I‘m finding it extraordinarily difficult to write this post. We won’t be returning to Lopez Island next summer, and it’s causing us grief in more than one way. On a spiritual and emotional level, we’re going to sorely miss the beauty of the island, the satisfying work of teaching the interpretive programs, and our delightful […]
Archive for San Juan Islands
We left Lopez Island two weeks ago, waving goodbye from the deck of the ferry as we sailed away. Although we were on the island for two months, our parting is always bittersweet. Are we excited about continuing on to new adventures? Yes! At the same time, it’s hard to leave a place where we […]
We spent two-and-a-half months on Lopez Island in 2016, our sixth summer in the islands. And we didn’t return to the mainland until we sailed back on the ferry to Anacortes in September. That’s a long time to be on an island that’s only 15 miles long and eight miles wide. Do we ever get […]
As of mid-October, we’re back in Ashland, Oregon, taking care of a myriad of things that need to be completed before we can again resume our travels. This is a challenging part of fulltime RV life—there’s always a mountain of stuff to deal with when we return to our hometown each year. It’s no different […]
For years, we’ve been trying to see whales. Orca whales, in particular. Several pods of these magnificent creatures make their home in the Salish Sea off of San Juan Island. It’s one of the best places in the world to see orcas. At Lime Kiln State Park (also known as “Whale Watch Park”), the conditions […]
I can’t tear myself away from Lopez without one more post celebrating the incredible natural beauty of the island. Although small, Lopez is blessed with an abundance of opportunities for outdoor adventures. We bike, hike, or kayak—or at the very least, take a long walk circumnavigating the beautiful spit—every day while we’re on the island. […]
The pumpkins are ripening in the fields at Horse Drawn farm, and rose hips are plump on the beach roses on Spencer Spit. There’s a distinct shift in the angle of the sun, casting everything in a golden glow come late afternoon. It’s a lovely, and yet bittersweet time of year. The dawning of September […]
You didn’t really think we could so easily leave behind the magic of the San Juan Islands, did you? Most definitely not, especially given that our daughter and grandson live on San Juan Island. I know, that’s a bit confusing, right? The entire archipelago (more than 400 islands and rocks) is known as the San […]
I can’t believe it’s the end of summer, and the end of our time on Lopez for this year. Our two months on the island have flown by—which is good because it means we’ve had a fantastic time, but not so good because we’re leaving behind friends and all that we enjoy about Lopez, at […]
If you like hiking, biking, and kayaking, Lopez Island offers plenty to keep you occupied. This is a small island, at only 15 miles long and 8 miles wide. Friends have asked us, “Do you ever get island fever?” The answer is “No.” In fact, it’s hard to pry us off the island. We always […]
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