Roche Harbor

We were hoping to make it up to Roche Harbor before it got dark and, as it turned out, we had plenty of time to wander a little. Roche Harbor is the site of San Juan's largest historic limestone operation and the resort sort of formed around the old kilns and company town. But now it's mainly large yachts and second (or third) homes for people who live in even more affluent places faraway.

There was a big wedding wrapping up and we noted (as I'm sure they did, too) how lucky they were to have such nice weather for a mid-February wedding. Could have been miserable!

Lime Kiln Point

Lime Kiln Point is a great place to watch orca, along with their summertime escort of whale watching boats and pleasure craft, but not such a good place to watch orca when they aren't around. But it's still a neat place to look across Haro Strait to Victoria, 10 miles to the west and to enjoy the sunshine and the lack of crowds.

There's limestone on San Juan Island, thus the quarries and the kilns here and at Roche Harbor, a little farther north. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the production and shipping of lime was a major industry on the island. I believe the limestone is Devonian, so a lot older than most anything else around here.

Cattle Point

I suppose I get to San Juan Island once very couple of years for work, but we realized that M probably hadn't been here in at least two decades. I guess the prospect of trying to get to the islands has scared us off - and we get a pretty good dose of islands in the summertime on Salt Spring every August.

We walked out to the lighthouse at Cattle Point - where we discovered that we weren't the only tourists on the island. But this was pretty much it for crowds.

Then we drove down to South Beach and clambered across the logs to the beach. We didn't stay too long - places to go and friends to drop in on - and all before catching this evening's ferry back to the mainland.

San Juan Island

Back to President's Day weekend. A month back. Things have been busy.

We arrived in Friday Harbor late morning and after wandering around town briefly looking for lunch options (much was closed), we ended up grabbing stuff at King's and hitting the road.  We wound up down at Eagle Cove - there was one other couple there, but when they left we had it to ourselves. A light low haze obscured the Olympics, but otherwise what an absolutely perfect day.