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.
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.
It’s that time of the year. The holidays are over, the sun hasn’t been seen for weeks, it’s cold and dark and drizzly outside and you know it’s going to stay like this for, well, let’s just say “a while”. Do not despair. There are plenty of things you can do to brighten your days and mood:
Come up to the island for a few days and fight the Winter Blues San Juan Island style.
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.
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.