August on the San Juan Islands:

An Overview of Summer Magic

August is one of the most vibrant and enchanting months to experience the San Juan Islands. With long, sunny days and a full calendar of events, there's something for everyone—whether you're planning a weekend getaway, exploring the islands as a local, or considering making this magical place your permanent home.

Festivals & Events You Can’t Miss

• San Juan County Fair (Aug 14–17, Friday Harbor - San Juan Island)
• San Juan Island Summer Arts Festival (Aug 9–10, Brickworks - San Juan Island)
• Float Fest (Aug 30–31, Roche Harbor - San Juan Island)
• Orcas Island Fly-In & Road Classics Car Show (Aug 1-3)
• Lopez Island Artists' Studio Tour (Aug 30–31)
• Orcas Island Artists' Studio Tour (Aug 8-10)

Weekly Markets & Art Walks

• San Juan Island Farmers Market (Saturdays, 9:30am-1:30pm, Brickworks)
• Orcas Island Farmers Market (Saturdays, 10am-2pm, Eastsound Village Green)
• Lopez Island Farmers Market (Saturdays, 10am-2pm)
• Artist Village at Roche Harbor (Daily, 10am-4pm through Labor Day)

Outdoor Adventures

• Whale watching tours from all major islands
• Kayaking the coastlines
• Hiking Lime Kiln State Park, Moran State Park, and Lopez Hill
• Biking scenic island roads

No matter which island you choose, August is a time to slow down, soak up the natural beauty, and celebrate everything that makes island life unique.

Ready to Explore More?

• August on San Juan Island →
• August on Orcas Island →
• August on Lopez Island →

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To touch, to hold, to look, to smell, to taste: the sensory aspects of life are there to be nurtured and enjoyed. Engage the senses and explore the visceral elements around you. Douse your sensibilities with tactile elements: incorporate inspiring colors and textures into your home to make an altogether more spirited and rewarding affair.

Use color to make daily living more pleasurable and uplifting. Thinking about how color appears in nature gives clues to choosing the sort of colors you might want to have in your home. Neutrals are timeless and easy to live with, while white is unifying, restful, and a favorite with those who seek a simple approach to living.

During the nineteenth century the home was viewed as “heaven on earth”, a hallowed haven in an uncertain world. When man, woman, or child crossed the threshold, they were safe. Today, many of us cast a nostalgic glance backward. The Victorian era seems so calm, gentle, and gracious – so completely opposite from our own. This could be due to a legacy of love left to us by our great grandmothers who reigned over their hearths.

No matter what our decorating style – realized or aspired to – the essential spiritual grace our homes should possess is the solace of comfort. A home that embraces, nurtures, sustains, and inspires.

A welcome retreat: home as a haven in a hectic world. Nowhere is this more true than in the San Juan Islands…

Many approach walking as exercise, however there are still many who walk for their souls and their body tags along. It is a form of meditation, shifting from overdrive into soft time, quieting the chatter in the head, solving problems – taking long strides, concentrating on the slow, steady rhythm of breathing, comforted by interior silence. Looking and listening – letting go of expectations and life unfolds. Step by step.

Walking the beach is a bit different. You walk to find a treasure, to exercise the limbs, and soothe the soul. To marvel at the birds that play against the sky and clouds. To watch the waves. To simply smell the salt air, to feel the sun and wind against your face, and to run from the foam grasping for your feet. To think and reflect. And no matter how far apart your visits might measure, you are always free to renew an old acquaintance with yourself.

There are those who diligently comb the beach for agates, jasper, arrowheads, special rocks, driftwood, shells, and beach glass. They walk the beach with their heads down. They can’t help themselves. They are collectors.

Many beaches in the islands are highly promoted and/or visible. Some are not. Good examples of the latter are Deadman Bay on San Juan Island, Judd Cove on Orcas, and Watmough Bay on Lopez. Get a map. Check them out!

As you drive around the island, you may not think many islanders are into gardening. To the contrary, due to the abundance of wildlife, gardens here tend to be hidden from plain sight. Many take advantage of the topography, views, and trees or simply have an abundance of potted plants on the deck.

A visit to a garden can be a journey. The garden embraces you as you arrive and quickly transports you from the everyday world into a whole new dimension. Your senses are immersed in the experience – light changes, vistas open and close, and you become aware of sounds, colors, and textures all designed to engage and delight.

When designing a home garden, many feel it is essential to relate the house to its surroundings. People tend to spend much of their time indoors and keep this in mind when designing a garden, bringing the garden into the house with compelling views through the windows.

For some, the words art and gardening never mesh. To them, art is something found in a museum, a theater or a concert hall. Art outdoors might be a sculpture park, where the plantings are merely a background. For serious gardeners, art is an everyday experience. Their artistic vision sees beauty in the plants – they create a garden experience where scent, sight, color, sound, and texture combine to make a three-dimensional symphony that continually grows and changes.

Gardens should be spaces that invite gathering, entertaining, and relaxing. Gardens are for living.

May brings us Opening Day of the Boating Season, but actually boating is pretty much a year round thing in the islands. The many moods and embracing presence of the all-encircling sea is seductive, to put it mildly.

Boating is a way of life in the islands. The San Juan Islands are truly the consummate playground for boaters. The islands’ rich history, natural beauty, rare wildlife, and secluded anchorages as well as moorage opportunities and full service marine docks appeal to those who love being on the water.

Greg King has many clients who have opted to purchase homes with docks or perhaps access to community docks. Some may keep their boats here year long and some opt to use their dock specifically for the shoulder season as a means to cruise/sail the islands in the quieter off season.

Islanders may use their boats to go fishing, maybe a quick run to Lopez for breakfast or lunch at the Orcas Hotel with a stop at the irresistible store at the Orcas Landing. Some visit friends on outer islands. Some head to Sidney for dinner or the Gulf Islands for the weekend! The fun never ends.

When you read that Greg King services all the islands in the archipelago, did you ever wonder how he actually did that? He has a boat! And, transportation on outer islands. Not rocket science…

Orcas is the largest of the 172 islands in San Juan County with shimmering emerald hills embraced by 125 miles of rocky, tree-lined shoreline. Orcas is the diverse island. Its three long inlets thrust deep into the interior of the island, giving it more shoreline and protected waters than any of the neighboring islands.

Once home to countless generations of Native Americans prior to the arrival of its first white settlers in the late 1850’s, the new white settlers lived harmoniously with the Native Americans and many married native women and started families. Settlements grew slowly until improved steamship routes and increased commerce brought more tourists to the island.

The island’s business center is the village of Eastsound with all the amenities one would expect. Many of the hamlets at Orcas Landing, West Sound, Deer Harbor, and Olga have general stores, noteworthy shops and galleries, picture-perfect lodging, and restaurants. The east side of the island is dominated by woodsy Moran State Park with mountaintop vistas and miles of trails. Nearby is the quiet grandeur of historic Rosario Resort.

Orcas recently received a great deal of attention when Oprah Winfrey opted to purchase a home on the island, putting a spotlight on this jewel-like place. Food for thought…

As much as we may yearn for it, Spring can take us by surprise.  We wait and we wait.  And then, finally we open our eyes one morning to a coppery dawn, a stretch of sky burning with color and drenched with glory making magic with the sea, a heavenly fresh breeze, glowing greens, colorful blossoms, birdsong, and the very feel of Spring.

The first whisper of Spring holds such promise.  Our smiles deepen, our laughter increases, our hearts open.  We feel stirrings of hope.  As Winter’s cold begins to retreat, easing its grip upon our imagination and inclinations, slowly our spirits awaken, along with the natural world.  We anticipate a new beginning, a fresh start – a new chapter in life waiting to be written.

It is time to laugh, play, and create.  It is a time to revise and change.

Change can ambush, upsetting our comfortable routine.  But, at this time of year, change is expected – perhaps, even invited.  Not a time to be shy or reserved, we flirt with the opportunities and possibilities.  Trust yourself.  Act on your instincts.  To hold back, hesitate, and halt is to snuff out the spark.

No need for impatience.  Preparatory steps are necessary.  Quiet your mind, carve out time to dream and express yourself.  It is pretty amazing what a little shift in perception can do.

If all else fails, go to the beach!

As you venture around the islands, you will often see Canada looming in the distance.

The end of March brings the return of the ferry from Friday Harbor to Sidney, British Columbia which can be interpreted to mean a great opportunity for a fun getaway!

Sidney is located on the shore of the southern tip of Vancouver Island on the Saanich Peninsula amidst the Gulf Islands with Mount Baker standing in the distance.  Sidney is a fun place to visit with a high quality of life and a welcoming atmosphere. 

The pedestrian-friendly downtown with enchanting street statues and murals offers a vibrant boutique shopping district, museums, galleries, and businesses providing unique products and personalized service.  With an abundance of new and used bookstores, one can enjoy many hours of browsing.  Additionally, there is a diverse assortment of fabulous restaurants offering excellent meals, catering to all tastes.

There is a great walkway that offers a flat, barrier-free surface to stroll along the waterfront with benches, picnic tables, gorgeous gardens, and mesmerizing views of Sidney Island, Mount Baker, and more.  The walkway passes Port Sidney Marina, Beacon Park and Beacon Wharf at the end of Beacon Avenue.  Continue past Diver’s Point, the Bevan Fishing Pier, and Eastview Park.  If you are up for a longer walk, continue past the ferry terminal. 

For those who opt to drive on the ferry rather than walk on, there are more options.  Victoria is a mere twenty minute drive from Sidney.  Go exploring!  There are some pretty great things on the outskirts of Sidney proper.  You might want to treat yourself to a meal at Deep Cove Chalet – you won’t regret it!

For those with private boats, you might consider venturing to Poet’s Cove on Pender Island.  It is the quintessential retreat with moorage and access to restaurants and amenities.  For a two night stay, moorage is complimentary.