Getaway Guides

Guide to the San Juan Islands

The San Juans are Washington’s special, secluded archipelago, a tiny realm barely tucked into Puget Sound’s pocket. And they’re ripe for exploration.

05/25/2017 By Seattle Met Staff

Island Dining

Ursa Minor Ushers in a New Dining Chapter for Lopez Island

In a place where everyone has access to beautiful, farm-sourced ingredients, chef Nick Coffey gets creative.

05/19/2017 By Rosin Saez

Road Trip Dining

Nick Coffey Will Open Ursa Minor on Lopez Island

The isle’s allure for the Seattle chef: “It clears my brain and inspires me to create different dishes.”

02/16/2017 By Rosin Saez

Slide Show

A Weekend at Doe Bay Fest 2014

A visual recap of Orcas Island's quintessentially Northwest music festival

08/12/2014 By Allison Williams

Slideshow

Slide Show: Doe Bay Fest 2014

We wandered the fields and coves of Orcas Island's tiny, terrific music festival.

08/12/2014

Guide to the San Juans

San Juan Island Ferry Hacks

How to survive the hardest part of the San Juans: getting there

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams

Guide to the San Juans

Helen Loggie, the San Juans' Most Famous Artist

A house-turned museum on Orcas Island, dedicated to island art.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams

Insider Guide to the San Juans

San Juan Island's Whale Watcher

Bob Otis has been watching killer whales off the island since 1990. And he doesn't take weekends or breaks.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams

Guide to the San Juans

What the San Juans Taste Like

Take the islands home with some of these locally made pantry items.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams

Guide to the San Juans

What to Do on Shaw Island—Also Known as the Holy Island

The nuns who live on this quiet San Juan island have been busy farming their bucolic acres, and there's camping right on a sandy beach. And if you can't find something at this island's only store, you probably don't want it anyway.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams

Guide to the San Juans

Lopez Island: What to Do and Where to Eat

Welcome to a biker's paradise where drivers wave at every cyclist and where grocery shopping is done at farm stands. Some of the island's best beaches are tucked at the end of Lopez Island's sleepy roads.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams With Caroline Ferguson

Guide to the San Juans

Orcas Island: What to Do and Where to Eat

The biggest San Juan island has an artsy heart, a mountain that dominates half its clam-shaped mass, and views that can't be beat. Swim in a millionaire's basement pool and shuck your own clams.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams

Insider Guide to the San Juans

San Juan Island: What to Do and Where to Eat

The most populated island in the San Juans archipelago is home to the bustling town of Friday Harbor, fine dining, and midnight kayak rides. There's a heavy dose of culture on this hub, but don't stress—it's nothing like the big city.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams

Island Travel

Whale Watching in the San Juans

Orca tours turn Friday Harbor into a wildlife mecca, even in the off-season.

04/17/2013 By Allison Williams

Foodie Travel

Cooking Classes, Minus the Kitchen

Please stop eating franks and beans in a raggedy old tent. There's a better way to camp.

04/03/2013 By Allison Williams

Hikes

Catch Sweeping Views From Atop San Juan Island's Mount Finlayson

Carve out an afternoon for this gentle hike on the island's southern tip.

10/08/2012 By Craig Romano

Article

A Guide to Northwest Travel Classics

We broke down the region’s most popular destinations into a quick-reference guide—where to go, where to stay, and when to pack your bags.

09/19/2012 By Allison Williams

Get Out

Where to Go to Canoe and Kayak

The water isn’t quite freezing, which means it’s boating season.

06/11/2012 By Jessie Wesley

Article

Lodge Podge

Park once and play all weekend at four classic Northwest destinations: Lake Quinault Lodge, Columbia Gorge Hotel, Lakedale Resort, and Alpine Inn at Crystal Mountain.

05/20/2011 By Allison Williams

Article

The NYT Totally Has the Hots for the San Juans

The gray lady looks lovingly at restaurants on Lummi, Orcas.

01/10/2011 By Jessica Voelker