Ferry Hopping – Friday Harbor, San Juan Island 9/11/10

We woke to a beautiful sunshine day and one we did not take for granted! Denise surprised us all by whipping up a hot breakfast before heading out. We took advantage of the clear day and left for the top of Mt. Constitution. We were rewarded with a spectacular view of the surrounding islands. Apparently there are over 750 islands that make up the San Juans – I had no idea. The view of Mt. Baker, with its snow-crusted top was impressive. (See today’s pic). Hard to believe that in less than 48 hours Josh will begin his ascent up that mountain. We took our time making it to the ferry driving to Deer Harbor and then hanging out in the little seaport of Orcas Village. The ferry ride to San Juan Island was gorgeous with watching the sailboats and ferries cruising by and seeing the crystal clear views of homes hugging the shoreline. Once we reached Friday Harbor we found our way to Lakedale Resort. It’s a pretty swanky camping spot, but also known for its gorgeous lodge and canvas cabins. Apparently it is featured in the latest Sunset. Not a bad spontaneous pick! We have a very scenic and remote campsite overlooking a small lake, allowing Bella to run without a leash. We decided to explore the island. Our first stop was the lavender farm. At first the boys weren’t convinced, but were soon won over by the chocolate lavender ice cream and the cool distillation process with the accompanying audio-visual explanation. Next stop was the one and only vineyard on the island. Meh. We tasted 6 different wines and California definitely doesn’t have to worry about San Juan wines beating us out. We picked up a couple of baguettes and headed back to the campsite. While Josh and I did a little pre-dinner bike ride checking out the upscale grounds, Denise & Ned put together a yummy spaghetti dinner. (Don’t worry, I was on dish clean-up duty). Afterwards, Denise and the boys played skip-bo while I worked on my blog and played with my photographs. Tonight’s our last night hanging out with Josh. Tomorrow we part ways with Josh heading back to the mainland and we head west to Victoria. Definitely bittersweet.