San Juanderer

Quiet, contemplative Shaw Island is the perfect place to visit if you’re looking to get away.

Located in the geographic center of the San Juan Islands, Shaw is the smallest of the four islands at only 7.7 square miles and is home to a mere 200 residents.

Shaw’s residents like the quiet life and offer few amenities to attract tourists. There are no inns, resorts or bed-and-breakfasts. The only accommodations are a dozen primitive campsites at Shaw Island County Park.

The park does offer a sandy, inviting beach and a day-use area for picnickers. To find it, follow Blind Bay Road and turn left on Squaw Bay Road, then left on Indian Cove Road.

Bicyclists looking for a tranquil outing will enjoy Shaw’s wooded roads, especially the figure eight-shaped loop that covers most of the island. Follow Blind Bay Road to Ben Nevis Loop Road, then take Hoffman Cove Road to Squaw Bay Road, which leads back to Blind Bay Road.

Where the loop crosses Broken Point Road, stop and visit the Shaw Island Museum, which is sheltered by timbers from the island's original log cabin post office. Nearby is the historic Shaw Island School, an operating schoolhouse (now expanded to two rooms to accommodate computers) that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Shaw is best known as the home of nuns.

In fact, for more than a quarter century, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist operated the state ferries loading ramp and the nearby Little Portion general store — the only store on the island.

Two other Catholic orders remain on the island: the Sisters of Mercy and the cloistered Benedictine nuns at Our Lady of the Rock priory, who sing Gregorian chant and celebrate Latin Mass eight times a day.

One trip to the beautiful and varied island of Fidalgo and you’ll want to stay a lifetime.

The easternmost of the San Juan islands is home to the city of Anacortes, full of lively residents who love art and nature and are who extremely proud of its maritime heritage.

The city dedicates every first Friday of the month to the First Friday Gallery Art Walk, an wonderful excuse to get out and visit the numerous art galleries, shops and museums throughout the downtown area.

Art is also ever present with the many outdoor murals of current and past residents, shopkeepers, mayors, newspaper editors — and a self-portrait of the mural artist himself, Anacortes native Bill Mitchell.

The island has close to 20 parks, not including the Anacortes Community Forest Lands — 2,800 forested acres within the city limits. The land includes lakes, streams, wetlands, meadows and more than 20 miles of hiking, biking, and horse riding trails throughout.

Causland Memorial Park, just blocks away from downtown, is host to unique decorative rock and black and white mosaic walls, a bandstand and other structures built in the 1920s by Louis Lepage. Part of the park is also dedicated to Anacortes military veterans.

Both Cap Sante Park and Mount Erie Park feature panoramic views of Anacortes and the surrounding area.

For those more into speed than nature, the city also has Ben Root Skate Park, a 7,500-square-foot concrete park near the industrial marine area and next to the Tommy Thompson Parkway. The parkway is a great walk, especially the section on a former railroad trestle over Fidalgo Bay.

Other parks on the island include Washington Park to the west, a popular camping and picnicking site, and Deception Pass State Park to the south. The state park has areas for marine and camping activities with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline and almost 24,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes.

The park is full of old-growth trees and spectacular views of the pass that cuts between Fidalgo and Whidbey islands.

The waters surrounding Fidalgo Island offer opportunities for boating, whether it be in a kayak, yacht or on board one of the many charter boats available through local businesses.

The nightlife in Anacortes is also hopping with live music at several venues throughout the town including at the Department of Safety, which offers live entertainment for all ages.

Festivals and events abound in Anacortes, starting with the Salmon Derby in March, the Quilt Show and Garden Art Fair in April, the Waterfront Festival in May, Bark in the Park Dog Festival in June, July 4th celebration complete with annual town photo and Shipwreck Day Flea Market in July, Arts and Jazz festivals in August, and Antique Engine and Machinery Show and Oyster Run Motorcycle Rally in September. The year ends with the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Lions Club Christmas Parade in December.

For more information about Anacortes and Fidalgo Island, visit the city’s Chamber of Commerce Web site at anacortes.org. Look for the additional 101 things to do in and around Anacortes on the Things To Do page.

Whether it’s a subtle dry Siegerrebe or a tangy spicy cider you’re looking for, a variety of fine beverages are available through wineries on San Juan and Lopez islands.



San Juan Vineyards

3136 Roche Harbor Road, Friday Harbor

(360) 378-9463

www.sanjuanvineyards.com



Don’t miss: The ambiance of sipping a glass of San Juan wine on the deck outside the old school house.



San Juan Island is home to San Juan Vineyards, a family owned, award-winning winery. The 33-acre grounds include a renovated 1896 school house, winery building and chapel built in 1998.

Started in 1996, with its first wines produced in 1999, the vineyards produce more than 4,000 cases a year of Madeleine Angevine, Siegerrebe, Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet-Merlot, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mona Vino, Cabernet-Merlot and Pino Noir. Some grapes are grown on the estate, while others are from Yakima and Columbia Valleys.

The tasting and gift shop is open to visitors 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, depending on the season.

Events at the winery this year include a new release party at 1 to 4 p.m. May 10 and a barrel tasting at 4 to 7 p.m. June 14. Both events include wine specials, snacks and music for $10.



Lopez Island Vineyards

724 Fisherman Bay Road

(360) 468-3644

www.lopezislandvineyards.com



Don’t miss: Having a picnic in the winery’s garden overlooking the vineyard.



Using organic grapes grown on the winery’s estate and grapes from the Yakima Valley, Lopez Island Vineyards produces a variety of wines distributed mainly through the local community.

The business is family-run and aims to maintain a sustainable use of the environment, local economy and community.

The vineyard encompassing 6 acres was started in 1987. Wines include Madeleine Angevine, Siegerrebe, Wave Crest White, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, Malbec, Sangiovese and several fruit wines.

The winery tasting room is open noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays in April and October through Dec. 18; Fridays and Saturdays in May, June and September; and Wednesdays through Saturdays in July and August.



Westcott Bay Orchard

43 Anderson Lane near Roche Harbor

Call (360) 378-3880 to arrange a visit.



Don’t miss: Buying one of each cider for a cider tasting among friends.



Westcott Bay Orchard uses traditional cider apples grown right on San Juan Island to make its spicy ciders. The original orchard, dating back to 1880, was replanted in the 1990s and produced its first cider in 1999.

The ciders are available in dry, very dry and medium sweet and have won several awards in cider competitions. The unique Westcott winery suggests serving its cider with cheese, fruit and seafood.

With spectacular scenery, wildlife adventures, quiet getaways and just enough city diversions to liven things up, San Juan Island offers the total vacation package.

Ferries drop visitors at picturesque Friday Harbor, the largest city in the islands. It is easy to spend a day or more visiting its shops, galleries, museums and restaurants.

Friday Harbor has numerous eateries, from a casual outdoor oyster grill near the ferry to fine waterfront restaurants. There’s ethnic cuisine, Northwest fare, seafood and simple soups and sandwiches. If you prefer a pint with your meal, try San Juan Brewing Company’s Front Street Ale House.

In search of whales? Check out displays at the Whale Museum, then charter a tour at Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor to see them in the wild.

Kids can also head to Island Rec’s skate and family park, bowl at Paradise Lanes or catch a movie at the Palace Theatre. In the evenings, San Juan Community Theatre offers frequent plays, musical acts and events.

The San Juan Historical Museum, 405 Price St., includes a pioneer home, a jail and a frontier cabin; call (360) 378-3949. Several galleries offer fine art. Among the best are Arctic Raven, Island Studios and Waterworks. The Island Museum of Art features local and regional work by prominent and emerging artists.

At Friday Harbor, rent a bicycle, moped, Scootcar, kayak or boat for a jaunt around or across the island. Beyond the city are several public parks with access to incredible beaches and rocky coastline. San Juan Island National Historic Park encompasses the remnants of two waterfront military camps where soldiers prepared for war 150 years ago. Today, the gardens, barracks, guard houses and grassy compounds are patrolled only by park rangers.

Lime Kiln Point State Park, on western San Juan Island, boasts great picnic spots and a well-photographed historic lighthouse. Overlooking the confluence of three major straits, it is the island’s best land base for whale viewing. The lovely village of Roche Harbor and the Westcott Bay Reserve and Sculpture Park are north of Lime Kiln and English Camp. If you have an ice chest, pick up fresh seafood nearby at Westcott Bay Sea Farm. In the heart of the island, look for roadside stands offering colorful blooms, a lavender farm and San Juan Island Vineyards. Alpacas placidly graze outside Krystal Acres Alpaca Farm, 152 Blazing Tree Road, where you can buy alpaca sweaters, coats and plush toys.

Call the Chamber of Commerce at (360) 378-5240 or visit www.sanjuanisland.org.

La Conner, a vibrant, historic waterfront village filled with artists, offers the slower pace of a gentler time.

Home of the esteemed Museum of Northwest Art, as well as numerous art galleries and fine shops, it is a good place to stop for a few hours, or a few days, on the way to or from the San Juan Islands.

Founded in the 1880s, La Conner is nestled in cedar and fir forests. Just across Swinomish Channel from Fidalgo Island and the Swinomish Indian Reservation, it is about a 20-minute drive from downtown Anacortes.

Since the 1930s and 1940s, Northwest artists have drawn inspiration La Conner and its spectacular surroundings — the lovely tulip fields and rural scenery of Skagit Valley, and nearby forests and communities. The most famous of these artists, Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, Morris Graves and Mark Tobey, created a fresh style and a regional identity known as the Northwest School.

When the Museum of Northwest Art was established in 1981, La Conner was deemed a natural site because of its association with these master painters. The museum has a fine representative collection of their works and by other regional artists in a variety of media, including a display of fine glass. It exhibits established Northwest artists and promising new talent, and offers workshops, tours, lectures and educational activities. Outside the museum, carvings and metal art pop up unexpectedly, part of a rotating outdoor sculpture exhibition in the city’s public spaces.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, La Conner is also home of the Skagit County Museum and the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, which is located in a restored Victorian mansion.

The waters around the San Juan Islands are home to Northwest icons — pods of resident orcas or “killer whales,” who sometimes delight tourists and locals with their athletic leaps and breaches, and other times simply inspire awe with their majestic presence.

Live whales can be seen from the whale watching charters that depart from several areas on the islands and Anacortes.

Whales also are often seen from Lime Kiln Point State Park on the west side of San Juan Island. Dedicated to whale watching, the park hosts more than 200,000 visitors a year. Open 8 a.m. to dusk, it also has shoreline hiking trails and picnic sites near a historic 1919 lighthouse.

The social black and white orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family. Nineteen pods in the Washington and British Columbia area are made up of extended families with females at the center.

J, K and L pods, which spend much of their time around Puget Sound, the San Juans and southern Vancouver Island, are known as the southern resident community, while 16 pods in British Columbia waters are northern residents. According to the Center for Whale Research, the southern residents numbered 88 as of November 2007.

J pod, estimated at 26 members, is the most frequently spotted pod in the area. K pod is estimated at 19 and L pod at 43, according to the center. Orcas are most often seen in the San Juans from May through September, with the chances of a sighting highest in June and July, although they sometimes regather in a “superpod” of all three groups in early fall. Local orcas feed mainly on salmon.

Individual animals can be distinguished by marks on their dorsal fins and the patch behind that fin. Each pod makes distinct calls, as well as clicking and whistling sounds common among all pods, that can be heard for 10 miles underwater.

Female orcas typically live into their 60s and the males into their 40s, according to Orca Network. Males average 22 to 30 feet long and weigh about 9,000 pounds. Females are 17 to 24 feet long and about 7,000 pounds. Calves are about 7 feet long and 350 pounds at birth. Females bear one calf about every five years following a 17-month pregnancy.

Before the mid-1900s, orcas were considered a nuisance to fisherman. That attitude changed to curiosity in the 1960s and 1970s when live orcas were captured for public display in marine parks. However, the captures seriously damaged the population — an estimated that 13 orcas died during roundups and another 45 were removed from their habitat. Of that 45 only one survives, Lolita, at the Miami Seaquarium. The southern residents are now listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Enjoy a stroll through an outdoor sculpture park, an afternoon whale watching trip or a shopping excursion — all in the San Juan Islands.

The islands’ remarkable natural beauty makes the cares of the world slip away. Everyone can find something that appeals to them with the islands’ wide variety of diversions and educational opportunities.

Perhaps most exciting of all, the waters surrounding this spectacular archipelago are home to pods of wild orcas.

Welcome to the islands