Ready For Europe? The 20 Best And Safest Places For Travel And Tourism In 2022, According To European Best Destinations

8 Best Things To Do In The San Juan Islands, Washington

The San Juan Islands are a group of islands located in the Salish Sea, between the mainland of Washington State and British Columbia, Canada. The islands are known for their natural beauty, abundant wildlife, and relaxed atmosphere.

If you're looking for a place to relax and enjoy the outdoors, the San Juan Islands are the perfect destination. Here are some of the best things to do on the islands:

1. Whale watching

The San Juan Islands are one of the best places in the world to see orcas, also known as killer whales. Orcas are often seen in the waters around the islands, and you can often see them from shore or on a whale watching tour.

2. Hiking and biking

The San Juan Islands have a variety of hiking and biking trails to explore. Some of the most popular trails include the Lime Kiln Trail, which leads to a viewpoint overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Mount Constitution Trail, which offers stunning views of the islands and the Olympic Mountains.

3. Kayaking and canoeing

The San Juan Islands are a great place to go kayaking or canoeing. You can explore the islands' sheltered bays, paddle around uninhabited islands, or simply enjoy the peace and quiet of being on the water.

4. Camping

There are several campgrounds on the San Juan Islands, where you can pitch a tent or rent a cabin. Camping is a great way to experience the islands' natural beauty and wildlife.

5. Fishing

The San Juan Islands are a great place to fish for salmon, halibut, and other saltwater fish. You can fish from shore, from a boat, or on a fishing charter.

6. Shopping and dining

The San Juan Islands have a variety of shops and restaurants to explore. You can find everything from locally made crafts to fresh seafood.

7. History and culture

The San Juan Islands have a rich history and culture. You can visit historical sites, such as Fort Casey State Park and the American Camp National Historic Site, or learn about the islands' Native American culture.

8. Relaxation

The San Juan Islands are a great place to relax and unwind. You can spend your days hiking, swimming, or simply enjoying the peace and quiet of the islands.

Where to stay in the San Juan Islands

There are a variety of places to stay in the San Juan Islands, from hotels and bed and breakfasts to vacation rentals and camping. If you're looking for a place to relax and enjoy the outdoors, you'll find the perfect place to stay in the San Juan Islands.

Getting to the San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands are accessible by ferry from Anacortes, Washington. The ferry ride takes about 45 minutes. You can also fly to the islands, but there are only a few flights per day.

Planning your trip to the San Juan Islands

The best time to visit the San Juan Islands is during the summer months, when the weather is warm and sunny. However, the islands are beautiful all year round.

If you're planning a trip to the San Juan Islands, be sure to do your research and book your accommodations and activities in advance. The islands are a popular destination, and things can fill up quickly, especially during the summer months.

Conclusion

The San Juan Islands are a beautiful and diverse destination that offers something for everyone. Whether you're looking for a relaxing vacation, an active adventure, or a cultural experience, you'll find it in the San Juan Islands.

British Columbia Travel Guide

Western Canada is a place you daydream about long before you arrive. But visit British Columbia with a finely-tuned plan and those yearnings easily become reality. In summer, top choices are a Vancouver Island road trip from Victoria, for sea kayaking with killer whales in the Johnstone Strait, or backpacking the West Coast Trail through the wildly beautiful Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Back on mainland North America, follow the road east to the Fraser Valley, for fly-fishing monstrous sockeye salmon, steelhead and sturgeon, then be dazzled by the natural beauty of Kelowna. This is your base for Okanagan Valley wine tasting, as here almost everyone owns a vineyard. In a hot year, the chardonnay and pinot noir harvests are outstanding and, for good reason, it's called the "new Napa". Stretch your trip east to neighbouring province Alberta and you'll reach Mount Robson Provincial Park, a honeypot for climbers, hikers and wild campers. Another highlight? The speckled, glaciated face of the Canadian Rockies' highest peak.

Come in winter, on the other hand, and you'll get used to a summit-gleam in your eyes. The Powder Highway, a ragbag collection of ski resorts, wiggles from Rossland to Nelson to Revelstoke to Kicking Horse to Fernie and is dubbed Route 66 for skiers and snowboarders. Frankly, it's underselling it. The off-piste seems to go on forever, and with blue skies and powder white mixing like watercolour, it's an overdose of natural beauty.

Western Canada is a place you daydream about long before you arrive

From Looking A Lot Like The Alps To Having Authentic Swiss Raclettes On Offer, British Columbia's Panorama Is More Than A Great Ski Getaway

click to enlarge

John Grollmus photo

The view from Panorama's Elkhorn Cabin earlier this season.

Snow riders of the Inland Northwest, I'd like to suggest something radical. I'd like to suggest something you almost certainly won't believe to begin with, but you absolutely should accept. I'd like to suggest that the next B.C. Ski resort you should visit isn't one you hear that much about. It might not be the most hyped up (although it should be). It might not have the most vertical (although it's certainly up there). It might not host the next Freeride competition (although it certainly could). But what it does have might just make you fall in love. It's so fully stuffed to the brim with endless and epic views that it's hard to imagine the founders had to debate too much about it before settling on its utterly appropriate name: Panorama.

I've been making the not-so-lengthy trek to Panorama for years and have never been disappointed. I've often heard that the skiing isn't great due to its relatively low average annual snowfall. However, due to its state-of-the-art and quite expansive snowmaking system, combined with mostly north-facing slopes, it always seems they have more than enough of the glorious white stuff.

Earlier this season I enjoyed skiing every one of Panorama's 2,975 acres at a time when everywhere around the Inland Northwest was barely open. I guess the old adage often repeated among skiers is true: "You don't know until you go."

On this most recent trip, I even converted a longtime skier friend who'd always maintained that Panorama just didn't have the sustained steeps he was seeking. For his first run ever at Panorama, I guided him to the very top of its 4,265 vertical feet of skiing and made him chase me down one of my favorite runs, Heli High. When he showed up at the bottom, he had a whole new attitude, stating out loud, "I had no idea."

Beyond the expansive terrain and seemingly endlessly long runs, there's another aspect to Panorama that has always drawn me in: world-class grooming. I'm not a member of some official panel that rates grooming quality or anything, but I've skied in Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Argentina and all over the good old U.S.A., and I can honestly say that the grooming at Panorama is as good as any I've seen anywhere. Certainly one of the driving forces behind the copious curtains of corduroy to be shredded here is Panorama's deep roots in the world of ski racing. Panorama held its first World Cup downhill in 1985, and several other world cup events have been held there since. In fact, each season, from early November to early December, the hill remains closed to the public and essentially becomes a private ski race training facility for teams from far and wide.

click to enlarge

John Grollmus photo

Cookies just taste better up this high.

FEELS LIKE 10,000

"An unbroken view of the whole region surrounding the observer," that's the Oxford English Dictionary's definition of a "panorama," and I can think of no better place to live out that definition than the Summit Hut.

With 360-degree views of dramatic snow-capped peaks and an elevation just over 8,000 feet, it's no coincidence one of the runs departing from this incredible location is named the View of 1000 Peaks. A location this deeply bathed in beauty might help explain why you can find patrons basking in the sun and splendor found on the outdoor deck no matter what the temp is. But that's no excuse not to step inside and enjoy one of the other great aspects of Panorama, the cuisine. Here at the Summit Hut, one can enjoy locally produced sausages, veggie burgers or even a salmon burger cooked on one of the most unique grills you'll ever see. Don't sleep on the creative coffees and baked goods, either.

I've always felt that there's a European vibe at Panorama, and one of the main reasons for that is probably the delicious and fun-to-eat raclette served at the Elkhorn Cabin. After all, when you find yourself midslope eating toasted bread and pickled vegetables draped in melty cheese along with dried meat and a delicious glass of wine while staring at mountains looking very much like the Alps, it's hard not to feel yourself transported halfway across the globe. Top-notch baked goods seem to be found everywhere here, and on one particularly memorable visit to the Elkhorn, my wife and I were enjoying the view from the deck when the staff brought out trays of cookies straight from the oven to cool off. Did we take the bait and have one? No. We had several.

Another European aspect found here is the way the resort village is stacked onto the hillside and is served by not just a chairlift, but also by an open-air gondola. There's something unique and special about being whisked away from a bridge spanning an icy winter creek, floating high above the village rooftops and being deposited literally at the front door of an Italian restaurant serving crisp-crusted pizzas, carpaccio, arancini and Bolognese. One final thing helping create a Euro vibe is the large number of smiling employees with accents working here from overseas. During recent visits, I've chatted with folks from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy and even Belarus.

OK, so maybe world-class skiing and gourmet grazing aren't your things, well you're in luck. This place is about as full as Santa's toy sack on Christmas Eve with fun things to do. There's not only ice skating in the village, but also the Windermere Whiteway found in the nearby waterfront town of Invermere, which features the world's longest continuous skating trail at just over 18.5 miles. There are hot pools of varying temperatures to soak your sore-from-shredding bones. There's shopping of all sorts, and even a candy shack for the kiddos. There's heli-skiing, snowmobiling, tandem paragliding, fat tire biking and cross-country skiing on over 12 miles of trails — and that's just in the winter. For summer there's ATV/SXS tours, mountain biking for all skill levels, and this coming summer Panorama will unveil two new attractions: a mountain coaster, bringing more Euro vibes, and an aerial park. The resort is also located next to one of Canada's highest-ranked golf courses, Greywolf.

TREE-FRIENDLY SKIING

"Fiercely independent." If you poke around Panorama long enough, you're bound to hear this. What does it mean? I like to think of it as a reference to their ownership structure. Yes, they are a member of the IKON collective, so for those of you out there looking for yet another place to put your IKON pass to use, this is one. However, in a day and age when more and more ski areas are falling under the control of major conglomerates, Panorama remains, you guessed it, fiercely independent. In 2010, local investors bought Panorama, and it remains under local ownership today.

This local ownership group is dedicated to responsible development. The village itself has been carefully thought out and built at a slower pace. Their commitment to Project Planet leads to recycled paper products throughout mountain facilities, along with low flow faucets and toilets. Additionally, the resort has committed to helping preserve the Whitebark Pine, a tree that has been threatened by disease and beetle infestations in the interior of B.C. And Alberta. By introducing preservation techniques, such as caging the tree's cones during the summer months along with planting seedlings, ownership has proved such a strong dedication to the preservation of this essential tree that in 2023 Panorama was recognized as Canada's only Whitebark Pine-friendly lift-serviced area by the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation.

So, let's recap. Amazing skiing with unbeatable views, gourmet dining everywhere you turn, a boatload of things to do, feeling like you're visiting Europe without getting on a plane, and local ownership dedicated to the community. Ladies and gentlemen, I sincerely hope I've convinced you to pay Panorama a visit that you will not regret. ♦

John Grollmus is a lifetime resident of the Inland Northwest, local restaurateur and backcountry ski guide. He loves all things outdoors, food of every kind and, more than almost anything, skiing. John can currently be found living with his wife and favorite human, Kim, near Hope, Idaho, and at johngrollmus.Com.

---