San Juan Islands recommendations

Purple_Pills

What are some good places to visit in the San Juan Islands? Any good food recommendations? I’ll be spending most of the time on San Juan and Orcas, but recommendations for other islands would be great too.

DerekJohnson

Be sure to go to The Barnacle. Coldest beer in town and try their clams-n-rickshaw specials to-and-from the stadium.

Purple_Pills

DerekJohnson said:

Be sure to go to The Barnacle. Coldest beer in town and try their clams-n-rickshaw specials to-and-from the stadium.

Thanks! Will check it out.

I heard the rickshaw service is on hold due to lack of employees and that the stadium was lost in the Orcas Island COVID-19 Kindling Riots of 2020.

YellowSnow

Gotta drive up Mount Constitution on Orcas. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Constitution

YellowSnow

http://www.orcasislandkayaks.com/

Gotta kayak through obstruction pass.

1to392831weretaken

Orcas is where we did 6th grade camp when I was in school. Camp Moran.

I also had to play youth football against Orcas and Friday Harbor. Well, Friday Harbor at least, as Orcas' team started a few years later. I did referee a few games on Orcas.

Friday Harbor was always tough as nails and gave us a good game. They had a huge homefield advantage, mostly from us having to get up at the ass crack of dawn to catch the ferry to get out there. Since it's super expensive to drive on, the whole team just walked onto the boat, then we had to walk from the ferry terminal on San Juan Island to the "field" where the games were held. I think if you dried out a thousand cacti, cut them open, and spread them out flat, that's Friday Harbor's football field. Just a bunch of prickly clumps of dead grass over a dustbowl.

Anyway, the ferry was fun because they'd make us take our cleats off on the boat, so we'd just slide around in our socks and feed french fries from the galley to the seagulls.

/csb

biak1

Spring Street Deli for sandwiches and the Bean for coffee whenever I’m in Friday Harbor. So twice.

CFetters_Nacho_Lover

Been to Orcas a few times. We went to a tavern, got drunk and had fun but don’t remember the name of the place. I recommend that place.

PurpleThrobber

Went to the San Juans for honeymoon v1.0

Haven’t gone back since. PTSD.

El_K

San Juan has the English camp and the Lime Kiln lighthouse which are things I like. I am the guy who reads all the things posted. Quite a bit of dood options. I am not into shopping but it was lacking. Plenty of places to eat. Make reservations if things are still locked down a bit.

Make ferry reservations ahead of time. You don’t want to wait and go standby. Both ways.

Gas up before you go. Shit is expensive on the islands

Orcas was pretty cool. definitely do Moran State Park and jam up to Mt Constitution. Hopefully it will be clear when you go. It is hilly Lots of hiking if you are into that

If you like seeing Orcs do a whale excursion. It is pretty cool. You do learn about the different pods around us. You always hear about theJPod who are endangered. Their endangered because they only eat salmon! The ones who thrive eat everything. And there are Orcas that only east shark livers

Baseman

1to392831weretaken said:

Orcas is where we did 6th grade camp when I was in school. Camp Moran.

I also had to play youth football against Orcas and Friday Harbor. Well, Friday Harbor at least, as Orcas' team started a few years later. I did referee a few games on Orcas.

Friday Harbor was always tough as nails and gave us a good game. They had a huge homefield advantage, mostly from us having to get up at the ass crack of dawn to catch the ferry to get out there. Since it's super expensive to drive on, the whole team just walked onto the boat, then we had to walk from the ferry terminal on San Juan Island to the "field" where the games were held. I think if you dried out a thousand cacti, cut them open, and spread them out flat, that's Friday Harbor's football field. Just a bunch of prickly clumps of dead grass over a dustbowl.

Anyway, the ferry was fun because they'd make us take our cleats off on the boat, so we'd just slide around in our socks and feed french fries from the galley to the seagulls.

/csb

Where'd you go to HS school?

doogie

biak1 said:

Spring Street Deli for sandwiches and the Bean for coffee whenever I’m in Friday Harbor. So twice.

Bean was closed due to Covid. Get your coffee @ Crows Nest. San Juan Brewing in Friday Harbor is nice. Bought my first beer @15 @ Herbs Tavern. Covid Paranoia runs thick there so be forewarned. Generally unhappy staff, poor service is all you can expect at Herbs now.

Rocky Bay Cafe is best for breakfast.

BEST Fish&Chips: The Bait Shop

Hit San Juan County Park for beautiful sunsets, river otter shows and Orca viewing from shore. It’s on the west side just north of the Lime Kiln Point Orca Park. Roche Harbor is quite nice but spendy. Many red foxes running around there. Kayak out of Roche over to Posey Island. Beautiful.

Oysters lunch at Westcott Bay Oyster Co. is fun.

Whale Museum in FH is a must if you have kids.

On Orcas, yes to Mt Constitution. Eastsound is a great little community with good restaurants. Avoid Rosario. Deer Harbor is quaint and cute, get your coffee on the dock. Pizza is good, not great. I think WorldMark has a property there. Orcas is slow to get around the island with winding roads and a lot of hills.

doogie

El_K said:

San Juan has the English camp and the Lime Kiln lighthouse which are things I like. I am the guy who reads all the things posted. Quite a bit of dood options. I am not into shopping but it was lacking. Plenty of places to eat. Make reservations if things are still locked down a bit.

Make ferry reservations ahead of time. You don’t want to wait and go standby. Both ways.

Gas up before you go. Shit is expensive on the islands

Orcas was pretty cool. definitely do Moran State Park and jam up to Mt Constitution. Hopefully it will be clear when you go. It is hilly Lots of hiking if you are into that

If you like seeing Orcs do a whale excursion. It is pretty cool. You do learn about the different pods around us. You always hear about theJPod who are endangered. Their endangered because they only eat salmon! The ones who thrive eat everything. And there are Orcas that only east shark livers

Good tips. I see Orcas all the time up there. Very cool and a must activity when in the SJ’s. A month ago, saw a pod turn on the pilot whales for lunch. Amazing.

1to392831weretaken

Baseman said:

1to392831weretaken said:

Orcas is where we did 6th grade camp when I was in school. Camp Moran.

I also had to play youth football against Orcas and Friday Harbor. Well, Friday Harbor at least, as Orcas' team started a few years later. I did referee a few games on Orcas.

Friday Harbor was always tough as nails and gave us a good game. They had a huge homefield advantage, mostly from us having to get up at the ass crack of dawn to catch the ferry to get out there. Since it's super expensive to drive on, the whole team just walked onto the boat, then we had to walk from the ferry terminal on San Juan Island to the "field" where the games were held. I think if you dried out a thousand cacti, cut them open, and spread them out flat, that's Friday Harbor's football field. Just a bunch of prickly clumps of dead grass over a dustbowl.

Anyway, the ferry was fun because they'd make us take our cleats off on the boat, so we'd just slide around in our socks and feed french fries from the galley to the seagulls.

/csb

Where'd you go to HS school?

Oak Harbor. Navy brat.

Purple_Pills

doogie said:

biak1 said:

Spring Street Deli for sandwiches and the Bean for coffee whenever I’m in Friday Harbor. So twice.

Bean was closed due to Covid. Get your coffee @ Crows Nest. San Juan Brewing in Friday Harbor is nice. Bought my first beer @15 @ Herbs Tavern. Covid Paranoia runs thick there so be forewarned. Generally unhappy staff, poor service is all you can expect at Herbs now.

Rocky Bay Cafe is best for breakfast.

BEST Fish&Chips: The Bait Shop

Hit San Juan County Park for beautiful sunsets, river otter shows and Orca viewing from shore. It’s on the west side just north of the Lime Kiln Point Orca Park. Roche Harbor is quite nice but spendy. Many red foxes running around there. Kayak out of Roche over to Posey Island. Beautiful.

Oysters lunch at Westcott Bay Oyster Co. is fun.

Whale Museum in FH is a must if you have kids.

On Orcas, yes to Mt Constitution. Eastsound is a great little community with good restaurants. Avoid Rosario. Deer Harbor is quaint and cute, get your coffee on the dock. Pizza is good, not great. I think WorldMark has a property there. Orcas is slow to get around the island with winding roads and a lot of hills.

I visited San Juan Island Brewing, it was good. So is BLM, hippy dippy Island Hoppin’ Brewery on Orcas. Island Hoppin’ had my favorite beer of the trip despite being named after that decrepit idiot Bernie Sanders.

Pitchfork51

Try not to get raped and murdered you gringo

doogie

https://tuckerharrisoninn.com/blog/friday-harbor-4th-of-july/