Useful Information if you are new to the Washington State Ferry System and want to go to San Juan, Lopez, Orcas, or Shaw. This Blog is in three parts.

Get a ferry schedule before you tell anyone when you will be arriving.  You can go online to www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/.  This is the department of transportation’s ferry website.  It has the most up-to-date information.  For example, sometimes the ferries are on special holiday schedule and occasionally one will break down or be late.  Also, note that the ferry schedule (and also the prices) changes four times a year.  The … read full article

Sure, Islanders do go on vacations occasionally.
I am on one now.
And here are the things I miss about San Juan Island when I am gone:

The smell the sea
The storekeepers that know me by name
The visitors and their silly questions
The Orcas feeding off the west side
The grocery store where I know how to find everything
The sound of the teenagers when they walk downtown at lunchtime
The pet store where they know my dog
My favorite take-out dishes at the restaurants
Happy dogs greeting each other at the off leash dog park… read full article

You know spring is here. The garage sale season has begun in earnest with very good Saturday turnouts. It’s a good chance to chat with people and joke about the economy. I’ve been attending these events long enough to sometimes see what I myself sold years ago at someone else’s garage sale! Local charities and causes take the opportunity to do some spring cleaning and raise money for their cause. On an island garage sales are a little different. You often hear, “Yes! Just what I was looking for!” Although the island stores carry most products, a garage … read full article

Roche Harbor Mausoleum

Most people who come to San Juan Island are aware of Roche Harbor Resort, and possibly a tiny bit of it’s history. What many people do now know of, or have never taken the time to visit, is the mausoleum.

This is not so much of a hike as it is a destination. A worthwhile destination! The walk itself is in total one mile (by my estimation) one way. If you start at the resort the front desk of the Hotel de Haro has a great pamphlet that outlines many interesting things about the history … read full article

Mt. Finlayson

Another hike that you must do while on the island is on the south side of San Juan commonly known as Mt. Finlayson (some refer to it as Jackle’s Lagoon also). Once you finish skipping rocks at South Beach head just a bit farther south on Cattle Point Road and turn (left) into the parking lot above Jackle’s Lagoon. From there you head up the trail, that at times, skirts surprisingly close to the road, but, trust me, your perseverance will be rewarded soon enough!

Once you head up, and succeed in making it to the … read full article

According to epodunik.com, the San Juan Islands have a 19% population of people over 65. 35.7 percent of the population is between 45-64. That means that over half of the people that live in the islands are over 45. I am sixty-six. When I was 21, in the youth-worshipping culture of the sixties, I used to think that 66 was really old. I studied various cultures and decided that it would probably be a good idea to move to Japan when I got older, a place where people respected the wisdom of age.

But I am going to … read full article

It was just another Monday, but it was a good small town day today.

Another agent’s Seller came into the real estate office and saw me and called me by name. We chatted about nothing important.

A young man that owned a BIG truck parked next to my car looked out a window to see me outside, loading up my French Bulldog on the passenger side of my car.  He came outside to offer to move his vehicle so I wouldn’t have to struggle to open my driver’s side door.  It was my fault; I’d parked too close … read full article