Above is a map of the major San Juan Islands. There are
actually between 100 and 400 islands total in the chain, depending on the tide.
The above islands are the major ones, although a few others have residences and
the remainder are parks of some sort (when they're above water.) The islands
shown are fairly big with San Juan island being about 25 miles on its longest
diameter.
The San Juan Islands are located in the Puget Sound southeast of Victoria and West of Bellingham. The islands have a fairly small population (12,700) with the largest and only city being Friday Harbor (located on the eastern edge of San Juan Island near the island's equator.) Friday Harbor has a population of about 5,000 residents. On the northwest end of San Juan Island is Roche Harbor, a small resort village.
Most of the other islands are sparsely populated and in addition to San Juan Island, the ferry only goes to Lopez, Orcas and Shaw Island. Orcas has a couple of villages with stores and a few resorts, Lopez has a village with a grocery, a bicycle rental and a few B&Bs. Shaw has about 150 people and no stores or public accommodations.
The San Juan Islands exist on tourism and agriculture. Even on the more populated San Juan Island, most of the non-waterfront land is used for farming or ranching. The tourist trade is driven by the natural views afforded by the islands, whale watching, biking, boating and kayaking.
When travelling to the
San Juan Islands from Seattle, you go north about 60 miles then west about 30
mi to Anacortes, a town with a large natural harbor and a major ferry terminal.
Above is a view of Mount Baker (approx. 11,000 feet) looking N by NE across
ship harbor near the ferry terminal.
More Ship Harbor.
Mt. Baker from Ship
Harbor.
Ferry car loading. We
hadn't planned at first to take our car across on the ferry, but the helpful
gentleman at the Anacortes Visitor Center strongly recommended it and correctly
so. Round Trip Ferry passage for 2 people and a car is $35. They only collect
tolls going westbound from the Anacortes terminal and eastbound at the
Vancouver Island (Victoria) terminal. This has the intentional side effect of
providing free inter-island ferry service. Most of the ferries however are
direct routes from a single island to Anacortes.
Working dock at Ship
Harbor.
View from ferry deck of
an inbound ferry and a near island.
Ferry inbound to the
terminal and Mt. Baker.
Off we go to the
islands!
Jay being blown around
by VERY strong winds on the front ferry deck.
On to San Juan
Island.
Island in San Juan
Harbor.