36 hours in Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands, WA
Lime Kiln Point State Park, San Juan Island, WA // 5 minute read
This weekend, my partner and I went on a spontaneous trip to the San Juan Islands. We stayed in Friday Harbor, a little village about a three-hour journey from Seattle. A computer game I was obsessed with as a small child was loosely based off of this sleepy, small island town, so I got to delight my inner child a bit as well. I’ve been to most of the other islands in the Puget Sound after living in Seattle for the last four-ish years, and this was one of the last ones I needed to check off the list.
We planned everything super last-minute (with about 12 hours notice) and getting a hotel and ferry reservations wasn’t too difficult since it’s still a bit early in the season. I highly recommend reserving your car’s spot on the ferry, since standby lines can take forever and our reserved ferry was still canceled and then delayed by about an hour. You’ll want a car because the island is pretty spread out. However, I think there is public transportation on the island as well!
In my opinion, the main attractions of these islands are whale watches. I’m not going to recommend a hotel or a specific whale watching company because I think everyone has different budgets and needs. Also, we didn’t put a ton of thought into our accommodation since we were booking so late in the game.
Here’s how I would recommend spending 36 hours in freaking adorable Friday Harbor:
Day One
-Pack breakfast and a Hydroflask of coffee for the ferry ride: Leave as early as you can. Having to stop at a Starbucks off the highway at 5 am is not the best way to start the day. This way, you have something to do while you wait for an hour to drive onto the ferry.
-Grab another coffee at Riptide: I had a lavender latte with oat milk and it was delicious. I also picked up a mug because I collect Stumptown diner mugs. :’) Their juices and smoothies also looked so good!
-Go to the Whale Museum: This small museum was SO well done. Make sure you go before your whale watch so you understand more about what you’re about to (hopefully) see. I could really tell how much they care about the conservation of marine mammals and educating the public on how important it is to keep them safe. I also learned that humpback whales all sing the same song and it changes every summer. (Do you think they like Lizzo?!)
-Have lunch at Downriggers: Even after a childhood of beach vacations, eating seafood on the water is still such a vibe. As an adult, I realize a lot of these spots are tourist traps with bad food. However, Downriggers was fresh, fun, and had a great view of the water. Their mango lemonade was also so refreshing!
-Go on a whale watch!!!!!: A whale watch is super worth the money. Definitely research when peak whale watching season is so you increase your chances of seeing them. It gets super cold out on the Puget Sound, so be thoughtful when packing your gear.
Here are just a few of the things I’m glad I wore/brought on our high-speed tour: Smartwool socks, a wool fleece jacket with a zippered phone pocket, sunglasses, a headband, gloves, a dry bag to keep my stuff in, binoculars with a neck strap, and a water bottle. We were lucky enough to see a pod of orcas AND two humpback whales. Highlight of my year tbh!!
-Dinner and drinks at Friday Harbor House: Grab some cocktails and eat a delicious meal on the water, again. We had the duck fat fries, the burger, and the Dungeness crab risotto. So good!
Day Two
-Start the day with some window shopping: There are tons of cute shops around the island. Shop small and get some cute gifts for your loved ones!
-Grab coffee, pizza, and pastries at Bakery San Juan: There is a super specific strategy to this rec. Drink the coffee, eat the pizza, and save the pastries for the ferry ride home in case you get hungry. I got the pesto pizza and a cinnamon roll, both were amazing.
-Head to Lime Kiln Point State Park: Make sure you either have a Discover Pass or cash for parking. This park has some of the best land-based whale watching in the entire world. There’s also an education center, a super beautiful lighthouse and lots of lovely tide pools. This would also be a great place to eat the aforementioned pizza (if you leave any garbage anywhere, I literally hate you).
-Visit the alpacas at the Farm at Krystal Acres: Alpacas are so cute. Don’t get too close! :O They have a lovely farm store with gifts made from alpaca fibers!
-Head back to the mainland: Bye, Friday Harbor! Thanks for the most amazing 36 hours ever! (Let me know if you see any whales from the ferry!)
