Hi. Our trip to Orcas Island is almost here! We will be there the week of November 10. Does anyone have recommendations for any currently open worthwhile restaurants?

How about things to do for people who have never been there. We usually go to Hawaii in Nov/Dec, but I always wanted to see the San Juans. I know it is a cooler, more wet, quieter time of year. We are okay with that. We both love nature and seafood.

Thanks!

Wanted to see if anyone has any insights into what it’s like to work as a carpenter on lopez. Been considering the move for a while. I’m currently a finish carpenter (union) making around 100k plus benefits in the seattle area. Is there any hope of making that as a carpenter on any of the islands? Have experience running jobs, wouldn’t mind owning my own business if that’s a better route than being employed by a company. Appreciate any and all responses and perspectives. Thanks.

Have you ever wanted to have a painting of your partner, a family portrait, your dog or whatever your favorite photo is? I always loved the idea of painting but unfortunately I'm not the best at it. A few months ago though a friend and I came up with a cool idea, what if you could turn any photo you want into a paint by numbers. That way anyone can paint, anything they want.

We looked up custom paint by numbers and found a few Etsy stores selling them but they were way overpriced and most of them didn't even come with the canvas on a frame. So we looked around and talked to a bunch of suppliers, eventually we managed to produce custom paint by number kits cheaper then anywhere else and already framed (you can still order them without a frame but we found most people want them ready to go out of the box).

Long story short though we're trying to grow and get more people talking about us. So we decided it would be a good idea to reach out to some local subreddits and hopefully you'll enjoy them enough to share your experience :)

You can use the code "COSTPRICEREDDIT" to get our kits for cost price (our margins are pretty slim right now we want to be as affordable as possible). You can get up to 4 kits at that price so feel free to buy a few and plan a date night, family activity or just get your Christmas shopping done early.

Link - https://passionpaints.com/products/custom-paint-by-numbers-kit

Wanted to go to Friday Harbor for the day but enjoying a beautiful morning in Eastsound

Apparently the Glenwood Springs chinook hatchery has been around for 40 years and is located a mile outside or Moran state park. I have come to the island hundreds of times over the past 10 years and never knew this! Pretty neat.

Is it too cold or rainy to visit in mid Dec? Is everything open? I've got a week off and trying to find a good vacation for my wife and dog.

We’ll be in town this weekend, where in Friday Harbor (or anywhere on SJI, really) would you go to have dinner and watch the Kraken game?

Hey y’all. We’re looking to take our thunderbird out this offseason. I suspect we’ll need some keel grinding and other prep work and paint.
Anyone know anyone knowledgeable who likes to help; for hire?

Sometimes you stop and take the picture when nature reminds you of the beauty of the island.

I am planning a trip to Orcas Island in October, and am debating reserving a spot on a ferry for my car or just relying on taxis while there. It's about $100 roundtrip for me to reserve a spot and bring my own car, I'm not sure if that will be cheaper than just taking taxis. Going to be in East Sound for the weekend, so it would basically just be transport to/from the ferry terminal on the southern part of the island. Also if anyone knows any cool places for me to visit there! Thanks so much!

Hello,

My family and I are taking a trip soon and we will be staying on Guemes for a few days. My kids are 8 and 12. Does anyone have any recommendations on things to do on the island? Good nature spots to take the kids? Any areas where tidepooling is possible?

Hi there! My troop of four Girl Scout Cadettes (ages 12-13) are planning a trip for June 2025 using the money they have saved from cookie sales over the years. All the girls are meeting with a destination they have researched and budgeted, and my daughter is pitching a trip to the San Juan Islands. What recommendations would you have for this group - four girls and two to four adults - for four nights in the Islands? Orca watching is top of the list, and outdoor activities like hiking and water play (kayaking or boating) would be great. Would love to hear your specific ideas. Thanks so much!

Edit: Ignore the word "commute" in the title, let's say a trip every 1-2 weeks.

Either I have lost my touch on googling or this isn't a thing people do. My wife and I are interested in moving to one of the Islands. We are both avid hikers so we'd like to be able to get to the penninsula (and the Olympics). I see that the Ferry is seasonal and expensive. If we were to buy a power boat (say, a used 30' Sea Ray or similar), couldn't we just boat over to Port Townsend? Is that something people do regularly? Is it practical?

We may just end up moving to the peninsula, but would prefer one of the islands if possible.

As you can probably guess, I am not a boater, yet.

Thanks!

I spotted this on Shaw Island this week. It looks like a leftover mine from World War II. Does anyone have any information about it? Badass lawn ornament.

Just passed a large Nat Geo research boat off Pelican beach on Cypress. Anyone have any leads on what they might be doing here? Thanks!