Over the years I’ve heard good things about the beauty and good riding conditions of the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington. It was on the list of places that Kerie and I wanted to visit but we never managed to get there. When I met my niece Liz I learned that she lived on Camano Island, located just SE of the San Juans. Bicycle Adventures, a company we have used many times in the past, leads tours during the summer. I arranged for a visit to Liz and her wife Rhonda and then signed up for a tour at the end of that visit.
September 10-12 – After flying into Seattle I rented a car and got to experience the horrendous Seattle traffic. The city is surrounded by water and access is limited by the number of bridges, forcing most through-traffic to use I-5.
I had a wonderful visit with Liz and Rhonda and their three pugs and one mixed breed. They have a lovely home on several acres with a large vegetable garden and many fruit trees. We walked the pugs in a park on the north part of the island, explored another park south of there, and drove to Whidbey Island to have lunch with high school classmates of mine, Patty and Bob.
September 13 – I drove north to Anacortes where I dropped the rental car and joined the tour group to get fitted on my bike. I missed the earlier introductions during the shuttle ride from Seattle to Anacortes so it took me a while to meet everyone. We did a short test ride east and then rode to the first ferry crossing. The islands are reached by a number of ferries operated by the Washington State Ferries which are part of the state Department of Transportation. While the system seems to work well with frequent service, many of the souvenir shops sell WTF (Where’s The Ferry) stickers.
Once on Lopez Island we joined the many other cyclists who had come over on the ferry. The first stop was Spencer Spit State Park where the van was parked and various snacks and drinks were available, one of the major advantages of being on an organized bike tour. From there I rode the optional out and back to Fisherman’s Bay Spit Park and then finished the ride at The Edenwild where we would stay for the next two nights.
September 14 – Being still on East Coast time I was up very early. I normally am up by 5am to feed my cat Lizzo, so around 2am I was wide awake. Gradually during the week I was able to sleep in. During an early morning walk a huge bald eagle flew just above my head, too quick for me to get a photo. Along the shore a couple of harbor seals were swimming.
Today’s ride was a 37 mile counter-clockwise circumnavigation of the island. Lunch was on the stony beach at Watmough Bay where we met another group of cyclists who had organized their own tour of the islands. We would encounter them a couple of other times, as well as a Backroads cycling group. More on that later. Throughout the week Lewis and Mike prepared plentiful and nutritious lunches.
September 15 – Mt Constitution, the highest point on the islands, was the destination for the day, which required shuttling to catch the ferry to Orcas Island and then to the base of the mountain. Several of us on non-ebikes chose to ride the 5 mile climb to the top. The others did the scenic hike. As I was riding up, a Backroads van was headed downhill and I recognized Lucy, our guide from the Alaska trip. I heard her yell “Bruce” as she continued down the mountain.
At the top is a stone observation tower that provided a great view to the NE. Lewis had prepared a delicious lunch. The descent was thrilling. The road has many switchbacks and it was a challenge to try to go as fast as possible and still be able to make the turns.
The second part of the day included a whale watch expedition on a small boat. We traveled west toward the Canadian border past the aptly named Turn Point Lighthouse. We finally spotted a Humpback Whale and followed at a safe distance for a while. We were all surprised when the massive animal breached, swimming out of the water and creating a huge splash when landing.
The whale watch boat served as our ferry to San Juan Island, the largest of the San Juans. The boat landed at Friday Harbor and Friday Harbor Suites was reached by a long uphill walk. Dinner was on our own. I managed to leave my sunglasses at Oystertale and eventually recovered them after the owner left them in the flower planter in front of the restaurant since they were closed the next day.
September 16 – Most mornings I was up early to go for a walk, sometimes running into the other morning walkers Sarahjane and Matt. Took a few marina photos in the morning light. As I was walking on the marina walkway I heard some splashing and there was a harbor seal. I turned on the video and it swam right toward me before diving.
The morning ride was to Turn Point and back. On the return ride we caught the first view of Mt Baker that was hidden behind clouds earlier. The afternoon ride was a loop on the western part of the island with an optional ride up Mt. Grant. Wanting to return to the hotel to catch a ride to Young Hill for a hike, I skipped the Mt Grant climb. At Young Hill we did a short hike to the summit with a view of Vancouver Island. On the hill were 6 graves of British who fought in the Pig War, when the British and the U.S. fought over the boundary between Canada and the U.S.. Read the Pig War Wikipedia page for more info. At dinner that night I ran into Lucy from Backroads again and we got to talk for a minute. I introduced her to our guide Lewis. Both groups would be at Lime Kiln Point the next day. Her first question to Lewis was what is on the lunch menu; guides spend long hours shopping for and preparing food.
September 17 – Today was the longest ride of the tour, a 44 mile loop around San Juan Island. Breakfast was at Friday Harbor House where the Backdrops group was staying. I said a quick hi to Lucy and handed her the charcoal portrait I had drawn while in Anchorage.
After the long descent to Cattle Point Lighthouse I encountered a grey fox with a white tail, a first for me. At Lime Kiln Point we had another good lunch (minus the creamed corn that was supposed to be plain corn for the burrito). Took many photos of the very scenic lighthouse.
The final stop for the day was at Roche Harbor. Mark and I did the final ride back to the hotel along a busy road with a good shoulder and we made good time, although at one point I was turned around to see if Fay was catching up to us and I hit a bump in the asphalt and nearly lost control of the bike, steering with my forearms. I managed to stay upright and paid a bit more attention to the road after that.
September 18 – The last day of the tour. Since the van, bikes and luggage had to return to Seattle via a long ferry ride and drive, there wasn’t a chance to ride. Instead we did a 2-3 hour kayak trip to a small island, our lunch spot. After lunch we basked in the sun on the stone beach, savoring our last day in the islands. Not wanting to lose another phone on the trip, I don’t have any photos.
Our final adventure was to take a float plane trip from Friday Harbor to downtown Seattle, the best way to avoid the Seattle traffic. It was quite a sight to descend into Seattle Harbor amidst the kayaks and paddle boards. Most of us had early flights the next day so we shuttled to the Radisson at the airport. Fay, Susan, and I had an ok dinner at the hotel and said our goodbyes.
I loved touring the islands and riding with a great group of people. Lewis and Mike of Bicycle Adventures did a great job of managing the trip and making sure we all had a good time. I’d love to return. It would be relatively easy to plan your own San Juan Islands tour by making a couple of hotel reservations, flying to Seattle with your bike (or renting a bike in Anacortes), taking a shuttle or rental car to Anacortes, and riding to your destination. We saw many people riding during the week. It was also a treat to visit with Liz and Rhonda and to meet up with Patty and Bob, classmates of mine from 60 years ago.