May is “History Lives Here” Month on San Juan Island and there is a lot of history to explore here!  In addition to a deeply-rooted Native American history, the isle has a most fascinating natural history and of course is best known for the Pig War of 1959 and its ensuing 12-year peaceful occupation by British and American forces. And the best part, history on San Juan Island is not explored in dark, dusty museums with long, boring descriptions of what went down. No. History on San Juan Island lives on the prairie and on the beach and is experienced in song and stories, by participating, listening, feeling and touching. Understanding the past has never been so much fun.

“Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do.” ~ David Wilkerson Nothing is easier than planning a romantic weekend getaway to San Juan Island, with its over 247 sunny days per year, breathtaking vistas, amazing wildlife and the cute coastal town of Friday Harbor. Come on up and celebrate your love. We have some tips to add extra romance:

Our Earthbox Inn & Spa is a cool retro motor-inn with renovated rooms and spa like features. We are not fancy, but we are comfortable. We are not brand new, but we do offer tons of fun. Find out if we are right for you and yours. We can’t wait to have you!

There is nothing like a fresh seafood dinner while watching the sunset over the Salish Sea after a long day of whale watching, hiking and beach combing on San Juan Island. The former fishing village turned culinary destination of Friday Harbor offers a wide array of places where seafood sourcing is as important as preparation and presentation, where dishes are prepared from scratch with care and paired with island grown ingredients. Trust us, you will taste the difference.

We Americans have less vacation time than any other developed country and even when we are taking time off, we are still checking in with work, responding to emails, taking phone calls, texting, checking social media, well, you know… It is questionable whether you checking in with work is actually lightening your work load once you come back. It is equally questionable whether you are actually relaxing and recharging on a beach in paradise, while your mind is at work.

It all started with a selfie, when I was searching for a title picture for my article How to Plan the Perfect Girlfriend Getaway to San Juan Island. After asking Sarah, Lynette and Jill if I could use our pic, I suddenly missed them like crazy and decided to heed my own advice and plan a girlfriend getaway to San Juan Island.

The cute, coastal, tourist town of Friday Harbor offers an abundance of unique gift shops, as well as restaurants, bars, boutiques, galleries and museums. But that’s not all. There is also an array of distinct places selling antiques, second hand clothing and previously owned books, musical instruments, furniture, arts and crafts and odds and ends.

Summer is over, the holiday season hasn’t started yet, there is nothing left to do in the garden and the rains have returned to Seattle.  If only there was a beautiful place close by to sneak away to for the weekend, maybe with some sun, good eats, long walks on the beach, a little bit of culture.  

Eating out with kids in an unfamiliar place can be challenging, but also fun if you keep an open mind, especially in kid-friendly Friday Harbor, where kids are welcome anywhere and you can show up in jeans and a T-shirt, stroller in tow, even at the fanciest of places. Here are 5 places which are pleasurable for adults and serve yummy, kid-friendly food, which won’t burst your budget, allowing you to enjoy the rest of your trip.

My name is Louis and I own the Earthbox Inn & Spa. I’m in charge of making sure that my fellow dog brothers and sisters have a lovely vacation here at our hotel and on our island. I lay on all dog blankets before we hand them out. I meet and greet our dog guests in the lobby and tell them the best places to sniff, run and get your ears blown in the wind...