Vacations Blog

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.

From guest blogger, Teresa Rodriguez Williamson, of Tango Diva Blog

My father has a saying that he has been using since I could walk – I think he learned it from one of his Puerto Rican friends. It goes something like this, “I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when…. (fill in the blank with my dad’s next great tale of international intrigue.) So, as I write this blog from my ocean-view room at the Marriott in San Juan Puerto Rico, allow me begin with my father’s famous words.

I was just sitting there, minding my own business at La Plazita del Mercado when a boy ran up to a fine-looking man and grabbed his shoes and ran off, the man stood there shoe-less, drinking his cocktail, like nothing happened. Now, where I come from, you don’t give away your shoes when you are standing out on the street. But this was no normal street, and I found out that things like this happen all the time on La Plazito del Mercado. This buzzing block of heaven is around a half-mile from where I am saying and it is a small plaza where the locals go to listen to music, dance, eat and drink – always outside in the humid twilight of San Juan. I was there enjoying a cold beer, listening to music, when I witnessed the disappearing shoe act. I asked the barefooted man if he was going to get his shoes back, and he said, “Yes, the young boy is polishing them for me.” “Wow,” I thought to myself – “I could get a lot done here, if I brought of my stilettos that needed a good shine.”

Just like Puerto Rico, the energy of the Plazita is magnetic. I got there at around 4 pm, when the grandmas and grandpas sit on the edges of the plaza slowing drinking beer while playing dominos, and the fruit sellers haggle the price for a stem of a dozen bananas. As the night rolled on, the crowds started to gather. Young men with instruments would randomly start playing their horns and drums, couples would begin moving to the beat – and all the while, Puerto Ricans were eating and laughing with each other.

When you come to San Juan, the Plazita del Mercado is a must. Just ask any cab driver to take you there. If you are staying at the Marriott, you can walk there during the day, but don’t walk home at night because the streets are not lit and very winding. The most popular night with the locals is Friday night. The inside of the Plaza is the fruit market, and on the outside you will find over a dozen little restaurants. On the side street, many of the locals gather to avoid the crazy crowds that congregate in the Plaza. I hung out at D’ Aki and a fabulous restaurant in an old house painted brown, that is owned by a hot looking guy named Jose. Sorry, I forgot to grab a card. My bad.

So, if you are looking for a place with tribal beats of the Caribbean, where you can feast on Puerto Rican food, drink very cold beer, and get your shoes shined, then head on over to La Plazita del Mercado in San Juan’s “Santuce” neighborhood.

If you’re planning a trip, check out flights to San Juan.

From guest blogger, Teresa Rodriguez Williamson, of Tango Diva Blog

I wanted to get away, really get away. Because my passport was lost in the halls of the National Passport Center, going somewhere far, far away was not an option.

Then, I started thinking, and remembered that Puerto Rico did not require passports. Because of their status with the good US of A, all American citizens can visit without a passport. I wanted to have an exotic, action-fill vacation without the passport hassle, so Puerto Rico was the place for me to go.

San Juan is a big city, and I really wanted to stay at a resort that was on the beach and very close to Old San Juan. One of the reasons I waned to come to Puerto Rico was to lay starfish position on a sandy beach with a Pina Colada in one hand.San Juan Marriott Resort was the place for me. The hotel is nestled on Condado Beach, which is an upper-end residential neighborhood in sun soaked San Juan. Unlike many popular hotels, where you get endless people tracking up and down the beach, here it is relatively quiet and tranquil.

The hotel has just gone through a $38 million renovation, so the rooms are beautifully equipped with Kohler bath fixtures and wireless Internet. Part of the renovation was the Stellaris Casino that is attached to the hotel.

I have been quite intimidated by casinos, but not in this cozy, clean smoke-free space. Some of the packages they offer include private Black Jack lessons for your group. It is a great activity for a bachelor weekend or girlfriends’ getaway.

The Marriott is a 4-diamond luxury resort that is both kid-friendly and private. I admit, I am not a big fan of kids while on vacation, but because of the clever layout of the pool area, you won’t get overwhelmed by other people. The hotel is also a destination for the locals, Sunday afternoons the bar comes alive with Caribbean beats and you’ll find the lobby filled with Puerto Ricans swaying to salsa and meringue.

The best part about the hotel is the location. It is only 10 minutes by cab from Old San Juan and a few blocks away from some of my favorite shops including Gucci, Dior, Louis Vuitton – to name a few. I’ll be in San Juan for the next week. I plan of checking out the nightlife and trying out a few action sports. Stay tuned!

Teresa Rodriguez Williamson is a jet-setter extraordinaire. She discovered that traveling can be the prefect antidote for anything ailing the soul. And, believing so, she created TangoDiva.com—a worldwide online social network and travel magazine for women. Her dream was to connect and empower woman around the globe with the wisdom she gleaned from her solo sojourns. She authored FLY SOLO: The 50 Best Places on Earth for a Girl to Travel Alone (Penguin 2007). A few of her TV appearances include LIVE with Regis and Kelly, NBC-NY, FOX, CBS, and ABC Sydney. Her advice has been written up in over a thousand media outlets including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, ELLE, Marie Claire, Allure, SELF, and Real Simple. She hosts “Travels with Tango Diva” on KTRB 860 AM in California.