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13 Things to Do on San Juan Island with Kids
Visitors flock to San Juan Island — in Washington State’s Puget Sound — in summer. Yes, it’s lovely to go when the days are long and nights are warm, but we treasure our winter daytrips and weekend getaways to the mellow island. Remember, those hotel stays are less expensive, you (probably) won’t need reservations at a restaurant and the kids get a little more attention from the locals. What to do, where to sleep and where to dine while on San Juan Island? Here’s a quick rundown of my favorites, mostly centered around the sleepy little burg of Friday Harbor. It’s a quaint, walkable town. Want more? Read my book,…
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Families Travel! Corene goes to Orcas Island
Luckily, Seattle-area foodie blogger Corene Caley (foodiepatootie.com), husband Calvin and daughter Arden (age 5 ½) always knows where to eat when arriving on Orcas Island. Caley is more than qualified to dish on Orcas’s culinary delights. “We go to Orcas two or three times in the summer and about every other month in the fall/winter/spring. I’m sure that will change now that Arden is starting elementary but hopefully we’ll fit it in.†Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands, is located about two hours northwest of Seattle via Anacortes, Washington and the Washington State Ferry system. Why does your family frequently visit the San Juan Islands? I was lucky enough to marry a…
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San Juan Island: Cheap camps and free tours
The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor (on San Juan Island) is offering two great family activities this summer. But if you want to take advantage of either one, you’d better act fast! San Juan Island offers a truly spectacular family getaway — picture pastoral countryside and artisan farms alongside regular family-fun attractions like a movie theater, great food, toy stores and a bowling alley. Here are the details on the activities (and read my Whale Museum review here): Pod Nods at the Whale Museum, San Juan Island, Washington State If your kids are between the ages of 6-10 and you’d like a fun (yet separate) escape for the whole family,…
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Families Travel! Sharlet Goes to Orcas Island
In February 2010, Sharlet and her son Liam (9) went to Orcas Island with friend Marci and her three children: Issak (8), Sydney (5) and Will (6 months) Orcas Island is part of Washington State’s gorgeous San Juan Islands, a ferry ride and drive from either Seattle or Victoria, BC. The San Juan Islands usually show up on a Top 10 Islands list every year in a travel publication or site, and are a don’t-miss experience if you’re visiting Seattle. Â The three islands (Lopez, Orcas and San Juan) each offer various kid-friendly options, but Orcas is a nice pick if you want a balance between stuff to do and a…
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The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, Washington State
Recent news of whale shows gone horribly wrong may lead some families to avoid live sea shows. San Juan Island’s The Whale Museum, a respectful facility focused on mammal life in the Puget Sound, offers a solid alternative for inquisitive kids. Located on Washington State’s Friday Harbor, the 1,200-square-foot Whale Museum offers car-sized whale skeletons suspended in mid-air, seemingly just to wow little ones. Jarred whale brains and a nauseatingly long intestinal worm (jarred!) garner an ew yuck awesome reaction from bigger kids. Children can listen in on distinctive whistles and blurts in a “whale telephone booth,” and look for orcas in a mock research lab. The children’s room encourages kids…
