Tues, Day #3. San Juan Island

      Last night, in the middle of the night, I got up to take a leak over the side.  As I'm standing there, I hear a noise.  It's a guy on a kayak.  "Evenin'." he says.  I smile and nod.

      When planning a trip like this, I spend many hours studying maps, cruising guides, blogs, and other resources.  Naturally, there are always more places to see and things to do that can possibly fit into the time allotted.  So, I try to identify the "must see's" and then prioritize from there.  But the biggest challenge is figuring out how to "balance" the itinerary.  How much time do we want to:  a) sail?  b) go ashore and explore?   c) chill out on the boat?   I gotta play it by ear, try a little of everything, and see what works best.

      While waiting around in the guest lounge at AYC the other day, I had some time to do my itinerary "show and tell", using the enormous map of the SJI blown up on the wall therein.  I stressed that everything is flexible, and if we find a place anywhere that we like a lot, we can stay.

Emily kayaks ashore

      And so, the crew exercised this option today and chose to stay here in Friday Harbor an extra night.  With Escape moored in the harbor as a home base, we could explore the interior of this island at leisure.

      San Juan Island, from which the archipelago derives its name, is the most southwesterly of the island group.  At about 12 nautical miles long and about 6 miles wide, it is the largest and most populous.  Friday Harbor is on its east coast.  It has a handful of places worth visiting by land.  So, using the dinghy and both kayaks, everyone goes ashore. 

Dinghy ride

     First stop was a walking tour of Friday Harbor.  It's a funky little town that caters to boaters and tourists who arrive there by land, sea,  or seaplane, tho most get there by the huge ferries run by the State.  There were all the usual tourists attractions.  It reminded me a lot of Key West, but with hills.  Everywhere were kayakers and bicyclers.

Decorations in downtown Friday Harbor

      We board the island shuttle to see the rest of the island.  The first stop was at American Camp, at the far southern end.  We walked the half-mile-long trail to a place called Grandma's Camp, which featured a dramatic scenic overlook of the ocean, and had a picnic lunch.

Point overlooking ocean near Grandma's Camp.  That's us down there.

Picnic lunch at American Camp

     Next stop was the Pelindaba Lavender Farm, in the center of the island.  It had acres of bright purple lavender flowers, and a visitor center stocked with all manner of products made from lavenders.

Michelle among the lavenders

      The final stop was Lime Kiln Point, a favorite whale-watching site.  (Everyone wants to call it "Key Lime" Point.)  It had a sort of mini-museum dedicated to the orca whales, with a life-size cast of a male dorsal fin.  That thing is over six feet tall!  Incidentally, orcas are not really "whales" at all, but rather are close relatives to dolphins.  Also at Lime Kiln was an old lighthouse.  And , you could also climb down the huge rocks (carefully!) to the water's edge and observe marine life in the tidal pools.

Lighthouse at "Key Lime", er, Lime Kiln Point

All about the Haro Strait

      And then it was back to Friday Harbor for a seafood supper at Friday's Crab House, which had an upstairs outdoor dining room with a panoramic view of the harbor.  We met another group of sailors there, doing a bareboat charter just like us.  They told us that orcas have been consistently spotted out in the Haro Strait, west of San Juan Island.  I could see the wheels turning in the heads of my crew.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream