Glamping on San Juan Island

Islands are magical; even the non-tropical ones. I've always heard how beautiful the San Juan Islands are, so I finally went there. After reading an article about "glamping," or glamour camping, and its recommendation of Lakedale Resort at Three Lakes on San Juan Island, I made plans a few months ago. It was cheaper than any other accommodations on the island (and still not cheap), and I viewed it as a most awesome adventure.
After a two-hour drive north and west to Anacortes, I boarded the ferry to the island. The scenery along the way was beautiful but I didn't see any whales, darn it. The ferry ride is an hour and a half; much longer than many I've taken before. I rolled off the ferry at Friday Harbor at about 5:30 p.m., and drove straight to Lakedale so I could settle in before it got dark.
My "room" was a canvas wall tent complete with a wooden floor, very comfortable queen size bed with great linens, a table and chairs and my own fire pit outside with more chairs around it. Much to my dismay, I never did get a fire going. I've lost all my Camp Fire Girl skills! I almost got one started then it started to sprinkle so I gave up! The tent had no heat or electricity, just a Coleman lamp and a flashlight to make my way to the communal ladies/shower/potty facility. I worried I'd freeze to death or get eaten by a bear.
Neither happened! That tent was wonderful, and there are no bears on the island!!
Lakedale is just about halfway between Friday Harbor and the lovely little village of Roche Harbor. Not really knowing my way around, and the fact that it was getting dark, I decided to go up Roche Harbor Road a couple of miles to a restaurant called Duck Soup Inn for dinner.
Rustic, yet totally elegant, this is the ultimate date restaurant - in the middle of nowhere! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven over the food. I started with the ginger carrot soup finished with a dolop of basil mint feta, which was absolutely heavenly. The house salad had a touch of feta and a light, flavorful dressing. And - the homemade bread came with a anchois butter - emulsified olive oil with garlic and lemon which was just heavenly. For my entree I had the saffron seafood stew which was served over polenta and included fresh oysters, shrimp, salmon and clams. Just when I didn't think it could get any better I had the vanilla creme brulee and totally screwed up the diet, but it was irrestible. Not only that, I had two glasses of a 2007 Cabernet Franc from San Juan Vineyards, which is no longer available, and it went down like butter, baby! I highly, highly recommend this restaurant. I've been around a bit, and this is one of the best in the world. Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Travel and Leisure magazines have all endorsed the Duck Soup Inn.
Back at the tent, it was so dark I almost got lost getting back to the tent from the bathroom facility! I had to have a nice couple point me in the right direction! It rained overnight, and was sort of lousy in the morning, so I poked around the farmer's market and the shops in Friday Harbor, then had a good lunch of salmon tacos at The Downrigger. Nice water view, good salmon. Seafood, seafood, seafood right? Hey, this is an island!
As the weather cleared and the day became quite lovely, I drove up to the lovely little village of Roche Harbor. Truly, this is a village - no mayor, no school....it's there because the town was established in 1886 due to rich lime deposits. This was once a boom town, sort like the Alaska Gold Rush. Now, most of the buildings are on the historic register. Lovely boats dot the tranquil harbor, and new summer "cottages" have sprung up for part-timers or retirees. Could be a great place to retire someday.
From there I drove south to Lime Kiln point on the west side of the island to see the lighthouse and watch for whales. Apparently the whales had moved up north toward Vancouver, B.C., but the view was still spectacular, and the lighthouse was magical. I had dinner back in Roche Harbor at an old, old place - McMillens, which was named after the town's founders and was once their home. Quaint and lovely, the food was fine but nothing like Duck Soup Inn!
Another rainy night with thunder, but I thought it was a dream. In the morning it cleared up, and I broke camp(!) at 11 a.m. the official check-out time. Very cool experience. I even met a new friend, a lady who biked all the way up there from Vancouver, Washington! She was cool - an attorney, and single mother of four daughters, who unwinds with obviously very long bike rides!
I stopped at San Juan Vineyards to buy some of the Cab Franc, only to find out that indeed, it's all gone, available at only a few fine restaurants like Duck Soup Inn. However, I did the tasting and still packed off four bottles and a few other trinkets.
Now what would a camping or glamping trip be without at least one animal/insect encounter? So, I'm standing at the tasting bar in my rubber boots, and all of a sudden I'm in pain - something is attacking my leg! I whipped my boot off and pulled up my pant leg, and I'll be damned if a yellow jacket didn't fly up my pant leg and sting me - then he flew out! The winery owner ran and got me something to put on it to take some of the sting out. I was pretty scared because I'd never been bitten by one before and didn't know if I'd have an allergic reaction, but thankfully I did not. I still hurts though. I hope the little bastard died afer he bit me!
So, back on the ferry and back home to Seattle - about 48 hours after I left. It was too short, but at least I've been there now and I do want to go back. I highly recommend Lakedale Resort (they have cabins and a lodge, too) and Duck Soup Inn. Memorable.