San Juan – Ferry to Friday Harbor, cycling to lavender fields and parks.
We will greet everyone this morning at Memorial Circle in Friday Harbor, WA, a short walk from the Washington State Ferry terminal. Luggage and guests will be loaded into the van and trailer for a short transport to Jackson’s Beach for our orientation. While enjoying our first lunch together, our guides will brief the group on local island knowledge, safety and bike fit. The start of our ride will meander through open pastures and prairie land before encountering the first of the rolling hills we will experience over the next few days. Our first stop is a visit to the iconic Lavender Farm with huge swaths of purple, aromatic fields, and the sound of bumblebees droning lazily from plant to plant. We’ll remount our steeds to crest a hill only to be greeted with the first epic view of the Straight of Juan De Fuca and Olympic Peninsula. The day continues with a visit to Lime Kiln State Park, the Alpaca farm, English Camp National Historical Park, and into the village of Roche Harbor. Enjoy a stroll around the sculpture park, the formal gardens, or a coffee and donut from the café. We finish the ride at our accommodations for the next 3 nights; the lavish Yurts at Lakedale Resort; complete with spacious accommodations and hot tubs at each yurt. Lunch and dinner included.
Cycling: 25 miles; total elevation gain/loss: 1654'.
San Juan – Meander a prairie ecosystem along the Salish sea to a lighthouse.
Our guides will prepare a hearty breakfast before we start our day riding south through the open meadows of Beaverton and San Juan Valleys towards False Bay. With our first views of snow-covered Mount Baker we make our way further south into the prairie ecosystem rarely found in western Washington. Riding through American Camp we ride the peninsula with expansive views of the Salish sea and the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges on each side. We will eat lunch at the southernmost point of San Juan Island known as Cattle Point Lighthouse. Returning home to clean-up, we will soon head back to Friday Harbor for a meal at one of the local’s favorite restaurant. All meals included.
Cycling: 30 miles; total elevation gain/loss: 1675'
San Juan – Spot local island treasures from shops to whales and wildlife.
After an early breakfast, we’ll start our day with a 5 mile ride to Friday Harbor for a morning wildlife cruise. Upon return, we will have lunch near Friday Harbor, explore the area, and take a hike to the top of Young Hill for expansive views of the islands. Dinner this evening will be a guide-prepared island barbeque at a local beach. A low mileage day full of exploration and discovery of island treasures. All meals included
Cycling: 5 miles; total elevation gain/loss: 185': hiking 2.2 miles; elevation gain/loss 587’. Transfer: 15 minutes
Lopez/Orcas – Explore Lopez island’s expansive beaches then ferry to Orcas.
Up early this morning, we have a ferry to catch. After a guide prepared breakfast we shuttle to Friday Harbor to catch the early morning ferry to our day on Lopez island. From the ferry terminal we will ride down the west coast of the island to Lopez Village where we can explore the shops before a guide prepared lunch at Shark Cove. The afternoon brings a visit to Agate Beach Country Park and Spencer Spit State Park for eastward views of the North Cascades. The interisland ferry leaving mid-afternoon will bring us to Orcas Island where we transfer from the Orcas Island ferry terminal to our lodging for the next 2 nights; Rosario’s Resort. All meals included.
Cycling: 34 miles; total elevation gain/loss: 1688'. Transfer: 1 hour
Orcas – Summit San Juan’s highest peak then descend to a crystalline lake.
Rosario Resort will provide our breakfast while our guides load up the van for a quick shuttle to Cascade Lake in Moran State Park. After a brief warmup, we start our climb up Mt. Constitution, 5.2 miles, 2000 feet of elevation gain. We will dine at the top of the Mount Constitution summit with views of Bellingham, Mount Baker, and Rosario Strait. An exhilarating downhill back to Cascade Lake and a gentle downhill to Eastsound awaits us. We will do the return miles back to Rosario’s for dinner and another deserved soak in the hot tub. All meals included.
Cycling: 16 miles; total elevation gain/loss: 2253'. Transfer: 15 minutes
Orcas – Cycle through enchanted forests and lunch al fresco then bid farewell.
We begin our final ride of our time together after breakfast at Rosario’s. Heading back west, we leave Eastsound via Enchanted Forest road, it lives up to the name. As we meander through the forest we ride past open pastures to our lunch stop along the way. We will ride to beautiful Deer Harbor before turning back for our final miles to the Orcas ferry terminal. We say farewell as guests board a late afternoon ferry to Friday Harbor or back to Anacortes. Breakfast and lunch included.
Cycling: 24 miles; total elevation gain/loss: 1673'
