Hi,

My husband and I are interested in flying into Seattle, going to the San Juan Islands, then going to Victoria. We can travel anytime from April through October. We can easily take 7 days +/- more days as needed.

Butchart Gardens in Victoria is a must-see.
We love to kayak, day-hike and bike if there aren't too many hills involved.
We're in our 50's and are kids are grown, so this is for our enjoyment.
We'd love to go whale-watching.

Best month to travel?
Suggested itineraries?
Rent a car in Seattle to use for entire trip?
Best places to stay in each place?
Best restaurants? (I have a seafood allergy, but my husband doesn't -- need menu choices accordingly)
Suggested activities?
"Must-see" or "must-do" recommendations?

Thanks so much for your help.
Cameron

My husband and I took a similar trip two years ago. We started in San Francisco and finished in Seattle with the San Juan islands somewhere in the middle.

If you're interested in whale watching, I think I remember April being too early. We were there mid-April and we heard from locals it was too early.

We stayed one night in Port Townsend, WA which is on the tip of the Olympic Penninsula (if I remember correctly), at the Ann Starrett Mansion. Really cute B&B, victorian mansion. The town was full of beautiful huge old houses like that. We ate at the Wild Coho, which was excellent.Ann Starrett Mansion

We also rented our car in SF and returned it in Seattle. The ferry system was great through WA.

Yep, I should have written a trip report, I know. I'm the worst.

But that's all I got for that leg of your trip, I think.

Mary Beth

That's a lot of questions to answer. I don't know where to begin.

For hiking, whale watching and weather - I would recommend mid-late July or early August. PNW's summers are typically cool and mild. There is always a chance of rain although the end of July/beginning of August are probably the highest chance of sunny days. The local Seafair festival is going on during these weeks and traditionally happen during this time because of the reliable weather.

I don't have any personal experience kayaking in the San Juans. They are beautiful but also very popular so I would start to research accomodations now. I did a little bit of googling and this looks like a good company - SeaQuest.

Now hiking I do know a lot about. I recommend a visit to Paradise at Mt. Rainier. It is about a 2-3 hour drive from Seattle. Very easy for a day trip. There are several outstanding hikes from the Visitor's Center. There is some elevation gain (1200-1500ft) in the hikes but there are some shorter walks. There are also many other great places to go that are easy to get to as day hikes.

Since I live here, it is hard for me to recommend a place to stay since I never actually stay in hotels here. It depends a lot on what type of experience you want. There are several big hotels that are good to stay at along with some more boutique hotels. Some places to look at are Inn at the Market, The Mayflower, The W, Hotel Monaco, The Edgewater. There are also several chain hotels around Lake Union; Residence Inn, Silver Cloud, Marriott. A new streetcar just opened today which provides transportation from South Lake Union to downtown (1 mile or so) which makes these chains a nice option now. One caution regarding downtown Seattle, parking is getting very expensive.
If you have a car, a different option might be this rental
Canal Cottages. They are near Ballard which is getting to be a pretty hip neighborhood. Musical House B&B was recently written up in the NYT. I haven't seen or been to either.

For food, there are lots and lots of options. It is hard to say what is best.

I just saw this list of Free items in Seattle from the National Geographic website. It is very extensive and includes many of the major sites. It mentions the days they are free but it is useful to get a list of places to see and things to do.

I have kayaked twice in the San Juans. I consider it a "must do." You can either do day trips from San Juan Island to look for Orcas, or 3-5 day trips to various islands. I've done both. You can Google "kayaking San Juan islands" to find various outfitters.The one I used for a 5-day paddle was Crystal Seas Kayaking, and they did a very good job -- I would recommend them as one alternative. If you're experienced, you can also rent kayaks and go on your own. HOWEVER, the tides and currents around the islands can be swift and treacherous, so make sure you have a tide chart, VHS radio, and proper gear/clothing (much easier to kayak with an outfitter, in my opinion -- they worry about all this for you so you can concentrate on looking for wildlife and taking pictures).

Depending on how long you plan to stay in the San Juans, I would recommend a vacation rental. I stayed in a charming house on Lopez Island for a week a couple of years ago and loved it. Again, Google is your friend. If you are looking to stay on Lopez Island, I highly recommend Lopez Village Properties (www.lopezvillageproperties.com). There are lots of resorts and B&Bs on the islands -- virtually no chain hotels of any kind (yay).

San Juan Island is the busiest and most commercial of the islands and best jumping-off spot for Orca watching. Orcas Island is the largest island and more laid back than San Juan Island. It has excellent hiking, but is very hilly so is not as popular for bike riding. Lopez Island is very relaxed and quiet (only a few restaurants and shops) and is relatively flat, so quite popular for bike riding. There are several smaller islands as well, but not all of them are served by regular ferry service.

I would definitely rent a car in Seattle and take it over to the islands. You can't really get around easily on the islands without a car.

Another 'must-do" whether you kayak or not is to drive to the westermost side of San Juan Island (overlooking Haro Strait) to visit Lime Kiln State Park and the lighthouse. There is an orca tracking station in the lighthouse, and you can hear the orcas via hydrophones, as well as see them, if they are in the Strait (which they very often are).

Here are two websites with more info about the islands:
www.guidetosanjuans.com
www.sanjuanweb.com

beth

I used to live in Bellingham. Here's my suggested itinerary:

Enjoy Seattle for a few days.

Drive to Anacortes and take the ferry to Orcas Island. Lots of places to Kayak/bike. Spend a few days.

Take the ferry from Orcas to San Juan Island. Spend a few days.

Take the ferry to Victoria. See Butchart Gardens. Enjoy Victoria. Maybe do High Tea at the Empress Hotel.

For the return you have two options... You can take the BC ferry from Swanz Bay to Twassen (just south of Vancouver) then drive back to the US. (Would require a passport). Or take the Coho ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles. From there you could spend a night or two in Port Townsend, then back to Seattle.

It's not exactly slow travel... but it's ALL beautiful country. I'm a big fan of ferry hopping.

(For what it's worth I like the BC ferries better than the Washington State ferries. The Coho ferry is private and needs reservations.)

We appreciate this helpful information and recommendations. My husband and I are going through the information and looking at info on the recommended sites/hikes/kayaking/ferries, etc.

Although we have our own kayaks and bikes, since we live in North Carolina, we will go through an outfitter who does the worrying for us! We travel very light, so thanks for the information.

It all sounds great!

Thanks,
Cameron

Well, I don't hike or kayak but I do have a couple of lodging recommendations. My husband and I stayed at this cottage on Orcas Island. It's been several years but the location was lovely - beautiful morning views and steps down to it's own private beach. I think you could even put your Kayak in from there.

We have also stayed at Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island just about 20 minutes from Victoria. It's pricey but so wonderful. The breakfasts they bring to your room each morning are to die for and the rooms have breathtaking views.

I'd recommend picking up a copy of "Northwest Best Places." It has lots of good lodging and dining tips for the islands and the rest of the region. Orcas is my favorite as well--just make sure your hotel/cabin has beach access, as there is very little public beach on the island. Inn at Ship Bay, Christina's and Rose's are good restaurant picks there. Kayaking during whale season (summer) can be amazing! I'd highly recommend it.

thank you all for the tips.

Check out Salt Spring Island in Canada too. We stayed at a terrific B&B there. Be sure to take the Washington State ferry thru the San Juans. You need to make a reservation, especially in the summer months. Unless you like rain, August is the best month to visit here.