The first year we arrived as volunteers at Spencer Spit State Park, we met a couple that had been hosting there for 15 years. “Fifteen years?” I thought. “I can’t imagine.” Well, we just finished up our seventh summer at the park, and we’re planning to return next summer. There’s something about Lopez…
What We Love About Lopez And The San Juan Islands
We’re drawn back year after year by the natural beauty, our delight in teaching the interpretive programs, the diversity of interesting outdoor and cultural events, and the wonderful friends we’ve made on the island.
We feel extraordinarily fortunate to have discovered Lopez, and to have the opportunity to settle in for the summer in a place we love, with people we love, doing volunteer work that we love. We’re also fortunate to have friends and family visit us on the island each year. And with several other islands in the San Juan Island archipelago just a short ferry ride away, we never run out of things to do. For us, life doesn’t get any better than Lopez in the summertime.
A Giant Postcard From The Islands
I’ve written a lot about Lopez and the San Juan Islands over the past several years, so I’ll keep this simple by just posting photos of some of our island adventures. These photos come with a disclaimer: I could post hundreds of photos, and I still wouldn’t be able to adequately convey the beauty and magic of this special place.
The only real downside to life on Lopez is the almost complete lack of internet, which exacerbates the usual challenge I have of keeping up with our blog. Hence, you’re getting one GIANT postcard.
Love, Laurel & Eric
Ferry sailing by Spencer Spit
Settling into our new site at the park; it was a bumper crop year for Dungeness crab
A visitor to our campsite; a Red-breasted Nuthatch comes to bathe
Our favorite farm stand, just a short bike ride away
Inter-Tribal Canoe Journey lands on Lopez en route to Campbell River, British Columbia
Dusk at Shark Reef is always in shades of purple and orange
Views of Mount Baker
Adventures On San Juan Island
Lime Kiln Lighthouse on San Juan Island
Adventures On Orcas Island
Raven sculpture, Orcas Island
A Day Trip To Sucia Island
Beautiful photos of Lopez, love the one of your
campsite spot, view of Mt.Baker and the library
on Lopez, plus all your friends and the sweet photo
of the new rangers (little girls) cute, cute.
How lucky you are to spend 2 months every summer
there….
Hugs, Peggy
Peggy, we feel very fortunate to have discovered Lopez. And we love our volunteer position as interpretive hosts! The Junior Rangers make us happy. You need to come visit us on the island next year. oxoxox
Looks like yet another fabulous summer in your gorgeous neck of the woods…well, fantasy island perhaps?? ;-) It’s easy to see why you return year after year!
Lisa, “fantasy island” describes it well! :-) Lopez truly is a paradise for us. Hope you guys can come visit sometime when you’re in the Pacific Northwest. There’s some gorgeous hiking in the islands!
Understandable why you enjoy your time on Lopez so much. There’s also something comforting about returning to familiar territory. Fantastic collection of photos … no doubt it was difficult to narrow down the pics.
So glad you enjoyed the photos, Ingrid. You’re right, it feels good to return to a familiar place — especially one that’s so beautiful, and where we have so many friends. It was really hard to choose photos!
I loved your huge postcard! Thanks for sending it to us all…..
You’re lucky to be able to spend time in such peaceful and beautiful surroundings. We’ve never been there but I think we may need to remedy that if your pictures are to be believed….
Oh, thanks Sue! I’m glad you liked the ridiculously huge postcard. The islands really are that beautiful. I don’t think our photos come close to capturing the magic of the San Juan’s. I hope you’ll come visit us on the island. :-)
Lopez is such an idyllic setting, it’s no wonder you return year after year. We’ve begun limiting the number of times that we volunteer in a particular park. We went back to Grand Canyon five times and the last time felt a little too much like we were in a rut, even in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We spent four winters in Big Bend Nat. Park and the last time we felt like it was simply time to move on. That was probably because many of our friends moved on too. We’re headed into Glen Canyon Nat. Recreation Area for the second winter in a row and are happy to be there for the winter but are not sure if we will return for another stint. There are so many places to go, so much to see, and we just can’t have any moss grow on our tires.
Having said that, I hope our paths will cross again soon. The last time we saw you guys was 2015 in Florida! Please stop in and say hi if you are passing close to Page this winter.
All the best,
R&K
Riley & Karen, it’s great to hear from you. There are many places that we want to explore, but it’s hard for us to leave a place that we love so much, and that suits our interests so well. And where we have such a wonderful community of friends, and where friends come to visit us. It’s also pretty sweet to have a place to settle down in the summer when traveling can be challenging. Oh — and did I mention, the weather is near perfect? :-)
We would love to reconnect with you two sometime soon!
I always love your photos of the Juans. Looks so peaceful and relaxing there.
Thanks, Gayle. The San Juan’s are definitely peaceful — and beautiful, and fun! I hope you two will come to visit sometime.
I am actually clapping – applause – for your picture postcard post of your entire summer. Fabulous!! Easy to see why you keep coming back. WOW the friends who are there and came to see you. Not sure how you ever got any volunteering done. Why don’t you volunteer to teach me how to do a two month wrap up! :-) Otherwise I’ll never get through Maine.
Thanks, Sherry! We’re definitely busy on Lopez, but busy with things that make us really happy. The lack of internet is annoying, though. That’s why you’re getting one enormous postcard from the islands. It’s the only way I can catch up. :-))
This was wonderful!! Such a happy, colorful, romantic, fun-filled, and naturally beautiful summer. So glad we got to visit and see some of your special place. The Raven sculpture is stunning.
Jodee — you captured Lopez with your words! It’s everything you said. We’re so happy that you and Bill and Tessa came to visit. I hope you’ll come back. I pay a visit to the raven sculpture every time we go to Orcas Island. :-)
I just went down the rabbit hole trying to figure out if our kayak trip years ago went to Sucia Island. Your photos from there look particularly familiar, but I just can’t tell, and I can’t find anything in my old emails to say whether Sucia was the destination for our trip. Not that any of it matters. It’s just such a strikingly beautiful place and as soon as I saw your photos, I was transported back there. Anyway, I’m jealous you get to spend the summer there every year doing interesting work and exploring such a beautiful place. It really is idyllic (except the lack of internet….that would be tough for me. I’m kindof addicted. :)
Laura, I wouldn’t doubt that Sucia was your kayaking destination because it’s considered the “crown jewel” of the marine island parks. How cool that you did that trip! Lopez is truly idyllic, but the lack of internet drives me crazy. Can’t really go down the rabbit hole there (not enough connection!) but I lose just as much time trying to keep up with daily life.
Such beautiful landscape… I’m putting the San Juans on the list for our next northwest adventure. This winter it Florida with time in Savannah and New Orleans before heading out in the spring.
Pat, I think you would love the San Juan Islands. We’re planning on Florida this winter, and Savannah in the early spring. Would be fun to meet up!
I love waking up to this inspiring postcard. I’m taking notes on how to retire well, since we share so many interests.Thanks for the lovely sharing, Laurel and Eric.It took me back to a long ago visit including Sucia.
I’m so happy to hear from you, Joanne! I’m so glad you enjoyed waking up to our postcard. :-) I trust you’re continuing your artistic and adventurous life in Eugene. You know how to live well and fully.
This was such a wonderful walk down memory lane for me. I can understand why it is difficult to leave at the end of your stay and why you two return year after year. I would love to explore Sucia Island. It looks like another little San Juan gem.
LuAnn, we’re still hoping that you and Terry will join us for another summer on Lopez! We have great memories of our summer co-hosting a couple of years ago. There are still so many places and things we haven’t explored in the San Juan’s. And we never tire of returning to our favorite spots.
I love your Giant postcard and enjoyed looking through them! Perhaps in one of your return trips we will be in one of your postcards. I think you had the best summer, away from the scorching heat every one else was experiencing. I might just copy this style for I too have four months worth of backlog.
ML, I hope you and Steve will be in one of our future giant Lopez postcards, too! We were really fortunate to have mostly clear skies and cool temperatures during a summer that was so challenging in so much of the country. We can always count on good weather in the San Juan’s in the summer.
Laurel,
You forgot to mention that the music community on Lopez loves having you introduce new songs, and expects you to perform with others at the LOHO Retirement Community. Without Laurel and Eric, a Lopez summer would have grey skies.
Oh, thank you, Sheila! Our musically talented island friends add so much richness to our Lopez summers. It was wonderful sharing so much time with you and Bruce. oxoxo
What a beautiful place! We are adding it to our list, which is growing faster than we can check things off. But that is okay with us.
Jacky & Bo, we feel the same! Our list is growing by leaps and bounds. But it certainly keeps life interesting. There’s no place we’ve found quite like the San Juan Islands.
As alway I love your blog and appreciate the amount of work that goes into sharing it with us. (lucky us) I did notice that the format was different and that I couldn’t make the pictures as big. Is that just me or did you change things. It looks great and I love how you have organized the pictures together but I do miss making them full screen. Just saying.
Sue, I’m happy you’re still enjoying the blog after all these years. :-) If you click on any of the smaller photos, it will take you to a slideshow of the photos in a larger size. See you in Ashland in late October?
Your life is what a lot of us dream about. Love the pics!
Thanks, Brenda. We’re pretty darned happy to be living our dreams and to have had the opportunity to resume our travels. :-)