10 Tips on how to Plan a Surprise Romantic Getaway

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Getting to the Earthbox Inn & Spa on San Juan Island

It's February and we are all thinking about it: Valentine's Day. Should we do something? It's just a Hallmark Holiday. That said, it really is so sweet and validating to plan something special. And while I'm over chocolates and flowers, we could still use a little break. We can celebrate our love any day of the year and if it takes Valentine's Day to motivate us to plan a romantic getaway then let's not overthink it.  

Dogs are Welcome! Dog-friendly San Juan Island

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San Juan Island, Washington

“Happiness is a warm puppy,” Charles M. Schulz said and every dog owner knows what he means. Dogs are our babies, true family members, a fifteen-year commitment to unconditional love. We plan our lives around them - and our vacations. The last time we took a tropical vacation and left our dogs with friends for three weeks, they were so devastated, that we vowed never to do that again in their lifetime. So, we take them with us, to places we all like and benefit from. One such place is beautiful San Juan Island.

Puppy Paradise on San Juan Island

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San Juan Island, Washington

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...

Epic Whale Watch Tour with Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching

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San Juan Island, Washington

It was a dark and stormy night….

No, it actually wasn’t. It was an overcast, cool, windy day in the “shoulder season” (before or after the summer season on San Juan Island) and the Orca whales had not been seen or heard anywhere. I tried not to be disappointed. Being out on Maya’s brand new J1, a Zodiac boat with an enclosed cabin and head (that’s “boat” for “toilet”), zipping by lighthouses and seeing some sea lions would be fun too.

10 Ways to fight the Winter Blues – San Juan Island Style

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Lime Kiln Lighthouse on 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.

Christmas Eve in Friday Harbor - Guest Blog

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Friday Harbor from the Ferry at Christmas

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!

Previously Loved in Friday Harbor –5 Cool Second Hand & Antique Stores on San Juan Island

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Serendipity Bookstore in Friday Harbor Washington

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.