Among the contenders for the list are: Llama Trekking the Hoover Wilderness Area, Climbing Denali, and Adventure Sailing Florida’s Gulf Coast. The San Juan Islands mention? Kayaking the San Juan Islands.

That being said we couldn’t help but point you in the direction of, who we consider, the best kayaking guides in the San Juan Island: San Juan Outfitters.  The exclusive location at Roche Harbor, on the west side of San Juan Island allows San Juan Outfitters the best access to the waters where our local resident Killer Whale population travel and feed. They have Free parking and shuttle services,  access to the best views of the Island, they are committed to sustainable tourism and have flexible Tour options for all ages and abilities.

Many people also believe that unless you have boat, there is no other way to get the the San Juan Islands. Well…that’s not entirely true!

Kenmore Air, you may be surprised to know, has been servicing the San Juan Islands for more the 20 years. Currently, Kenmore Air, offer daily flights to Friday Harbor, Roche harbor, Orcas Island and Lopez Island in San Juan Islands, from various locations in Seattle.

You may ask: “Isn’t it expensive to charter our own plane?”. Kenmore Air does offer year round charter services, but these are daily scheduled flights at fixed rates. With a flight taking less then an hour from Seattle to Friday Harbor, no ferry fees, no wait time and no traffic, the answer is no, its not expensive at all! On top of that the Kenmore’s website offers exclusive Fly and Stay packages with local hotels. The savings just keep adding up!

Take a look at our new Kenmore’s Air page, which has all the info for daily flights to and from the San Juan Islands.

Construction began again in mid March 2012. Scott Hale, Island Inn’s Chief Experience Officer says the new guestrooms ”will be the frosting for the Inn’s accommodation mix, now comprised of slick eurostyle guestrooms and gotta see ‘em to believe ‘em penthouses”

The team hope to finish construction by May 15 bringing the total accommodations to sixteen. These new additions coupled with a new website, a 96% TripAdvisor experience rating AND a nomination for Best Luxury Hotel in the Northwest, are making 2012 quite a year for the Island Inn. Just more proof as to why these guys are in the Best Inn category for Best of San Juan Island.

According to the Whale Museums website: “ Sooke was a spunky whale, full of energy. She belonged to a family group of ten whales. Often she would be seen playing with her sibling, Pooka (L-106) and other young whales in the community. She also swam by her mother’s side (Surprise! L-86).”

As many are aware, this is a huge blow for the already endangered southern resident community. Taking a young female whale out of the equation obviously means one less whale to reproduce. However, it seems a lot can be learned from the investigation and research of Sooke’s body. The Cascadia Research page states that they are taking samples of  a variety of analyses including genetics, contaminants, bacteriology, virology, food habits, biotoxins and histopathology.

Many are aware of the presence of these beautiful creatures during the summer months, but there is still a lot of opportunity for research during the winter months. Unfortunately this is a difficult task. The winter months make it hard to track the animals, and up until recently the whales were not tagged. This was due to the belief that potential risk of infection at the site of the tag, outweighed the potential useful data that could be gathered. Brain Goodremont of  San Juan Island Outfitters notes that it’s interesting that “little is known about the winter range of this newly listed Endangered Species.  For example members of J & K pod are just as likely to be spotted in and around the Seattle area as they are in the San Juan Islands and the Columbia River”

Although this particular case with Sooke was a tragedy for the  southern resident community, scientists are using it to learn all they can about the animals and particularly their behavior during winter months when they don’t seem, to the public, to be as visible.

San Juan Island Outfitters offer kayak tours of the island during Spring and Summer months on San Juan Island. San Juan Safaris are the islands premiere Whale Watching company. Visiting either of these sites offers interesting articles and news about the whales in this area and surrounding areas as well as the multiple other species found in and around the San Juan Islands. New information and data is always being discovered and both these companies take delight in educating the public on their tours and getting that information out via their websites. Awareness of the killer whales habits can help to protect them in the future.

For more information on the progress of investigations into the killer whale washed up on a beach in Long Beach WA click here: http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/examination_of_dead_killer_whale-12Feb2012.htm.

Kyle Steneide, from Friday Harbor on the San Juan Islands is a skateboarder and film maker. His new movie “About Time” will be debuting in Seattle at the Historic University Theatre 5510 university way Seattle WA. There will be a 7pm and 9pm showing and tickets will be available to pre-book very soon.

Of course skatboarding is not a new thing in the San Juan Islands, with a skatepark located at the San Juan County Fairgrounds. The park has recently enjoyed the addition of a new quater pipe. The quarter pipe is twenty feet long, three and a half feet tall and located in the corner of the new skate park area closest to the parking lot and the family park. According to the IslandRec website this was made possible with thanks to local parents, The San Juan County Fair, The Gates Foundation and the Family Resource Center.

The skatepark on San Juan Island is open everyday from 8.00am to dusk everyday, and is a great way for kids, teenagers and even adults to get out and get active.

And who better to bring you this delicious taste of the old country than Coho’s new chef Bill Messick? Trained and extensively experienced in fresh made mozzarella, ricotta, pastas, breadsticks, bresaola, and more; Bill’s attention to detail and authenticity will ensure that your meal represents the true flavours, textures and fragrances of Italy. Revealing a compelling attraction to a small feel good community boasting many outdoor activities, needless to say, San Juan Island suited Bill’s ambitions to a tee. An enthusiasm reflected unhesitatingly in his work. His allure to simple yet high quality local ingredients resonates in his commitment to producing progressively new, more exciting dishes with the customer experience at the forefront to each and every meal.

Two courses start at $25 dollars so bring la familia along for a truly unparalleled night out at Coho.

Reservations are required and the full menu is available online: http://cohorestaurant.com/specials/valentines-dinners/

The draw will be made before Happy Hour on Friday when we reach #100, so share this with all your friends….$20 goes a long way at happy hour, the chances are they’ll bring you along to help spend it!

This derby has sold out the past 6 years ~ !

For more information & derby registration packets please contact Debbie Sandwith or Debi Frazier,  Roche Harbor Market, at 360-378-5562 or email at market@rocheharbor.com

Read More about the discount here: http://123west.com/2012/01/isle-be-we/

Also the word from the Island Inn is that the turnout is going to be great. For any last minute updates be sure to check out the Isle Be Wed Facebook page

The original article about the Isle be Wed wedding show can be viewed here with the full list of vendors: http://sanjuanisland.com/events/san-juan-island-wedding-show/