When life gives you short days and long nights, go stargazing! With over 247 clear days (and nights) per year and low light pollution, San Juan Island is uniquely (and stunningly) suited to observing the beautiful needle pricks in the cloak of night. At times you can see meteor showers, the northern lights, satellites and the most spectacular full moons shining on the glistening Salish Sea. And the best part: it’s the quiet season. We here at the Earthbox are running amazing specials, you may find yourself alone with the Loons on the beach and get into your favorite restaurant without reservations.

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.

Olena, her two boys and non-cooking husband from Vancouver, British Columbia, gave up eating processed food about 5 years ago. They travel the world as a family, in search of authentic experiences and real food. They are not rich or hippies. They are not weird. Just a family trying to live a life worth living.

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.

The crystal clear, deep green waters surrounding San Juan Island look incredibly inviting for a swim, but take note--they are at a (brr….) 50 degrees, even in the Summer, largely too cold to take a dip, except for the young and hearty.  And yet, that doesn’t mean you have to go without a nice swim on your Summer island vacation. We found 5 lovely spots to play in the water on the isle. Find out which one floats your boat.

There is nothing like Summer on San Juan Island. The killer whales are here, sailboats are bobbing in the port of Friday Harbor, there are colorful arts festivals, delightful wine and spirit tastings, historical re-enactments, flowers stands and flourishing farms everywhere and the beaches, mountains and parks are just waiting to be explored. Here are five San Juan Island Summer activities not to be missed:

Laughing reduces stress, anxiety and depression. It even diminishes pain. Go see a comedy at the San Juan Community Theatre or at the historic Palace Movie Theater. As the saying goes:  laughter is the best medicine.

Is your kiddo between 6 and 11 and totally into Orca whales? Does a night alone with your Sweetie - sans bébés - on your San Juan Island getaway sound utterly romantic? Why not leave your child at the Friday Harbor Whale Museum for a night! Yes, seriously!

A Summer vacation or weekend getaway to San Juan Island is such a treat. There are so many fun adventures to be had: whale watching, kayaking, zip lining, hiking, biking, to name a few. Yet even in the height of Summer, there is a different pace on the island. We call it “island time”. You’ll feel it as soon as you set foot on the isle: no fast foods chains, no billboards, no traffic lights, people are so friendly