San Juan Islands & British Columbia

Our anniversary week, and easily one of our favorites. We left home on August 15, flew out of Indianapolis, and pointed ourselves straight at the water — north over Deception Pass to Anacortes, where the ferry runs out into the San Juans. (Burgers and shakes at the Fidalgo Drive-In in Anacortes first, naturally.)

San Juan Island was home for the next few days — a little cabin near Friday Harbor, mornings slow enough to actually feel like vacation. We split our time between the water and the road: kayaking the cold, glassy channels, then driving the island loop to whatever lighthouse or trail looked good. Friday Harbor was our hub. We poked through the Whale Museum, had a waterfront dinner at Downriggers and a slow breakfast at Rocky Bay Cafe, and kept circling back for oysters. Oystertale was the high point of the entire trip — the best oysters, and honestly the best meal, either of us can remember.

The island kept giving. We spent an afternoon at Lime Kiln Point — the islands’ famous whale-watching perch — eating off the food truck and scanning the water from the rocks below the lighthouse. The harbor seals turned up reliably and completely won Bianca over; she’s declared them the trip’s official MVP. We drove down to the Cattle Point Lighthouse at the south end, wandered the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park, and made our way up to Roche Harbor to find the McMillin mausoleum — a strange, beautiful stone table hidden in the trees that we still talk about.

Then we pointed the car north. We crossed into Canada at the Peace Arch, stopped in White Rock for a five-star dinner at Uli’s, and climbed Cypress Mountain above Vancouver — legs burning, the view well worth it. We capped the whole thing off with a full lap of the Richmond Night Market: an entire festival of Asian street food, eaten one skewer at a time until we genuinely couldn’t anymore.

Five stars, no notes. We’re already plotting a way back.