What a thing to compare right? An island has to be better than anything on the mainland! I have been living on Whidbey Island for the past year and finally took my first trip out to the San Juan Islands in May 2021.
The Western most island is San Juan Island with the ferry dock located in Friday Harbor. Whidbey Island is the largest island in the State of Washington and is approximately 55 miles long. They both share the same waters referred to as the Salish Sea. Many times whale watching boats will come from the San Juan Islands to the shores of Whidbey Island to see the local whale population.
San Juan Island
After exiting the ferry we stopped for a quick bite to eat at the Blue Water Bar and Grill. I had the prawns and chips and my friend had the chicken Alfredo, both were pretty good and tasted far better than I was expecting on a fairly remote island. It’s not exactly easy to get there either by ferry, private boat or by seaplane. I saw a small airport too but that seems pretty limited to small planes. I recently took a seaplane trip with a company called Kenmore Air and they do one way and round-trip flights up there. When I checked their website it was $429.00 one way from Seattle to Friday Harbor in May 2021.
Once you get to the island you are going to want to have either a car or some form of transportation. We saw a company that rents the cutest little cars and they even offer tours of the island. That would be an awesome way to get around …. When it’s not raining, unfortunately it rains a lot here in the Pacific Northwest. To take my small “tiny car discount’ VW Golf onto the ferry with 1 passenger it cost $70.95 round-trip or $85.40 for a full size car with 1 passenger.
Lime Kiln Point State Park is the main attraction since it is a prime place for whale watching. There is a lighthouse and a few whale watching spots. Now thanks to Cory Lee from Curb Free with Cory Lee, I pay attention to things that were built to make an area more accessible for persons with disabilities. * There is a paved path to viewing as well as an ADA restroom on this path. More information about the park can be found here. https://parks.state.wa.us/540/Lime-Kiln-Point
We didn’t see any whales while we were there but sure enough they were spotted by many the following day! From this park you can also see Victoria and other parts of Vancouver Island. It was interesting to be so close to a border that we can’t currently cross. Even some of the whale watching boats say they can not guarantee whales on the trip because they are not able to go find the whales in the Canadian waters.
Whidbey Island
Since moving to Whidbey Island I feel like I have been up, down and around this place in the past year. I started with the touristy spots first like Deception Pass and Fort Casey but came to LOVE West Beach Road and the 2 very small lots on either side that you can regularly find me hanging out in my car. Heck I am writing this post from one of those lots as we speak. They also happen to have pretty good cell phone service and I have even done zoom calls from the beach. Joseph Whidbey State Park is a stones throw away and on a clear day you can see the Olympic Mountains, Smith Island, the San Juan Islands, Mount Baker and maybe Canada all from the same beach.
There are a few towns on Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor is the biggest but I prefer Coupeville or Langley. In downtown Coupeville you can grab a bite to eat at the Front Street Grill or Toby’s Tavern and then stay for a glass of wine at Vail the local wine shop. In Langley you should stop by the Langley Whale Center and see what types of whales have been spotted that day or week. When you get hungry you are going to want to stop at the Village Pizzeria and get a slice of their pesto pizza. I didn’t know I wanted pesto on my pizza until I tried theirs and now I am hooked.
Getting onto Whidbey Island is much easier and cheaper than San Juan Island, for starters you can just drive on via Deception Pass. You can also take a ferry at the bottom of the island. From Mukilteo to Clinton on the Seattle side of the water or take a ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville on the Olympic side of the water. Both of those even during peak season will run you about $20 each way including your passenger.
As for whale watching I have been able to spot Orca and Grey whales from the shore by following the posts on the Orca Network Facebook Page. They will post daily with a separate post for each type of whale that has been spotted, where and the time. Then people will comment when and where they spot then usually as they are moving north or south in one of the passages.
In conclusion
No matter what island you chose to visit or both they each have some very unique features. If you have the time why not spend the night on both and see for yourself. My words of caution would be to make sure you have the right clothing, gear or supplies needed since it can get pretty cold here in the Pacific northwest and things tend to close pretty early. Just for our day trip out to San Juan Island I had 2 jackets, 1 that was water proof, an umbrella, cooler with snacks and drinks and most important patience.
Yes you read that right patience. You have to get into an understanding that things move slower on an island and sometimes things get backed up. Take the ferry for instance, you have to make a reservation for 2 of the 3 ferry options, then arrive 45 to 60 minutes prior to departure all for them to tell you that they are running behind schedule and we were delayed even leaving Anacortes for over an hour. I can say that I have spent enough time in Washington to almost count on the fact that the ferry is going to be running late. This is why I do not recommend people try to come up from Seattle and do the San Juan Islands trip all in the same day. Whidbey Island on the other hand would be a nice day trip – adventure for anyone who lives in Seattle or the surrounding area.
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