The San Juan Island Group - Where the Past and the Present Meet

As visitors from British Columbia we were excited to visit the San Juan Island group, having heard much about them from other travelers. We took the ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor on the San Juan Island. This town was somewhat of a surprise to us as it was much larger than we had expected it to be.

We booked into a campground located on the water where the view was lovely but the wind was nearly gale-force at the time we arrived Because of the increasing winds and the fear of being blown out of our lawn chairs, we decided to take the opportunity to explore the island rather than brave the elements in the camp site. We saw many beautiful areas as we drove around where huge tumbling waves crashed like thunder onto the beaches and angry black clouds over our heads threatened rain. However, this did not dampen our enthusiasm in discovering what the island had to offer in the way of beauty. Bright yellow and orange flowers lined the roadside and occasionally a stunted tree, its branches reaching towards the water, drew our attention away from the view of undulating waves.

We explored further the following day, arriving eventually at Roche Harbor. We were enchanted with this village's old buildings; the Hotel DeHaro, a brick building where lime and cement had once been made; and old brick furnaces and walkways. Taking pictures, and reluctant to leave a place where we felt we'd been catapulted back into time, we explored trails through the old lime quarries. At one point we were able to enjoy a beautiful view of the outer islands and our own Canadian gulf islands. We also visited an alpaca farm, a scenic, idyllic home for the obviously well-loved alpacas and their friendly owners.

Having limited time for our trip and wanting to see as much of the islands as possible, we hurried to catch the ferry to Orcas Island. Camping at Moran State Park, we visited Mount Constitution and climbed the stone observation tower which was built in 1936. At 2,409 feet above sea level, we had a 360 degree view of the region's islands and mountain ranges as well as some of those in Canadian waters. Within the park also are a couple of interesting moss-covered bridges built in memory of Robert Moran's brother. There are also hiking trails of varying lengths and on one of these trails we saw several small waterfalls surrounded by lush forest areas. In many of the areas that we walked the forest floors were carpeted with many varieties of velvety mosses.

Leaving early the following morning, we took the ferry to Lopez Island. On our arrival, we were surprised when we realized that with each car that passed us, there was a friendly wave from its occupant. In no time at all we were returning these friendly waves and wondered why this isn't done everywhere. I particularly enjoyed the rolling farmlands and was interested in the numerous old barns and buildings, the structures often barely supporting the roofs. I found that the old buildings, suggesting many untold stories, situated beside the newer structures were particularly picturesque in their contrast. At each antiquated building we stopped to view, I wondered what the history might have been of the previous families on these farms. We also found a quaint old church with a nearby cemetery; a tranquil scene rarely seen in our world of bustling cars, rumbling trucks, public transit and harried people.

Following various roads, we discovered an old unusued pier and nearby some ancient gas pumps; an interesting bridge, built in 1915 spanning an empty pond; old buildings, and unique mailboxes and everywhere we went there were friendly people.

On our return, we told several friends of our visit to the San Juan Islands and as a result of our enthusiasm, we know several people who also made the trip. They returned as enthusiastic about their trip as we were.