Are you looking for a cozy little restaurant that harkens back to your favorite aunt’s kitchen? Look no further. On the same block as the Farmer’s Market, the COHO Restaurant, Café Demeter and San Juan Bistro is Cynthia’s Bistro. Cynthia’s is a well-known name in town. She has delighted with her sweet and savory pastries at her Farmer’s Market stand for years and is one of the island’s top caterers. Now she has a brick and mortar place, an adorable former house and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Last year, when Thanksgiving decorations gave way to elaborate Christmas displays in our residential neighborhood in Seattle, when there were inquiries for our current address from family overseas and the first greeting cards arrived, my husband and I admitted to each other, that neither of us felt like having a traditional holiday this year. Instead of a tree or presents we neither need nor want or too much sugar and stress, we decided to run away--just the two of us--to San Juan Island.    And what a great decision it turned out to be!

In the sylvan heart of San Juan Island, overlooking a serene pond, in a cedar shingled house, overgrown with grape vines, find the Duck Soup. Duck Soup, now in its 39th year and originally built as a woodshed, has been a Farm-to-Table restaurant since long before the term was coined and is taking the concept to its next logical level.

Do you have a bucket list? Is San Juan Island on there?  There is so much fun to be had on San Juan Island, including many once-in-a-lifetime adventures. Challenge yourself to participate in some brand new escapades and to fully experience the wilder side of our gem in the Salish Sea.

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.

The first time I ever saw Orca whales was at Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island. My husband, daughter and I had hiked all day in the woods above the park and sat on a picnic bench overlooking the Salish Sea at sun set. We were alone, marveling how beautiful the view was, when suddenly the entire Resident Orca J-pod joined us. Really close to shore, too! So close in fact that I looked an Orca straight in the eye!!

Fall is that sweet time of the year, when you can squeeze in some down-time, a little self-care, relaxation and fun, after the hustle and bustle of Summer is over and before the holiday season starts in earnest. Who would you take on such a trip? With whom do you feel truly yourself? Who makes you giggle so hard that tears run down your face? Your best girlfriends! A good friend knows all your best stories, a best friend goes to an island with you. Read on to find out How to have the best girlfriend’s weekend ever in Friday Harbor.

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.  

Perhaps you have been coming here since you were a little kid. Maybe you consider San Juan Island your home away from home. You have been on and off the beaten paths, know the hidden coves, the best place to eat fresh oysters and when the wildflowers are in bloom. But are you truly a San Juan Island expert? Find out with the ultimate San Juan Island Insider Test! Results are on the bottom. Have fun!

You love them, your family. You long to get them all together, hold the new baby, see all the kids grow up, lovingly tease your siblings, hug your grandpa. But your house is too small and your husband is allergic to the albeit cute dog that your brother insists on bringing everywhere. Then there is the food issue: grandma is diabetic, your aunt can’t do gluten and your nephew has just become a vegan. Where will they all sleep? How will you keep them entertained?