◆ Weekend Sailing Orders ◆
A friends' weekend based at Roche Harbor — oysters, orcas, and one very good trolley bell.
Chart
Every stop on this weekend's plan, plotted around Roche Harbor. Tap a pin for details.
Ship's Log
Built around your ferry, the 4:00 Westcott Bay reservation, a Saturday pool morning, and daily resort donuts. Adjust freely — the island rewards slack.
Washington State Ferries to Friday Harbor — roughly 1–1.5 hr sailing, longer with island stops.
About 20–25 minutes across the island. Check in, unpack, let the kids run off the ferry energy.
Outdoor, farm-to-table oyster bar right on the water — about 5 minutes from Roche Harbor. Bring layers; it's al fresco.
Back from Westcott Bay, drinks somewhere around the resort.
The resort runs its long-running sunset flag-lowering tradition down at the dock beforehand, if you want to catch it on the way.
Lazy pool time before lunch, as requested — no schedule pressure.
General store or Lime Kiln Café — easy, no reservation needed.
They're 5 minutes apart. Lime Kiln for the lighthouse and whale-watching bluffs; San Juan County Park next door for a beach walk or picnic on the grassy overlook.
Pre-dinner drinks before walking over to Madrona.
Right at the resort, on the water — request a patio table for the sunset.
Back to the pool lawn to close out the night.
Aim to be on the road by ~11:45a — it's 20–25 minutes to Friday Harbor.
Quick bite in town — keep it easy since you're on the clock.
Ferry lanes for San Juan sailings fill up — plan to be in line by 1:00p at the latest.
Return sailing to Anacortes.
Field Notes
One of the best land-based whale-watching spots anywhere, with a 1919 lighthouse on a rocky bluff. The interpretive center (open ~11a–4p in summer) covers resident orca pods and the old lime kiln the park is named for. "The Blowhole" snack stand is open for food and drinks in season.
parks.wa.gov ↗Rocky bluffs and a gravel beach looking straight across Haro Strait to Vancouver Island — the same stretch of water Lime Kiln overlooks, five minutes south. Picnic tables, a small shelter, and a boat launch; it's also a well-known whale-watching spot in its own right, minus the crowds.
sanjuancountywa.gov ↗An open-air trolley loop connecting Friday Harbor, San Juan Vineyard, Lakedale Resort, the Sculpture Park, English Camp, Krystal Acres Alpaca Farm, the lavender farm — and Roche Harbor Resort itself is a stop, so you don't need to drive into town to ride it.