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I’m excited to share some photos from the mini-vacation we took this past weekend in Friday Harbor. We had an awesome time! It already feels so long ago, though…it’s kind of sad how fast all those feelings of relaxation go away once you’re plunged back into the “real world.” Oh well!
Friday Harbor is a charming town in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. You have to take a ferry to get to it (which I think is fun, although I’m sure if I lived there I’d get tired of it).
As we arrived, this is the view we were welcomed with! As the sign suggests, the San Juan Islands are known for being home to a lot of orca whales. I was really hoping we’d see some on our trip…but we never did. I guess this is early in the season for seeing orcas, so we decided not to pay for a whale watching tour. Next time!
We stayed at Friday Harbor House, a beautiful hotel right on the water, with views of the marina and the ferry landing from almost every room. We really lucked out with our room and got a corner room on the top floor! The location was perfect too--right in the heart of the town center.
The top left photo was the view from our windows (which were actually huge glass sliding doors). It was so gorgeous. I loved waking up to that view in the mornings! The rest of the room was really nice too, my favorite part being the big jetted tub. They also had bookshelves stocked with books you could read while you were there, and a fireplace!
We also got to eat dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, The Bluff, one night. The food was amazing!! And those glasses on the top left were made out of recycled wine bottles. I really want to try DIYing that. Ben said his burger was one of the best he’s ever had, and my chicken was truly delicious.
As far as what to do, we had a blast exploring the island and the numerous beaches full of driftwood. We never saw whales, but I did buy an adorable whale mug from a little boutique called Sandpebble, which I loved. I wish it was closer to me, because I seriously wanted everything in that store. We also saw lots of other animals, including deer, seals, a river otter, wild bunnies, and a coyote.
Some of our other favorite things that we saw were the lighthouses (we went to two), the American and English camps (from the Pig War--look it up, it’s real), and that awesome driftwood house we found hidden away on one of the beaches. We also drove to Roche Harbor one of the days, which was really fun as well!
All in all, it was a super relaxing and fun weekend. We totally want to go back to Friday Harbor in the summer and try some of the things we didn’t get a chance to do this time, like visiting the lavender farm (the lavender wasn’t quite in bloom yet) and going on a whale watching boat tour.
Hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into our vacay! And thanks to Friday Harbor House for partnering with me on this post. I would absolutely recommend staying there. We loved our room, and the breakfast they served every morning was super delicious!
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So glad you had such a restful time. This state is amazing with so many great places to see. Glad you can go back and see those whales. Save a bit so you can spend at that store you loved. Many of my treasures are little things I picked up on small trips with Jim. Always great memories, and the Nick nacks that mean something. :)
Thanks Debbie! Same here. I always like picking things up on vacations. They make me smile every time I see them!
Thank you so much for sharing your vacation. Hubs and I will definitely have to leave the big city of Arlington and head to Friday Harbor. :)
Yay! You’ll have a blast :)
looks like you had a great time!
Looks like a fun little trip!
Awesome post! Lots of people talk about Friday Harbor and I've never been. Now I want to go. Glad you two had a little getaway!
You and Ken should totally go! I think you guys would like it a lot.