By Stan Sauerwein
San Juan Island is virtually a fenceless zoo.
At least 290 different bird species soar about in this island aviary. River otters and seals paddle lazily in the sheltered waters of the island's two tiny harbors. Along its narrow roads visitors are often treated to encounters with miniature deer, fox and even wild turkeys.
And there are whales.
Since 1859 when a mischievous pig nearly turned its pristine acres into a battlefield, this the largest of 743 rocky outcrops that form an archipelago along the Washington State coast, has attracted visitors from around the world. In the last few decades, Orcas have been the stars.
During their typical period of residence in the neighboring waters from May to September, three pods of Orcas known as J, K and L have made San Juan Island home. But that's changing. Biologists studying the pods claim the double scourge of pollution and disappearing salmon stocks, which are the whales' primary food source, have put this popular community of Orcas in serious jeopardy.
The population has dropped 20% in just six years. Only 80 whales now comprise the Southern Resident Community.
To view these magnificent endangered creatures in their natural habitat, I took the 90-minute Washington State Ferry ride from Anacortes to Friday Harbor on the heel of the tourist season. I had opted not to join the crowds on one of the many fast and noisy bone-rattling whale-watching tours. Instead I chose something a little closer to nature, earning my view aboard a sea kayak.
My tour guides of choice were the energetic crew working for Clark Casebolt at Outdoor Odysseys, one of the oldest kayak touring companies on San Juan Island with 15 years in the business. Outdoor Odysseys offers one-day tours for $69 (US), and up to five-day outings that include camping overnights on remote islands. Casebolt has also organized luxury weekend tours where ocean time is matched with fine Northwestern cuisine and a soft beds.
To get to Friday Harbor with a car one can take the ferry from Anacortes or Sydney. Visitors can also board one of several regularly scheduled flights from Anacortes, Seattle or Bellingham. There are many passenger-only options that run from the mainland, other islands and Sydney as well A leisurely drive from Kelowna though will achieve the port city of Anacortes north of Seattle in five hours or less. You're best to add a day if you want to visit without the pressures of a schedule. Because the Anacortes ferry doesn't take reservations to Friday Harbor, travelers are also advised to get to the ferry terminal well before their desired departure.
For the first crossing in the morning I boarded in darkness. We sailed from the mainland as slanting morning light and mist give the San Juans a washed-out watercolor kind of look. Tinted shades of blue floated above slate gray Haro Strait.
We arrived before the village was awake. The ferry berth runs parallel to a bustling marina crammed with pleasure boats. Because of it, Friday Harbor retains turn-of-the-century ambiance and looks much as it might have in its crustier days when blue water fishermen visited in search of a dry bed or a wet supper. The Front Street Ale House across the road from the marina, with its late-1800s style facade, liberally adds to that impression.
Friday Harbor is laid back and relaxed but visitors should make lodging quest first priority if an advance booking has not been made. The local population of 6,500 balloons considerably during wale-watching season. While there is a choice of 46 hotels, motels and B&Bs on the island, quality varies greatly. The rooms at Friday Harbor go quickly owing to San Juan Island's pedestrian-friendly enticement to foot and bicycle ferry passengers.
Following that advice I sought out the San Juan Inn B&B. The lodging I'd selected for my night on the island was just a short stroll on Spring Street leading from the waterfront. The two-storey Inn built in 1873 is tucked between retail shops about half way up the hill. A cozy mix of Martha Stewart-inspired décor, the nine-room inn is priced reasonably with high-season rack rates that range from $75 -$155 (US) for rooms with or without private bath. It also offers a guest parlor and a Victorian garden complete with a six-person hot tub, but the exterior's blistered paint job and sagging balcony made me question my choice. That and the fact the door was bolted securely by the owner who had posted a handwritten note telling customers to come back when guests were awake, changed my mind.
I decided instead to try Friday Harbor House, a three-star B&B around the corner and just two blocks from the ferry.
Friday Harbor House is one of the better accommodations on the Island though its boxy design offers little to recall the village's history. Most rooms offer dramatic marine views and feature in-room Jacuzzis and fireplaces. The décor in Friday Harbor House is upscale and modern but not outstanding. While the large step-up Jacuzzi in my room was delightfully decadent, the memory of last winter's fires lurked within the carpet. That said, I'd still return to Friday Harbor House in a heartbeat just for the twinkling harbor view I enjoyed my first night on my balcony with a bottle of Walla Walla Vintners 2000 Sangiovese I didn't have to share with anyone. And for another reason.
The dining room, which does double duty as a parlor during daylight hours, serves gourmet Pacific Northwest cuisine made for a chef's palate and with courageously inventive style. It most definitely shouldn't be overlooked on a visit to Friday Harbor. Be prepared though. Prices do match its superb culinary status and as the primo place to sleep in the village you can expect to pay between $130 and $300 (US) a night in season.
My sea kayak tour was to begin after arrival of the 9:00 ferry, so fortified by an enormous breakfast in the garden courtyard of the Fat Cat Café, a converted house with a warm and friendly staff on Argyll Road, I sought out my tour. Our guide, Christian Folk, had positioned himself with his van near the ferry gangway. A private school science teacher when he isn't babysitting paddlers, Christian's confident manner will put even the least adventurous at ease immediately. If you take an Outdoor Odysseys tour, you are just as likely to also be met by Casebolt who happily welcomes repeat customers like the old friends they've become.
Introductions to companions from New York, Florida and California were completed in short order and we were whisked on a short drive to the other side of the island, our kayaks in tow. The 'put-in' for our tour is a wide pebble beach next to the island's closed cannery where several kayak operators had herded their customers. After being sized for life vest, rubber splash apron and a paddle, Christian gave us a careful lesson in the rudimentary skills required to operate the kayak safely. Previous experience isn't required to use these very stable double person kayaks. I can't say the same about chosing your companion.
Christian assigned me a 70 year-old Canadian ex-pat from San Diego as partner and then described the route we would take for the day. It's important to note that the tides and currents around San Juan can be strong and capricious. Anyone with their own kayak visiting for a paddle should take extra time to study the tide tables and coastal charts. These are available at various spots on the island including King's Market, the food store on Spring Street.
Once underway following Christian's torpedo along the coastline, I realized why the two-man kayak has often been called "the divorce boat". Cecil, my kayaking partner, seemed to spend more time looking for whales than paddling. Because he was in the stern, he controlled the direction and that, to my frustration, became an ambling series of tacks I suspect added miles to our day's journey.
We were told our 'take-out' would be about three miles away. It doesn't seem like much, but at three miles you definitely get your money's worth. While I enjoyed the experience I soon realized anyone taking to a kayak for whale watching has to be prepared to work. Though we traveled with the current some of the time, the rocking shoulder rotation and abs-crunching twist that has to be made in order to paddle against the current correctly is tiring. Beginners should forget about trying to emulate their guide. Christian could dip his paddle into the cold waters of the Pacific in an almost dainty fashion that propelled him like a rocket. His stroke looked like he was he's tapping ash from a cigar. Along the way we received a detailed account of the San Juan wildlife but weren't lucky enough to spot Orcas. In fairness to Christian however, we were bountifully treated to views of other kinds. We paddled less than 20 meters from fat momma Harbor Seals and pudgy pups sunning themselves on offshore rocks for example. We also had numerous photo opportunities with bald eagles and heron, though a telephoto lens I'd left in the van for safety was absolutely necessary to record the sightings properly.
In spite of our whale encounter failures, the kayak adventure was splendid. It was capped by a tasty lunch of smoked salmon sandwiches on a rocky beach shaded by red Madrone trees, a feast of fresh oysters plucked right from the sea and a colorful account of the famous San Juan Pig War.
Known at the time as the 'San Juan Imbroglio', the Pig War was a border dispute. It resulted in a British-US military occupation of San Juan Island that lasted from 1859 to 1872.
San Juan had been in the middle of an international boundary argument, for a decade earlier. After an American settler shot a boar owned by the Hudson's Bay Company on the island, the British attempted an arrest. The case of the killed pig escalated when the US military were sent to San Juan Island to protect the settler and demonstrate their soverignty. Almost comically, hostilities escalated when British warships arrived to counter the US army's presence in defense of the pig and the border. A new war between Great Britain and America over the sparsely populated island seemed imminent for some time until Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, acting as arbitrator, finally settled the argument in favor of the United States. San Juan Island became the last place the Union Jack flew over U.S. territory and no one died in the war except the pig.
The State of Washington has preserved this bit of history with a national park that encompasses both the American and British camps.
Open all year long, the park is a wonderful place to stroll, through camping is not allowed.
The British camp lies on tree-sheltered Garrison Bay, about nine miles northwest of Friday Harbor. It's a quiet spot with views of Vancouver Island on the horizon. There are four historic buildings at the site though they offer little more than information plaques for the curious. A small formal English garden has been restored as well but it is not as interesting an attraction as the massive oak tree, one of the largest living examples in the United States, that a bald eagles and a pesky woodpecker call home.
History buffs may also be interested in visiting the American camp, located on the southern tip of the island about six miles south-east of Friday Harbor. It has two historic buildings as well and the remains of an earthen gun emplacement (or redoubt) overlooking Cattle Pass. The buildings aren't worth much of a visit, but witnessing the enormous tidal current racing through the narrow divide in the islands is certainly.
The less adventurous can find plenty of other things to do on San Juan Island besides kayaking too.
Friday Harbor is an enchanting mix of old and new, all with a touch of salt, packed into one square mile. In the village business district there are numerous attractions for a walking tour. Keep an eye on Harbor Park, the concreted circle passed on leaving the ferry. It is often an impromptu venue for island performers including jugglers, guitar players and marimba bands. This area includes seven of nine island art galleries in a four-block radius, most with fine examples of locally handcrafted jewelry; soap stone, bronze and steel sculptures. There is even some scrimshaw to be had which to me seemed ironic.
Still in the downtown area, a marvelous whale museum is located a short block from Spring Street. Open since 1979, the museum plays a critical role in the stewardship of whales and the inland marine waters. Visitors will find a multi-media show and the expected exhibits. During the summer it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's very 'kid friendly' too.
A bit further up to Pine Street will take a visitor to the James King homestead built in 1886. Now the site of the San Juan Historical Museum, for $2 entry a visitor can tour the original farm buildings but we have better examples here at home.
Rent a bike, a scooter or a strange-looking highway legal golf cart instead to see the rest of the island. You can pick one up in the haphazard collection of buildings across from the ferry terminal. Again, make your decision to rent early if you don't want the effort of pedaling.
Enroute to Roche Harbor you'll find the Westcott Bay Reserve near the airstrip that is definitely worth a stop. Take the first left in the parking lot to access a 19-acre outdoor gallery that boasts 45 sculptures on display in an open setting. There is no admission charge to tramp the grounds. You'll find an eclectic mix from the recognizable to arcane. I was particularly taken by the sight of a huge dragonfly that looks as if it is scooting through an unstrung tennis racquet. As an added bonus, a birding brochure at the entrance identifies nearly 120 species found on the small reserve, many of which you can see on your walk as well.
Further on, Hotel de Haro, a sprawling structure built in the late 1800s, presides over Roche Harbor on the north end of the island. The hotel has a large, fragrant rose garden in summer and its guest register, on display in the creaking lobby, shows it has been a stopping place for many rich and famous since the last century. Teddy Roosevelt was fond of the resort and stayed in the Presidential Suite - room 2A - twice. Development applications being considered now could see the Roche Harbor area transformed into a new residential district of estate homes and condos, which will undoubtedly destroy the pampered isolation it currently affords.
You might want to visit before that happens. With some luck you may even spot a few Orcas from the Limestone Kiln or Lighthouse viewing areas nearby. Even if you're like me and have to settle for the skeleton in the museum, the visit will be fun and educational.
Workshops/Readings