Friday Harbor and the San Juan Islands have long been recognized as one of the premier vacation destinations in Washington. For a relatively small island, San Juan Island offers a diverse topography ranging from pebbly beaches to mountain meadows and lush valleys. It is truly one of nature's playgrounds. The wildlife includes such exciting creatures as Orca Whales, harbor seals, minke whales, poipoises, to sea otters. It's not uncommon to see fox, wild turkey, rabbit or our small black tail deer, and raccoon. The birds are lovely. Bald eagles, great blue herons, trumpeter swans, hawks, peregrine falcons, ospreys, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, cormorants, sea gulls and many more. There are no poisonous snakes, no lions, tigers or bears, so hiking and exploring is safe and fun.

    Friday Harbor, Washington 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 offers a 19 acre Sculpture Garden that allows visitors to stroll and enjoy the many works of talented Islanders. Bicycle, sail and motor boat, kayak, moped and car rentals are available. There are charters for whale watching, sailing, kayaking, fishing, and island tours. Friday Harbor lodging ranges from B&B's, Inns, hotels and 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.

    Check out the history of San Juan Island and its links to Vancouver Island and the "Pig War". You may wish to make Friday Harbor, Washington the headquarters for exploring the other San Juan Islands or Victoria on Vancouver Island. The interisland Washington State ferry make this relatively inexpensive and fun.

    The people that choose to live here are as interesting and diverse as the wildlife. The Islanders are friendly. They are an independent lot who take pride in their environment, history and stories. You may enjoy some of the stories we have included and you may find a local who will tell you more about their favorite stories or about one of the colorful island residents.

    Local breeders raise a variety of critters, such as sheep, goats, horses, cattle, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, and fowl. There are herb, vegetable, flower, lavender farms and fruit farms that often sell their wares at the Saturday summer market downtown. We also have a vineyard with a wine tasting room, and a micro brewery to quench even the fiercest thirst.

    Once a mountain range, but now an archipelago, the 100-million-year-old San Juan Islands feature some of the most spectacular scenery in the Pacific Northwest. Depending on the tides, the San Juans number anywhere from 428 to 743 islands. Only about 170 have names, including the four largest: Orcas, San Juan, Shaw and Lopez. The islands were explored (1790-92) and named by the Spanish Francisco Eliza expedition.

    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. However, 1999 was 25 percent wetter on San Juan Island than the previous year. 35.61 inches of rainfall were recorded by the Roche Harbor Water System in 1999, up from 1998's total of 28.46. And that was up from the yearly average of about 22 inches. The total rainfall came 2.89 inches shy of the wettest year on record, 1990, when 38.5 inches of moisture fell. The wet trend continues in 2000, but I don't think we're going to mold, it just keeps the island green, lush and beautiful.

    The San Juan 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 Juan Islands receive about half the rainfall that Seattle does. Our own Mount Young and Mount Finnleson offer outstanding views of Vancouver Island, Mt. Baker, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

     Long periods of gray skies, high humidity, extreme temperatures are rare in the islands. We do occasionally experience a winter nor' easter when the arctic cold roars down from the Yukon. We're spoiled with mild winters and beautiful spring, summer and fall weather that it feels startling to get nasty weather, but it never lasts long.

    We at FridayHarbor.com would like to extend an invitation to you to visit San Juan Island for a few days...You may stay even longer, just be careful, you may find that you will want to make the islands your home. Check out the links below and if you have any additional questions Click Here . We will look forward to your visit.

    Advance Reservations are suggested for all activities and lodging.

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