A visit to Friday Harbor is the perfect long weekend getaway, especially for those who reside in Western Washington. Friday Harbor is one of the more known islands of the the San Juan Islands. The town of Friday Harbor is most easily accessible by ferry, but is also accessible to visitors via boats and small planes. All in all, downtown is just steps away from the ferry dock, is very walkable, and only about 1 square mile in size. So, a car isn’t necessarily necessary as long as your lodging is also near downtown.
With dozens of shops and restaurants in town, there is no shortage of things to do just in downtown, but other common activities not in downtown include kayaking, whale watching, bike/e-bike rentals, and/or moped/scootcoupe rentals.
Our Day by Day Friday Harbor Itinerary:
Friday: We drove 3 hours north to the town of Anacortes, Washington – which is where the ferry terminal is for Friday Harbor. We decided that it would be best if we drove up after work on Friday instead of taking time off from work or leaving very very early Saturday morning. We booked a one night stay at The Marina Inn and it was a clean and spacious hotel that I would stay at again if need be.
Saturday: We left for the ferry at 4:30 am because although ferry reservations are recommended and we had one (when available, sometimes reservations are paused), there is still a chance that you won’t get on the ferry for your selected time if you are too far back in the line. If reservations are paused, then it is first come first boarded. When reservations are being taken, it is highly recommended that you make a ferry reservation in advance if you are taking your car to Friday Harbor. If you are traveling to Friday Harbor by foot a reservation is not necessary.
A direct ferry ride from Anacortes to Friday Harbor is a little over an hour long and offers some amazing views. For many, this is a common commuter journey and uneventful, but for visitors the ferry ride is part of the experience and breathtaking. You might even see a whale or two if you’re paying close attention.
Fun Fact: Washington State has the largest ferry system in the United States and is the second largest ferry system in the world.
Once we arrived to Friday Harbor we wanted to get breakfast since we hadn’t ate and had a ton of time to kill before we could check into our lodging. Surprisingly though, there are not a lot of places that serve breakfast, so our options were limited. We ended up eating at Rocky Bay Cafe. I ordered a hot chocolate and the bacon pesto scramble and both were absolutely delicious and very filling. I definitely recommend a stop here for breakfast if you are following this itinerary.
Once we finished breakfast, we stumbled upon a local farmers market behind the building that was a pleasant surprise. The Friday Harbor Farmers Market is open year round, but the days and times vary depending on the months. I love a chance to shop small and local when I am traveling to little communities and a farmers market is the perfect combination of local vendors.
Next we went on a hike that delivered vast and serene views of the San Juans. We even joked that we could see Canada from the hike, but we honestly have no idea if we could or not. I think we just wanted to not be in the United States since Covid-19 had cancelled many of our trips.
Mount Finlayson Trail is approximately a 4 mile loop with about 400 feet in elevation gain. There is even a small off shoot on this trail through the woods that takes you to a beach. You don’t even know you are going to welcome the beach views until you’re there. When we visited, we were the only ones there for our whole visit. Had we known we would come across this we would have packed a small picnic.
We wrapped up our hike and took ourselves back into town for lunch and to check out all the little shops. We got lunch a the San Juan Island Brewing Co. Mark loves craft beer and I love the environment and aesthetic of breweries – plus, I do like me a good cider or seltzer and most breweries have at least one of those as an option these days.
Once we were done exploring the downtown area, it was time for us to check into our vacation rental for the new two nights. We rented this adorable 2 bedroom guest house on the hosts large and gorgeous property that was about 10 minutes from downtown. This was a wonderful escape with fabulous views that paired so well with all the birds signing and night stars.
You can book your stay at this charming and artistic cottage through Expedia.
Next, we spent a few daytime hours at the vacation rental just relaxing before heading back into town for dinner. We decided to get dinner at Cask and Schooner and it was not great – 3/10. The ceiling was leaking right onto my booth seat, which they knew and saw, and didn’t offer to move us or compensate us in any way. Our martinis arrived completely sticky all over and the sugar lined rim was hideous. To this day we truly don’t know how they allowed for these drinks to leave the bar. Then to top it off, the food was just average and nothing to write home about. I recommend not eating here unless you really don’t have another option. Also, I am writing this review based on a visit in 2021. Restaurants can and often do change the way they operate, so another visit could be an entirely different experience.
Naturally, no trip to Friday Harbor is complete if you don’t get some ice cream from Friday Harbor Ice Cream Co. There are dozens of flavors to pick from, so everybody will be able to satisfy their sweat tooth no problem. It is important to note that this establishment is still cash only. This was the perfect end to our first day before heading back to the rental.
Sunday: On this day we prepared breakfast at the rental and then made our way to Susie’s Mopeds to get a crash course on how to safely drive the scoot coupe (2 person) and moped (1 person) before taking off for the day.
The scoot coupe and moped is an amazing way to see Friday Harbor. You drive on the main road, with cars, along a 48-mile loop with many scenic stops along the way. You are definitely paying for the experience of driving the scoop coupe or moped, as all of the stops are also accessible by car. It is highly recommended you make reservations in advance online at Susie’s Mopeds.
Video: Friday Harbor’s 48-mile approved loop.
Before our trip even began, our group decided that we were going to stop off at every stop to really maximize our experiences. We intended on getting lunch on Roche Harbor (opposite side of the island from our starting point), so we didn’t pack any snacks. Rookie (but not really, we knew better) mistake on our part. We didn’t realize how much time we would spend at all the stops prior to the Roche Harbor stop, so by the time we got to Roche Harbor, we only had about 30-45 minutes to see both the sculpture park and Roche Harbor before we needed to return the scoop coupes and moped… so we didn’t get food.
So, pack yourself a picnic and find a spot to each a proper lunch (no alcohol, you’re still driving even though it isn’t a car). Most of the stops along the way have picnic tables and benches to sit at. You might watch the video above and think what we thought… that you’d have plenty of time to get lunch at Roche Harbor, but you won’t have the time. Trust me. Time will slip away from you because you are exploring and taking in all the views and visiting all the stops.
The Stops We Made:
All the Available and Authorized Stops
- American Camp
- South Beach
- Cattle Point Lighthouse
- False Bay
- Pelindaba Lavender Farm – They also have a storefront in town, but buy one of their made-in-house lavender ice cream sandwiches for a little snack
- West Side Road
- Lime Kiln Point State Park – You will need a Discovery Pass to visit this park and it is a very very popular spot to see local orca pods
- San Juan County Park
- Krystal Acres Alpaca Farm
- English Camp
- Westcott Bay Seafood Farm
- Sculpture Park
- Roche Harbor
- San Juan Vineyard
By the time we returned the scoot coupe and moped we were starving. We tried to get dinner at Downriggers, but we didn’t have a reservation. Side note, I ended up eating here a couple months later and it was delicious! Make the reservation. You won’t regret it.
We ultimately ended up at Blue Water Bar and Grill and it wasn’t bad. It definitely hit the spot for everybody but my teenager who decided she wanted to try authentic fish and chips for the first time ever… needless to say that isn’t a dish she’ll order again from anywhere, haha. When we arrived we got seated almost immediately, but by the time we left around 6:30 pm there was a waiting list.
After dinner we made our way back to the rental to relax and pack. Our ferry out the next day was leaving at 6 am, so we had a very early start.
Wanderland Jess 