Travel Tips
Suggestions for making the most of your journey between the mainland, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Seattle, Vancouver BC, Victoria BC and the rest of the world.
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Friday Harbor Hotel
PO Box 1729 410 Spring Street Friday Harbor WA 98250
Local: 360-378-4000
Toll Free: 800-793-4756
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July 8th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
I just was on the spas website www.lavenderadayspa.com and noticed their gift certificates you can make your own online, pay and either print or email it yourself. I think this is a great way to give a gift, also the spa boxes are pretty neat. The massages at the spa are amazing I highly recommend relaxing there.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
****Ferry Tips/ Info****
We get a lot of Questions about the ferry so here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.
**The fare you pay in Anacortes is a roundtrip fair.
**East bound traffic is always free, while there is always a fee for westbound traffic, the fees are always less when coming from the other islands than what you pay in Anacortes.
** The current Summer ‘07 ferry faires are as follows:
Passenger (19-64) = $13.15 –Walk on/car passenger
Youth (6-18) = $10.55
Senior/ Disabled = $6.55
vehicle under 20′+ Driver = $51.20
Senior/ Disabled Driver + Vehicle = $44.60
** The ferry now has a new way to purchase and print tickets before you get to Anacortes. it is called Wave2go and you pruchase the tickets online as many as 7 days before your departure day and print them out from home. This saves a little time once you get to the ferry lane as you don’t have to fumble with your checkbook, cash, or credit card. You just scan your ticket get a reciept and your set. But remember that this does not mean that you have a guaranteed seat on the ferry it is still firt come first serve.
**The most recent ferry schedules can always be found online at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ and it is always a good idea to print one before you leave home.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
Day trips to Lopez easily are one of my favorite summer joys. With several friends who live over across the water, I love to just get away for the day- even if it is only a 40 minute ferry ride away. I always stop and grab a steaming hot latte’ from Isabel’s and then wonder across the street to Holly B’s for some fresh baked goods. The perfect brunch.
June 23rd, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Day Trip to Lopez
My husband, dog and I took a day trip to Lopez the other day. I loved riding the anxient interisland ferry, the dog didn’t so much. On Lopez we headed to Lopez Village, where we had an excellent ham & gruyere panini at Vita’s Wildly Delicious, kind of like our Market Chef with more emphasis on wines, but also organic, delicious food, wonderful for picknicks.
We poked our heads into Blossom, the natural grocery store, hunting for things we can’t buy at home. We got nitrate free salami, encrusted with Herbs de Provence and organic crusty dark bread.
Then we drove to Spencer Spit State Park, where a deer walked straight at us, dog and all, wanting to be fed. When it was about 4 feet from us, the dog thought this was enough now and barked, the deer just barely stepped off the path, waiting in the bushes for us to change our minds on the feeding thing.
A short walk down to the water we saw a bald eagles nest. One of the parents flew by us so close I could feel the wind his wings made.
We walked to the end of the spit where a Mr. Spencer had once built his log cabin. The cabin has been rebuilt, nice place.
We threw the dog in the water and sunbathed.
We had just enough time to eat dinner at the Galley Restaurant & Lounge on Fishermen’s Bay Rd. We looked out on the water while the sun set, sipping our Pilsener Urquells and feasting on a fresh Halibut taco with papaya salsa, Yasmin rice and a black bean and corn cake, yes, that’s what I’m talking about.
Refreshed and relaxed we took the last ferry back to San Juan. The ferry came from Anacortes and unloaded people in Lopez. We were the only ones getting on the boat and when we landed in Friday Harbor we were the first ones off.
Nice day.
May 26th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
If your looking to avoid the travel time between Seattle and the Anacortes ferry landing, or even just looking for a chance to fly over and enjoy the beauty of the islands then I would recommend Kenmore air they have flights from lake union, Boeing field, etc. They will fly you in and land you right on the water. You unload at the Friday harbor Marina right in town. The website has an easy way to check flight availability , they also have a toll free number. www.kenmoreair.com, 866.435.9524
May 16th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
The easiest way to come over to Friday Harbor during the summer, or even going to the mainland whether it is a day or weekend, is to park at the ferry and walk on and then rent a car on the other side. This works for most people, especially if you don’t have a lot of stuff you are packing with you.
May 11th, 2007 at 8:06 am
As far as the summer ferry lines are concerned, don’t forget that if you leave your car behind, you can ride the ferry as a “walk-on” and then you only need to arrive 30-45 minutes ahead of time and the fare is less, too. In the summer, San Juan Island transit does a great job of providing a way to get around the island or you can easily rent a car or moped for the day or even use one of our bikes to explore.
May 5th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Travel between Victoria BC and Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.
Lots of people ask about getting to and from Victoria BC from San Juan Island, especially with the BC Olympics coming up in 2010. Here’s the way to do it:
* The Washington State Ferry departs once daily between Friday Harbor and Sidney B.C. (30 minutes from Victoria). Reservations are recommended westbound, and eastbound reservations are not offered. Call 800-84-FERRY for recorded schedule information.
* The Victoria Express offers direct passenger ferry service once daily from May 26-Spetmeber 3 between Friday Harbor and Victoria BC, Canada.
I wish it were different, but the truth is that there is really no great way to spend a day in Victoria and come back to the island for the night. You could charter a flight with Westwind Aviation, but it’s a pretty spendy way to go. If you’re going to spend a night in Victoria, you almost can’t go wrong with any of the hotels around the inner harbour. We stay at the Delta Ocean Pointe a lot, because their service is always excellent and it’s a little off the beaten path, so quieter than staying right downtown.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Great point, Rachael. Everyone should look at the ferry schedule before leaving home(http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/current/index.cfm?route=ana-sj), choose a ferry to target and plan on getting there plenty early. It’s a beautiful boat ride to Friday Harbor, and we like to say that the vacation starts and ends on the boat. Also remember, ferry fares are round trip, so you only pay going west.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Getting To The Ferry-
During the busy season I highly suggest getting in line at least two hours in advance. Because it is no fun at all waiting in anacortas for hours and hours!!! Planning ahead is better than sitting around for longer than you have to.