Laura and Gary were the real thing, right from the start. I could tell by the little smile playing around Laura’s mouth at the mere mention of his name, by how Gary’s eyes lit up, his body softening when his Laura was near. I was over the moon when they announced their wedding and totally excited that they choose the Pelindaba Lavender Farm on San Juan Island as their venue.

If this is the year—the one where you pop the question--do we ever have a treat for you! We have scouted the most picturesque, ridiculously romantic, absolutely gorgeous places on San Juan Island to get engaged. All you need to do is get here, be true and promise to love each other until the stars go out and the tides no longer turn.

Please know, that we here at the Earthbox love people in love. We are here for you to help planning your surprise. It’s one of our favorites!

Visiting San Juan Island is a bucket list item for sure. It’s one of the few and arguably best places to see Orca whales from land in the world.  It is the site of the last war ever fought on American soil. It’s home to more Bald Eagles and working artists than any other county in Washington State.  And to top it all off, it’s just drop-dead gorgeous here!

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!

When we homo sapiens’ settled down and stayed put to grow crops, we first did that to grow cereals and then we did that to brew beer (or something like it)! The Sumerians are credited with brewing beer as far back as 2800 BC. Beer is mentioned in the bible, by the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans. In middle-age Germany the alms for the homeless included 2 liters of beer per day, for the kids too. Beer was considered safer than water back then. When the British invaded India, the sailors would not go without ale on the long boat ride. But ale spoiled. And thus India Pale Ale was invented, with lots of hops to preserve the precious libation. In the 1990’s we Pacific Northwesterners were in for a treat when the microbrew revolution came upon us and we didn’t have to be ashamed about American beer anymore.

I recently had the absolute pleasure to get a private tour of the production facility at the Pelindaba Lavender Farm on gorgeous San Juan Island.  The farm, it’s lovely farm store and visitor’s center are one of the main tourist attractions on San Juan Island in the Summer, however the production facility on site is not open to the general public.  We here at the Earthbox Inn & Spa source all of our body care products for our guest rooms from Pelindaba, because they are amazing, local, certified organic and a big plus--dispensing them in bulk cuts down on a lot of waste.  Especially important on a little island.  So I got to go see how all the good, purple stuff is made.

It’s Summer on San Juan Island! The Orcas are here, the sun is out, the isle is bustling with amazing activities, festivals and events. Come on up and revel in the breathtaking nature, amazing wildlife, rich history and small-town charm with big city culture that San Juan Island offers. Here are 10 San Juan Island Summer must-dos not to be missed!

If San Juan Island were to be summed up in one picture, it would be a picture of the Lime Kiln Lighthouse at the Lime Kiln State Park, one of the best places to watch Orcas Whales from land on Earth.

Being out in Mother Nature is said to quiet the mind, heal the heart and rejuvenate the body. Seeing breathtakingly beautiful vistas, a wild Orca or a particularly majestic tree reminds us that we are part of something much more profound than our everyday lives and the little things we get hung up on. Here are 7 ways to experience pristine nature on San Juan Island to nurture your body and nourish your soul.

We all know what a difference a day makes, how good it feels to help others, how full our emotional coffers are after experiencing something beautiful, learning something new, being part of something bigger.