we were going. Don’t worry, I said, it just makes a little loop. Well, soon enough an announcement was made that we’re arriving in Anacortes, and that’s the end and everyone must disembark.
Stumped, we realized that the ferry we were on was late not by 5 minutes, but by over an hour, and it was never going to take us to Friday Harbor. Island time is alive and well in the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully there was still another ferry sailing to Friday Harbor that afternoon, so after a couple more hours of waiting for another delayed ferry, we got to our destination.
While waiting we chatted with another rider who was heading to the islands. He was actually one of the residents there, and things like ferry delays and cancellations were a common part of life for him. It’s one thing when it causes one to postpone or miss a leisure trip, but when it’s preventing timely response to a medical issue of a family emergency – it’s more than simply annoying.
San Juan island is known for a historical incident that brought the British and the Americans to the brink of war over the issue of territorial rights in 1859. The cause: the killing of a pig. The American camp on the south end of the island and the English camp on the north are the relics of that odd time. The dispute was resolved in 1872 without a single shot fired. We spent some time exploring both of them and marveling at the bizarre events that transpired here. The proximity to the well established British colony of Vancouver Island meant the English camp was much better supplied, which in turn made it more developed, and much better preserved in the present times. Yet in the end the senior officers of the British navy refused to escalate the conflict “over a squabble about a pig”, and the issue was resolved via peaceful arbitration.
Somehow the past few days felt like a detour. It was time to get back to mainland, stop by a motorcycle shop for new tires and fresh oil and then point ourselves north, to the first border crossing of this journey.
