Victoria Express

The Pacific Northwest is known for many things; Microsoft and Starbucks. Salmon. Kurt Cobain and Grunge. Rain. Most people who have never visited the region can tell you this much.

Ah, but anyone who has ever been to the Pacific Northwest will also speak of mirroring mountain ranges, snow capped volcanoes, large bodies of water, islands and ferries. They'll tell you that when it was gray they felt downcast and compelled to drink espresso, and when the skies cleared, they were floored by the mountain views.

It is practically an obligation for travelers to the Pacific Northwest to hop on a boat and head to an island. It's fun for residents, as well.

With this in mind, we heartily suggest a Scenic Day Cruise to San Juan Island aboard the Victoria Express ferry to Friday Harbor.

Art & Lavender Fairs are the perfect excuse to take the ferry to Friday Harbor and spend the day or an extended weekend. This weekend has something for everyone: come up for  the San Juan Island Lavender Festival, the San Juan Island Summer Arts Fair, the whale museum, the harbor restaurants and more, all in one fun-filled weekend.

Take the Victoria Express ferry to Friday Harbor and stay for two nights. You'll arrive in Friday Harbor around noon, after a scenic cruise across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, along the coast of Discovery Island and into the waters of the San Juan Islands (keep an eye out for whales). Two nights allow ample time to explore San Juan Island by bike, moped, Scootcar, or San Juan Transit.

The San Juan Island Lavender Festival is at Pelindaba Lavender Farm. It features workshops on cultivating lavender, cooking with lavender, and creating your own lavender essential oil. Take a tour, participate in a craft workshop, or relax to music. Drink lavender lemonade when you're thirsty, and eat lavender ice cream when you're hungry. The festival runs Friday and Saturday between 10am and 5pm (July 17 and 18, 2010).

The San Juan Island Summer Arts Fair is on Court Street in Friday Habor. Many local and regional artists will be on hand with their art. Look forward to art demonstrations and live music by local musicians throughout the day. Families will enjoy the Children's Area, and everyone will find good food to eat at the Food Court. The Art Fair runs Saturday July 17 between 10am and 5pm, and Sunday July 18 between 10am and 4pm.

You'll depart Friday Harbor at 3:30pm, and arrive at Victoria around 6pm. Folks continuing on to the Olympic Peninsula will depart from the Inner Harbour of Victoria at 6:15pm. If whales are spotted during the voyage, the Captain does his best to help passengers see them.

Treat yourself to a Weekend Adventure on San Juan Island. It's delightful for couples in need of a romantic getaway, or families looking to treat themselves to something fun. For more details, call 360-452-8088 from the United States, or 250-361-9144 from Canada.

Traveling from Port Angeles to Friday Harbor? Bring a passport or enhanced driver's license so you can explore Victoria's Inner Harbor during a lay-over.

We saw whales this weekend on the way to Friday Harbor and even more as we were returning to Victoria/Port Angeles during the Saturday San Juan Island Day Cruise. Of course the weather was perfect complete with sunny skies and a slight breeze. It was an ideal summer day for cruising to one of the most beautiful islands of the Pacific Northwest.

The San Juan Island Day Cruise is the perfect way to spend a day for anyone who wants to explore the bountiful waters and scenic islands of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The journey starts in Port Angeles with a very brief layover in the historic Inner Harbour of Victoria to pick up fellow Island explorers. The journey continues past Oak Bay and along Discovery Island. We even had a chance to view a large colony of seals sunning on a remote beach before heading into the waters surrounding San Juan Island.

And then there were the whales....The captain made a point to stop the boat allowing all of us ample time to follow the large orca pod as they skimmed the surface close to the beaches of the San Juan Island.

Among the many activities we had available to us once we arrived in Friday Harbor, on the other side of the island, was a trip to the Whale Museum several blocks from the harbor.

In the museum, you can explore the habits of these magnificent creatures and discover the interaction we have had over the centuries. The museum provides great whale artifacts (including complete skeletons), videos, historical information and a great souvenir shop.

Of course there were many other great things going on during our day trip to the island including a variety of restaurants....some with great harbor views....You can rent kayaks, bicycles, mopeds and even 'Scootcars' by the hour to experience 'Island Time' on the go.

San Juan Transit makes it very easy to explore the island on foot and their day pass will get you almost anywhere on the island and back including all points in-between for only $15 for the entire day....Since we were 'day-trippers' there were also plenty of shops and galleries to keep us busy before our 3:30 departure to Victoria and then to Port Angeles.

If you are planning to make the San Juan Island Day Cruise from Port Angeles, please be certain to bring proper ID for the journey. We will stop in Victoria just long enough for the passengers from Victoria to join us before we continue on with the sailing to San Juan Island. Great photo opportunities of all of the action in the Inner Harbour will certainly keep you occupied during your brief visit.

Let Victoria Express make all of your travel arrangements - There is a excellent selection of lodging options available to you, not to mention our special island packages - Call today and place your San Juan Island Day Cruise 360-452-8088 or 250-361-9144 from Canada.

Let's be frank. Everyone wants to catch a glimpse of an orca whale. It may not be at the top of the list of things you want to do in life, but you wouldn't shut your eyes if one swam past. Orca whales are amazing creatures, and those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest are fortunate to live by their habitat.

One pod of Orcas typically resides near the San Juan Islands from mid-April to early October. That's one really good reason to visit Friday Harbor.

Once there, you will find several options to view Orca whales. They are often spotted from shore, and it is fun to travel around San Juan Island by moped, trying to predict where they will be next. You may want to rent a kayak and try for a closer look. Or participate in one of several Whale Watching excursions.

It is easy to get to Friday Harbor from either the Olympic Peninsula or Victoria B.C. Victoria Express will take care of all your San Juan Island travel arrangements, including lodging and special activities. Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

This may be your lucky summer and you may get to see the orcas while on your San Juan Island-Friday Harbor journey. This whale image was taken by Julie Lawrence, a professional photographer from Sequim, while on the Victoria Express.

Please see our ID Requirements for details about travel between the United States and Canada.

We all can picture tracker dogs saving earthquake victims in Haiti, but saving killer whales? Get real! On the evening of Tuesday, February 9 at 7:00 pm at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island, Katherine Ayres, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology will explain how and why she is using tracker dogs to save endangered southern resident killer whales.

Ayres uses whale scat to measure the health of individual whales and to ultimately assess the health of the overall population. But finding whale poop in the wild is not easy. That's were a trained scat detection dog can be a big help.

Just like tracker dogs that can be trained to detect live people under rubble or cocaine packed inside of a can of gasoline; they too can be trained to detect killer whale feces floating on the water at great distances. Ayers will talk about how detection dogs are being used and what valuable information can be gained from the scat, which unlike blubber biopsies, is collected without impacting already endangered animals.

The Marine Science Lecture Series was created to inspire the general public and to highlight the amazing fish and wildlife of our region. Lectures are free. Please park in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the talk is available before and after the lecture.

The 2009/10 Marine Science Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila located in Eastsound on Orcas Island. It is made possible through generous sponsorship by Tom Averna (Deer Harbor Charters), and The Gould Family Foundation and co-sponsorship by Barbara Brown, Eclipse Charters, The Kingfish Inn, Shearwater Sea Kayak Tours, West Sound Marina and Jim and Kathy Youngren.

The SeaDoc Society is a non-profit program of the Wildlife Health Center, a center of excellence at the world-renowned UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

For more information contact Jean Spalti at the SeaDoc Society, 360-376-3910. Photo courtesy of S. Buckley.

If you are interested in exploring Friday Harbor on San Juan Island this summer, check out our 2010 sailing schedule. Victoria Express can make your Friday Harbor travel arrangements. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 360.452.8088 for more information.