Friday Harbor

And so I journeyed to the San Juan Islands. These are a large series of islands in the middle of the Salish Sea, one of the world's largest inland seas, the product of volcanism and glaciation. Part of the U.S. and Washington State, they are just miles from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. As I would later learn, the term Salish Sea is a relatively new term for the ecosystem that includes Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Georgia Strait. The San Juans are in the middle of it all.

from wikipedia

 I took the Clipper ferry from Seattle. It's about a three hour trip replete with beautiful scenery.

We even saw several of the Native canoes heading down for the Paddle celebration in Olympia. How cool! 

 Friday Harbor is the only incorporated town in the county. This was basically my first view, coming up the dock from where the ship disembarked.

And it was this beautiful every day I was there. Really.

 Early morning walks revealed all kinds of fun surprises, like this duckie waiting for the sun.

 And the sun is coming up over the marina....

 The morning light was spectacular. What a wonderful reflection.

Crab pots waiting for the day. Dungeness crab is big business here. 

There's a great variety of ships at the Friday Harbor Marina. Not so on the other side of the island.....

 I really loved the reflections in the calm morning waters at first light.

 Susan Point is a Coast Salish artist from the area. There's a lot of Native history and culture here. And great art all over too. Oh, and did I mention orcas? They are renowned in this area, where the southern resident community makes its  summer home.

 The country's largest lavender farm is also on San Juan Island. I was free the next day and went over for the self-guided tour.

 The top machine strips the buds from the plants; these are the steam condenser and separator.

They grow more than 40 varieties and have such an assortment of products. I made a fairy wand.

The Inn where I was staying was a bit of a splurge but they were lovely, partly because I would be there for a bit and partly because they love the Whale Museum, which is why I was there. There were amazing gourmet breakfasts every morning that they brought to me because I was in a cottage, so I didn't even have to make small talk with strangers first thing! Although people everywhere were some of the kindest and most interesting I've ever met. The air was crisp and clear, the weather absolutely perfect for me (50s at night and high of 72 during the day). The town was surprisingly hilly so it was always a good walk. The island was also bigger than I expected and there seemed to be an awful lot to do and a lot of community events going on. Especially given that I'd be in class for a week, I knew I wasn't going to get to everything. That's always a good way to start, to recognize from the beginning that you have to pick and choose a few things and just enjoy it. I was excited and ready.