Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
includes plenty of dishes that are unexpectedly imaginative. For a starter, try the
tequila-lime shrimp cocktail or the double oyster “martini.” Among the entrees,
the wood-fired raviolis are a good bet. Wash it all down with one of the brew-
ery's excellent beers.
320 Commercial Ave.
&
360/588-1720.
www.anacortesrockfish.com. Main courses $7-$18. AE, DISC, MC,
V. Sun-Thurs 11:30am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am-midnight.
3 The San Juan Islands
On a late afternoon on a clear summer day, the sun slants low, suffusing the
scene with a golden light. The fresh salt breeze and the low rumble of the ferry's
engine lulls you into a dream state. All around you, rising from a shimmering
sea, are emerald-green islands that are the tops of glacier-carved mountains
flooded at the end of the last ice age. A bald eagle swoops from its perch on a
twisted madrona tree. Off the port bow, you spot several fat harbor seals loung-
ing on a rocky islet. As the engine slows, you glide toward a narrow wooden
dock with a simple sign above it that reads
ORCAS ISLAND
. With a sigh of con-
tentment, you step out onto the San Juan Islands and into a slower pace of life.
There's something magical about traveling to the San Juans. Some people say
it's the light, some say it's the sea air, some say it's the weather (temperatures are
always moderate, and rainfall is roughly half what it is in Seattle). Whatever it is
that so entrances, the San Juans have become the favorite getaway of urban
Washingtonians, and if you make time to visit these idyllic islands, we think
you, too, will fall under their spell.
There is, however, one caveat. The San Juans have been discovered. In sum-
mer, if you're driving a car, you may encounter waits of several hours to get on
ferries. One solution is to leave your car on the mainland and come over either
on foot or by bicycle. If you choose to come over on foot, you can rent a car,
moped, or bike; take the San Juan island shuttle bus; or use taxis to get around.
Then again, you can just stay in one place and relax.
Along with crowded ferries come hotels, inns, and campgrounds that can get
booked up months in advance and restaurants that can't seat you unless you have
a reservation. If it's summer, don't expect to find a place to stay if you come out
here without a room reservation.
In other seasons, it's a different story. Spring and fall are often clear, and in
spring, the islands' gardens and hedgerows of wild roses burst into bloom, mak-
ing this one of the nicest times of year to visit. Perhaps best of all, in spring and
fall room rates are much less than they are in the summer.
Depending on whom you listen to, there are between 175 and 786 islands in
the San Juans. The lower number constitutes those islands large enough to have
been named, while the larger number represents all the islands, rocks, and reefs
that poke above the water on the lowest possible tide. Of all these islands, only
four (San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw) are serviced by the Washington State
Ferries, and of these, only three (San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez) have anything in
the way of tourist accommodations.
ESSENTIALS
VISITOR INFORMATION
For information on all the islands, contact the
San Juan Islands Visitor Information Service,
P.O. Box 65, Lopez Island, WA
98261 (
&
888/468-3701
or 360/468-3663; www.travelsanjuans.com); the
San
Juan Island Chamber of Commerce,
P.O. Box 98, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(
&
360/378-5240;
www.sanjuanisland.org); or the
Orcas Island Chamber of
