This weekend was the 20^th annual San Juan Island Artists’ Studio Tour, with sunny weather and friendly artists welcoming visitors into their studios.  This happening started in 1990 when nine artists got together with the idea of having a free tour in Spring weather to give island residents and visitors an opportunity to see where they worked and what they had come up with over the winter.  The idea was not to sell artwork, but to inspire others.  Since that time the original concept has remained the same, but the increasing number of artists coming to the … read full article

If you obey these expectations, you will be looked upon as a welcome visitor rather than a confused tourist!
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• Do not leave your car alarm on when you board the ferry!
• Do not act as if you are in a hurry, even if you are.
• Do not walk off the ferry and walk up the middle of the road as if it were not a street for cars also.
• Do not come to San Juan dressed in a suit unless you are an attorney or going to a wedding or a funeral.
• … read full article

Roundabout the end of July, the people on San Juan Island can start getting, shall we say, a tad bit irritated with the tourist congestion. At our island, the ferry lets cars and people off in Friday Harbor, our main town. All the cars unload and drive up the main street past all the businesses. So, when the ferry unloads, it might be a wait at the grocery store or a few times around the block to find a parking spot right adjacent to where you want to go. The beautiful thing is that we island residents are … read full article