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Last weekend, the weather was beautiful and we didn't have any plans, open houses that looked interesting, or projects to work on (miracle of miracles!). So Saturday morning after waking up, we spontaneously decided to head to San Juan Island for a weekend getaway. Why not?! We made ferry reservations, booked a hotel room (the last one available at our favorite hotel in Friday Harbor) and packed a bag in about fifteen minutes. Then we were out the door!
On the way up, we stopped in Snohomish for twice baked almond croissants and coffee. I really love Snohomish and if the commute to Seattle weren't so long, it would be at the top of my list for areas to buy a house. We also tried to visit the tulip fields in La Conner, but once we hit the Saturday "tulip traffic" (seriously, it was insane), we decided to skip it. Instead, we grabbed some lunch and hung out in Anacortes until it was time to get on our ferry.
The ferry ride to San Juan Island was long, beautiful, and sunny. And the best part is...WE SAW ORCAS! Ben was the first one on the entire ferry to spot them. There were three orcas, blowing water near some whale watching boats. Then we saw their fins and backs rising out the water, for several minutes as the ferry passed. It was mesmerizing. We're planning to go to Vancouver Island the first week of June for our babymoon, and I want to do a real whale watching tour so we can hopefully get up close and watch them for awhile. I've seen orcas a total of three times now, but each time was from a distance and I could only see their fins. So next time, I reeeaally want to see one breaching!
Once we landed at Friday Harbor, we checked into our hotel, then grabbed sodas and snacks and headed straight to South Beach. It's Ben's favorite spot on the island--a long pebble beach filled with tons of driftwood and rock formations to climb on, with an amazing view of the Olympics, Mt. Rainier, and Vancouver Island. We hung out there for awhile and just relaxed, then we headed to Lime Kiln Point to watch the sunset.
Lime Kiln Point is my favorite spot. It has an old lighthouse that's still operational, and there's always lots of wildlife along the shoreline. We saw seals, a sea lion, lots of bald eagles, and (best of all) a pod of porpoises that hung out for awhile as the sun was setting! Magical.
Sunday morning, we headed to Roche Harbor and along the way I spotted the cutest house that was actually for sale! Too bad it was just a little bit out of our price range at $825k. ;) At Roche Harbor, we got donuts and bacon (breakfast of champions!), walked around and looked at all the fancy yachts, and played bocce ball. We also checked out the historic Hotel de Haro, where Theodore Roosevelt supposedly stayed twice. It's a beautiful building with a lovely manicured garden out front. You can get married there too--they were setting up for someone's wedding while we were there!
Afterward, we headed back to Friday Harbor, visited a few of the shops, grabbed some picnic food at the grocery store, and lounged on the beach one last time. Then it was time to head back!
We didn't see any whales from the ferry on the way home, but I was feeling rather large myself. :) Here I am at 23 weeks pregnant!
We also made one last attempt to see the Skagit Valley tulip fields on our way back. This time, there was no traffic at all and we got right in! So, if you're in Washington and want to catch the tulips without battling the crowds, go on Sunday evening. One of the big fields (Tulip Town) was already closed at 6:00, but we still got to see RoozenGarde, which had rows of tulips in all different colors and a gorgeous garden that felt like something out of a fairy tale. Totally worth it.
We had such a fun weekend, and it felt almost as refreshing and rejuvenating as a "real" vacation. I was inspired to take a few more mini-getaways before our baby comes! We'll see if we can cross off any of the other destinations on my PNW list.
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This looks and sounds like such a nice little getaway. And there's something special about being spontaneous, often when it happens, you go with no expectations so you get to really enjoy all the little things that happen along the way. It's a great reminder to be more spontaneous.
There are so many beautiful places you've shown in this post, that it's really putting your little part of the world on my list to visit sooner rather than later.
Have a great week!
You're absolutely right, the spontaneity of it made it even more fun! No plans that didn't work out, no built-up expectations, nothing to be disappointed about. It was so great!
The Pacific Northwest really is BEAUTIFUL, and spring/summer are the perfect times to visit. Hope you make it over soon! There's so much to see here.
Looks like a Lovely weekend! Some of these even your new little man can enjoy, but it's easier with just the two of you. So many lovely places to see!
It was! And yes, I think we could totally do that trip with a baby. But it's still nice to get some Ben-and-me time before he arrives!
Wow I love nothing more than being spontaneous, looks like you had an amazing day.. Loving the tulips.. We are moving to Vancouver Island later this year and I will add this to my bucket list of things to do.. Thank you for sharing your fantastic day and inspiring me!!
Aww, thanks Lee-Ann! Spontaneity is the best. And the tulip fields really are gorgeous. Just be prepared for massive crowds if you go on a Saturday afternoon!
Where are you moving from? We are doing our babymoon on Vancouver Island in May! It'll be my first time there, so no recommendations yet...but I'm sure I'll do a blog post about our trip when we get back. It looks like a beautiful place to live!
Hi Aileen,
We are moving over from the uk..... We live in a place called Cornwall, which is beautiful, it's just time for a change. After living in Oz for a year I have found it difficult to settle in the uk... I'm sure it will be an amazing adventure for both my husband and I. I will look out for your blog post of the Island because you guys stumble across some fabulous gems.