This week’s local interview comes from an UpTake mom–as in, the mom of an UpTake employee! That’s right- we will scour far and wide to find a local expert for these posts, but, we aren’t above looking in our own backyard either. Katherine Daniels has never lived on San Juan Island, but her husband Jim has and he was called in as an advisor for the post. They have also spent many a vacation exploring this beautiful island and all it has to offer. Katherine does a great job of describing this scenic island and all that there is to do. I especially liked her description of the great Pig War and would love to be on a boat tour that got up close and personal to Orcas and seals! Enjoy!

1. Give five adjectives that you would use to describe the “feel” of San Juan Island and its residents?

Opulent, beautiful, laid-back, nature-loving, off-the-grid

2. What is your favorite neighborhood/area of San Juan Island?

Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor are the two largest areas with accommodations. Though Roche Harbor is more picturesque, in my opinion, I really like Friday Harbor as a base camp. It’s got much more to do and many more places to stay. It’s a real, little island town.

3. Which cuisine do you think San Juan Island does best? What is the runner-up?(feel free to share your favorite restaurant)

Fresh Northwest inspired cuisine. There were surprising, high-star restaurant meals to be found for discerning tastes. We had a dinner at The Bluff (the Inn’s restaurant) that could rival a four to five star restaurant in Seattle. Also, Duck Soup Inn was picturesque and served delicious food (the Thai, Thom Ka seasoned steamed mussels were outstanding). It’s about 15 minutes outside Friday Harbor and involves a charming short drive (past the camel – see below).

4. What is the best free thing to do?

Drive around and explore the island on your own. I guess “driving” isn’t free, but the island is really worth exploring and you’ll need a car to do it. We saw incredibly different landscapes for such a small island. I photographed a variety of wild foxes (they were all over the south side of the island), Eagles and eagle nests, seals and otters (mostly on the west side of the island). I also saw a camel in someone’s backyard pen on the short drive to a great restaurant – Duck Soup Inn. Krystal Acres is an alpaca farm with dozens of alpaca to photograph, there’s no fee to enter the farm and they have a great country store of products made from their wool (they feel like cashmere).

5. What is your favorite type of entertainment?

Whale and Nature tours, via boat. This was a great experience. You don’t get the true feel for the San Juan Islands until you’re weaving in and out of them on the water. It’s one of the leading Orca (Killer Whale) sites in the world and several pods of Orca hang out around the island. The boat captains on the whale tours share the current locations of the whales and you speed off to see the pods. There are also other whales to see, as well as Stellar sea lions, eagles, seals, colorful starfish and more. Personally, I’d try the kayak tours next time, in addition to one of these whale-watching tours.

6. List the best family friendly activity.

A whale-watching trip after visiting the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. The boats are large, safe and have bathrooms. Just make sure to bring a light jacket – this is a marine climate and can vary.

7. What spot would you send a couple, looking for a romantic weekend?

Friday Harbor House – get a room with a view overlooking the harbor. There are some remote B&Bs that could be fun, too. If you’ve got a car, nothing is too far to drive to on the island.

8. Describe the perfect day…one that captures what your area/city is all about– In three sentences or less.

Havea great breakfast at your B&B or Inn and then head out to a kayak or whale watching tour for the day. Or, if you’ve done that already, pack a picnic from one of the many Friday Harbor restaurants, get a simple map and drive the island, eating at Lime Kiln Point State Park (near the lighthouse). End with drinks next to a fire pit overlooking the harbor (or just drink somewhere overlooking the water) before you eat your fabulous dinner at Friday Harbor House’s restaurant.

9. Tell us about a place that you love to go whether it is in the guidebooks or not.

There’s this whole sordid history of the island that occurred back in the mid-1800s. The great Pig War. The short story is that the ownership of the island was in dispute, so the Americans set up a camp on the south end of the island, the British set up English Camp on the northwest side. There were never any war-related deaths, but a pig was killed when it got into the wrong garden and started a ruckus between the two. A German King settled the issue and America got possession of the island.

But, here’s the good part – The American Camp is a National Park and it has (by natural fate) a huge, bald eagle’s nest within viewing distance of the parking lot. Both eagles were in the nest when I was there, with eggs. The parent eagles have successfully raised eaglets for over 15 years in this location. The park ranger will tell you all about them.

10. What question did we not ask that we should have (and answer it, of course!)?

“How do you get to and from Friday Harbor (unless you have a private boat)?”

Why, you take the Washington State Ferry. It’s really fun for those of us who don’t ride ferries too often. You can walk on or drive on with your car at Anacortes, WA. There’s a ferry schedule online. You can get on a direct ferry route to Friday Harbor, or take an island hopper and see a few other islands in the San Juans. It’s almost as good as being on a whale watching boat trip (not really, but ALMOST), so make sure you’re by a big window or out on the ferry deck to see the sights.

Want to share, brag, or tell about your town? If so, send an e-mail or comment on this post- then you can be our next local expert!

Thanks to SoggyDan for the beautiful Friday Harbor picture.