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San Juan Island!
San Juan Island is located in a "rain shadow." On days when the Seattle area is rainy and damp, chances are the sun is shining in Friday Harbor. Seattle averages 58" of rain, Friday Harbor averages about 22". We see the sun on an average 247 days out of the year. In the dry summer months and especially during September and early October, the islands often go for weeks without a cloud in the sky. |
The islands are protected by surrounding ocean waters, and mountain ranges. The ocean temperatures average 45 degrees in the winter and 52 degrees in the summer. Thus, cooling the air in the summer and warming it in the winter. The Cascade Mountains to the east help to block the freezing cold weather systems that come down from Canada. The Olympics and Vancouver Island tend to push most prevailing winds up into cooler air and force them to dump their rain, meaning the San Juans receive about half the rainfall that Seattle does. Our own Mount Young and Mount Finlayson offer outstanding views of Vancouver Island, Mt. Baker, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Friday Harbor has long been recognized as one of the premier vacation destinations in Western Washington. For a relatively small island, San Juan offers a diverse topography ranging from pebbly beaches to mountain meadows and lush valleys. The wildlife includes exciting creatures such as Orca Whales, harbor seals, sea otters, porpoises, and minke whales. It's not uncommon to see small black tail deer, fox, wild turkey, rabbit or raccoon.
The birds are lovely. Great bald eagles, blue herons, trumpeter swans, peregrine falcons, ospreys, woodpeckers, hawks, hummingbirds, cormorants, sea gulls and many more. We have no poisonous snakes, no lions, tigers or bears, so hiking and exploring is safe and fun.
Friday Harbor boasts a multitude of restaurants offering the finest in dining, to the lovely open-air bistros and ice cream parlors. You'll find shops galore and unique art, ranging from clothing and jewelry to paintings and sculpture, much of it created by local artists. Westcott Bay Reserve is a 19 acre Sculpture Garden with paths for an easy fascinating stroll. Bicycle, sail and motor boat, kayak, moped and car rentals are available.
There are charters for whale watching, sailing, kayaking, fishing, and island tours. Lodging ranges from B&B's and Inns, motels, to houseboats and camping. We have a 9 and 18 hole golf course, tennis courts, museums, a movie theatre, and a community theatre for plays and concerts. Our parks are lovely and our beaches scored higher than any other beaches in the U.S. in a recent national magazine survey.
Local breeders raise a variety of critters, such as sheep, goats, horses, cattle, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, and fowl. There are herb, vegetable, flower, lavender and fruit farms that often sell their wares at the Saturday summer market downtown. We also have a vineyard with a wine tasting room to quench even the fiercest thirst.
Whether you take a hike through its trails, kayak to explore its coves, or wander around Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor, there are no end of places to explore here. To help get you acquainted with the island, this is a good place to start!
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| Discovery Inn 1016 Guard St. Friday Harbor, WA 98250 888 754-0034 360 378-2000 Site Design: w3solutions © 2011 All Rights Reserved * Email:Webmaster |
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One guest wrote recently . . . . The kayak trip on Sunday was awesome! We got stuck in the water for over an hour cuz we were surrounded by feeding orcas. Two even got within about 50 feet of our boats. It was so cool to see those huge mammals up close like that . . . . The hotel was wonderful - close enough to town that I could walk easily. Thanks so much for organizing things for me. Will definitely come to stay another time. Have a great week. Kimberly 2010 We are conveniently located only a 3/4-mile from the ferry landing in Friday Harbor and are central to the island's beaches, hiking trails with lush meadows, historical sites and, of course, the shops and restaurants of the beautiful village of Friday Harbor. Click on the Lodging and Reservations tab for Spring Specials, whale watches and other adventures. |
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