A Journey to 'The Islands' in Washington's Banana Belt

 For a change of pace. For a chance to give our tender feet a rest after hiking in the Cascades, we opted for a relaxed day of sightseeing. We opted to book walk-on foot passage on the Washington State Ferry System and catch a ride from Fidalgo Island (which in my mind counts as 'mainland') Anacortes to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

Glenda, Kaileen, Grant and Sue waiting for our ship to come in at Anacortes Ferry Dock

The Yakima has docked and will ferry us to Friday harbor for a leisurely day on San Juan Island

Getting there is half the fun when you ride the ferries that sail Puget Sound. We had sunny weather, fair winds and a rising tide and then we cast off for a day of adventure.

The locals know that the San Juan Islands fall in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountain Range, the height of the Olympics blocks some of the rain and gray weather typical of Western Washington, allowing the archipelago of the San Juans to trend warmer and sunnier that other coastal stretches of the state. Hence, the humorous phrase, 'Banana Belt' for these charming islands. 

Greg was kind enough to buy us all a waterfront lunch in Friday Harbor

Lavender crops are grown on San Juan Island  

Mark swimming with the Friday Harbor Seal

Grant and his mother at Friday Harbor Marina

Mark Posing with Petunias & Poesies
Shop along the street of Friday Harbor

We moseyed along the flowered streets of tourist-oriented Friday Harbor for the afternoon. Mostly window shopping before we caught our return ferry to Anacortes, arriving around 6 PM. I think there is so much more to do on San Juan Island than the tourist town of Friday Harbor, that I'm keen to return some day with more mobility and go sea some of the beaches, historical sites and less-visited towns on the island. I'm thinking in the future, maybe this would be a good 2-day adventure to scout San Juan Island with my wife. No regrets. We will continue to enjoy the journey and plan accordingly.

We were off the water with most of the day already gone. We detoured through the picturesque town of La Conner. We walked along Main Street, peeking into gallery windows, shops and dinning locations that were closed, or about to be. 

Those in our party from New York City marveled at the small town sense of time, where retail establishments closed 'so early' at 5 or 6, the shopkeepers then returning home. "Isn't anybody willing to work and stay open anymore?" was the lament as we passed darkened shops. 

We found a well decorated shop serving ice cream and open until 7. We dashed in to enjoy a creamy confection - just ahead of closing time.

The summer days in Washington are long on daylight, but short on business hours in La Conner.
We find an ice cream parlor still open and decide to have dessert before dinner - we are on vacation!

Of course, no trip to La Connor would be complete without a photo with the statue of Dirty Biter. Dirty Biter was a beloved, if not cantankerous canine who owned the town for awhile. We have many photos of Sunesons over the years posing with the bronze likeness of La Connor's famous Dirty Biter. 

This day is no exception... 

Kaileen joins Grant in the latest edition of a photo with the Dirty Biter Statue

Then it was back to the Pilchuck for leftover pizza and pot roast now that we had started the meal with ice cream in La Conner.