After your first visit to San Juan Island, you may ask yourself if it's enough to stay at a Friday Harbor Bed and Breakfast or if you should open one of your own. This charming Washington town is the perfect destination for people who want to get away from the modern rat race, enjoy a taste of small town America, and still have a wide choice of things to enjoy.
San Juan was claimed by the Hudson Bay Company, which used it not for the fur trade but for a salmon cannery. An early settler came to work in the cannery but stayed and gave the town its name. Later residents raised vegetables and fruit for export to the mainland, as well as continuing with commercial fishing. Today the islands, including San Juan, are prime tourist attractions.
The population of permanent residents is between two and three thousand people. The small town is surrounded by water, by mountains both on the islands and on the mainland, and by an immensity of sky. The pace is slow; visitors are encouraged to take a deep breath and relax into the peace, quiet, and serenity found here.
Visitors can take a ferry to the island, fly into the busy airport, hop on a seaplane, or come by private boat. For getting around town, there are taxis for those who didn't bring their automobiles over by ferry. There are bicycles and mopeds for rent, and most things are accessible to pedestrians. The whole town is about two miles square. B&Bs are among the most popular accommodations; reservations are pretty much required, especially for the summertime.
There are quite a few B&Bs in town. One establishment offers one fabulous suite to provide the height of privacy and individual attention. Others have up to seven. Several appear to actually be hotels, but they promise an authentic B&B experience, with comfort, privacy, and gourmet breakfast food.
It's actually a lot of fun to search the B&Bs in Friday Harbor. There's a great interactive site that rates the different establishments, posts photo galleries of each so you can see for yourself, and includes customer reviews. You'll find Victorian mansions and accommodations that are very contemporary. You may opt for a private suite with its own balcony overlooking the water or the garden, or you may prefer to enter into a home and share the common areas with your hosts.
Many places have unobstructed views of the water. One is even on a boat. This cabin cruiser has all the charm and comfort you could ask for; it's just that the bedrooms are below decks while the easy chairs are on top. The marina is a fun place to be - busy but peaceful.
Although the town prides itself on being quiet and peaceful, there's a lot to do. Watching wildlife is very popular; you can do this from one of the many beaches, from a special whale watch boat, from your own kayack, or while hiking or cycling around the island. You may see two species of whales, wild turkeys, deer, eagles, Trumpeter swans, rabbits, raccoons, and seals, as well as many western songbirds. The downtown area has great restaurants, galleries and museums, shopfronts and an open air market, and views of the water almost everywhere.
San Juan was claimed by the Hudson Bay Company, which used it not for the fur trade but for a salmon cannery. An early settler came to work in the cannery but stayed and gave the town its name. Later residents raised vegetables and fruit for export to the mainland, as well as continuing with commercial fishing. Today the islands, including San Juan, are prime tourist attractions.
The population of permanent residents is between two and three thousand people. The small town is surrounded by water, by mountains both on the islands and on the mainland, and by an immensity of sky. The pace is slow; visitors are encouraged to take a deep breath and relax into the peace, quiet, and serenity found here.
Visitors can take a ferry to the island, fly into the busy airport, hop on a seaplane, or come by private boat. For getting around town, there are taxis for those who didn't bring their automobiles over by ferry. There are bicycles and mopeds for rent, and most things are accessible to pedestrians. The whole town is about two miles square. B&Bs are among the most popular accommodations; reservations are pretty much required, especially for the summertime.
There are quite a few B&Bs in town. One establishment offers one fabulous suite to provide the height of privacy and individual attention. Others have up to seven. Several appear to actually be hotels, but they promise an authentic B&B experience, with comfort, privacy, and gourmet breakfast food.
It's actually a lot of fun to search the B&Bs in Friday Harbor. There's a great interactive site that rates the different establishments, posts photo galleries of each so you can see for yourself, and includes customer reviews. You'll find Victorian mansions and accommodations that are very contemporary. You may opt for a private suite with its own balcony overlooking the water or the garden, or you may prefer to enter into a home and share the common areas with your hosts.
Many places have unobstructed views of the water. One is even on a boat. This cabin cruiser has all the charm and comfort you could ask for; it's just that the bedrooms are below decks while the easy chairs are on top. The marina is a fun place to be - busy but peaceful.
Although the town prides itself on being quiet and peaceful, there's a lot to do. Watching wildlife is very popular; you can do this from one of the many beaches, from a special whale watch boat, from your own kayack, or while hiking or cycling around the island. You may see two species of whales, wild turkeys, deer, eagles, Trumpeter swans, rabbits, raccoons, and seals, as well as many western songbirds. The downtown area has great restaurants, galleries and museums, shopfronts and an open air market, and views of the water almost everywhere.
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