San Juan Islands and Beyond

When we made it to Mt. Vernon Washington I only knew one fact: It’s located halfway between Seattle and Vancouver BC, two of my favorite cities, so it can’t be bad right?!?

To the West lies the town of Anacortes and the famous San Juan Islands and to the East is beautiful Mt. Baker and endless wilderness.  To say this region is filled with beauty and adventure would be a complete understatement!

Thanks to a climate similar to that of Northern France the city is known for its famous Tulip Festival Street Fair (not that we were in time for it).  There’s a neat historic downtown, a little Food COOP (grocery store), and a tasty local brewery. We spent a little time exploring Mt. Vernon because there was just too many other things to see and do!

I could do my best to inspire you with beautiful words written in flowing succession but I think our photos will tell a better story. To set the stage my father flew up for a short visit so it was like a mini family reunion, and with a guest to entertain we were determined to make the most out of his visit, so grab your hiking gear and join us (digitally of course).

We began our exploring with the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.  Along the way we found old growth forests filled with lush greenery; picked wild huckleberries off the hiking trails that were so sweet we couldn’t stop indulging; hiked to picture perfect ponds; and summited Mt. Shuskan for panoramic views of Mt. Baker. We finished our day at the North Fork Brewery in Deming with Perfect Brews and tasty pizza…a must after a long day of hiking!!!

Keeping the adventure in full throttle we drove to Anacortes and explored the drivable parts of the San Juan Islands. We didn’t take the Ferry due to cost and limited time, but there was more than enough to keep us busy for a day.  From famous statues, to mountaintop views, to the World Record holding Island on an Island at Lake Campbell, hiking across Deception Pass, and finally ending up at Eby’s Landing in Historic Coupeville the town preserved by the National Park Service and home to the original Seattle’s Best Coffee house. We finished our tour with a VERY local experience at Toby’s Tavern with fresh Whidbey Island Mussels and their own Parrot Head brew.

One the way back to camp we decided to search out some live jams and we ended up at the Anacortes Brewery and the Rockfish Grill.  A 6 piece band packed the house and we gorged on yummy bar food and beer. If only every day could be this great!

We spent the week parked at the Thousand Trails Mt. Vernon Campground but to be perfectly honest we only slept there (besides the day we filmed)! The park was in good condition even though it was the last weekend they were open…and they gave away free ice cream! Take a peek at the video we created for the resort.

Needless to say a week isn’t nearly enough time to really explore it all.  If you’ve been to the Skagit Valley or the San Juan Islands let us know what your favorite spots are!  We need a list for our next visit.   Till then we’ll do our best to keep it between the lines.

Disclaimer: While we were compensated to film the campground (thanks Thousand Trails!)…all of our experiences and opinions are NOT purchased and are still our own.