Friday Harbor, in Washington’s San Juan Islands, is another easy weekend getaway for us. A twenty-minute walk from our apartment brings us to the Kenmore Air seaplane base for a 50-minute flight to Friday Harbor. The seaplane trip is a big part of the draw for us. We love the close-up aerial views as we proceed through Puget Sound, especially with clear weather.

Once airborne from Lake Union, we passed over Fisherman’s Terminal, home to several of the boats featured in the Discovery Channel TV series Deadliest Catch, and then over the large Shilshole Bay Marina. Mount Baker stood out in the distance to the east as we passed Whidbey Island and crossed the Strait of Juan de Fuca to reach the San Juan Islands.

After landing we met up with our friend, Customs Agent Mark Matthews and walked through Fairweather Park before checking out our VRBO digs for the night. Visiting Friday Harbor in the summer, particularly last-minute, can be a challenge both in getting seaplane bookings and accommodations. But we found a very nice rental, new on the market, with a great view over the harbor. Next up was lunch at one of our favorite stops, San Juan Island Brewery.

We spent the afternoon on the water, only our second time running a boat since selling Dirona. The previous time was also in the San Juan Islands, but we rented the boat in Anacortes. Today’s boat, a 20′ Hewescraft from Friday Harbor Boat Rentals, was a bigger and more comfortable, with a semi-enclosed cabin and a faster, smoother ride. We had a great time touring the islands, and stopping for a refreshment at the Harbor Bar and Grill on Orcas Island.

That evening, we had a wonderful dinner overlooking the harbor at Friday Harbor House.

Sunday morning we picked up coffees at the diminutive Crows Nest Coffee Shoppe before boarding our seaplane for a scenic flight back to Seattle with wonderful views to Mt. Rainier.