A Summer on San Juan Island
I planned to be here on a boat. Like so many other people these days, my wife Lindsay has been working from home since March of 2020; she works in the tech industry and has been able to adapt to the home office pretty well. For me on the other hand, mobile work is what I’ve always done even when I have a nice office to park my business cards, but I need to be out and about, meeting people and making connections.
We’ve been looking for a boat for almost a year now, so we could spend time in the San Juan Islands, while also being a fun boat for Lake Washington where we live. We wanted a boat that could transform from fun for big groups on the lake to cozy and protected for us. Well…in the COVID boating market, with values soaring and inventory selling before hitting the market, I just wasn’t finding what I was looking for. Lindsay says I’m picky, I think I just know what I want. I know that owning a boat is time-consuming and expensive, and if you own one you don’t love, you won’t use it or take care of it.
As summer 2021 approached it became clear the boat plans were not going to happen in time for this season. So instead, Lindsay found an incredible house just outside of Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island, on the water, with a dock and mooring ball, and big enough for friends and family to visit and stay awhile…somehow it was 50% off to book for a month, and almost the same price as places we were looking at for a week! We didn’t hesitate and just booked it. Fingers crossed! Spoiler alert…we totally scored with this house, it’s by far the nicest vacation rental we’ve ever stayed in, and we highly recommend it!
I also happened to stumble across a small, trailer-able boat, a 2012 Eastern 18. It needed just the right amount of work to get a great deal, and I could still make it sparkle. I could see the diamond underneath. A few weekends of work and it was ready for the water, we named it “Pico” and took the boat out for its maiden voyage on Lake Washington in May 2021. It was awesome! It had been so long since I’d owned my own boat, and I couldn’t wait to explore. Then I had the idea…let’s bring the boat to Friday Harbor, and we can explore the San Juan Islands in short day trips!
We loaded up like the Griswold’s, even brought our Peloton in the boat, for a month of work and play in the San Juan Islands. Roche Harbor and Friday Harbor are like adult Disneyland for boaters, and I planned to be there every day, meeting people, sharing stories, listening to how they chose their boat and learning about all the secret spots to visit.
We set up an office in the house for Lindsay (with a view of course!) and started a fun month of having friends and family come to stay for long weekends. We’ve been able to explore the island in so much more depth than we ever had when we came by boat. The pastoral interior of the island, with its farmland, meadows, and lavender fields transport you to a countryside far away despite the fact that you’re just a mile or so away from Humpback whales and Orcas breaching, waving their tail as they dive to the depths of the Haro Strait on their way north to Canada and Alaska.
We’ve cooked incredible meals, we’ve found the “off the main drag” restaurants. We’ve paddle boarded, taken “Pico” to Westcott Bay and Fisherman’s Bay, Orcas Island, and Roche Harbor. We golfed at the self-proclaimed “best course you’ve never heard of” (the only course on San Juan Island), and have gone to the Farmer’s Market every Saturday. We’ve learned to avoid downtown Friday Harbor on the busy summer weekends, although, I do enjoy watching the buzz of activity of ferries, boats, kayaks, and sea planes all converging as the sun sets on these warm summer evenings.
I’ve really enjoyed the small-town feel. I’ve noticed that as we spend more time on the island, I’m driving slower, I’m waving at strangers as we pass, and while I still haven’t mastered the business hours of each restaurant and store, and inevitably show up somewhere to find it closed, I think I like the slower pace of life. It almost feels like a detox. I’m not watching any TV, I wake up earlier and clear-headed, and my creativity has found its way into my daily life here.
This has definitely been one of the best months of my life, re-connecting with family and friends we haven’t spent enough time with through the COVID year, finding a way to slow down and appreciate time, spending time exploring with Lindsay and our dog Nika. I have plenty of recommendations for adventures, dining, shopping, and day trips, but one of the biggest takeaways for me has been what I would have missed if I’d only been here on a boat. My one recommendation for anyone visiting the San Juan Islands, if you come by boat, is be sure to rent a car to explore beyond the marina. If you come by plane or ferry, be sure to find a way to get on the water to see the beauty of the coastline, sea life, and escape the crowds.
I’m still looking for my next boat and I know that will open my eyes even more to the beauty of the islands, but I’m so glad to have had the chance to spend a month here and really absorb a summer on San Juan Island.