Parked in the Kitchen: Ranger Review: San Juan Island, WA Edition, Part 1

We spent three days on San Juan Island. We had originally hoped to at least make a day trip via ferry to Orcas Island, but it was cold, rainy, and gray, so we stayed put. We explored every inch of San Juan Island and, like Whidbey, seemed to have it to ourselves. We stayed at a comfortable b&b, ate great meals, and explored San Juan Island National Historical Park.

The park is beautiful, occupying a portion of the southwest part of the island. It's split into two areas: American Camp and English Camp. You see, we nearly went to war with Great Britian over a pig on San Juan Island. The two camps existed for years and the soldiers on both sides were an important part of the island culture. We loved having the opportunity to explore the park!

We saw the sun for approx. 30 seconds...

For our Ranger Amy...

American Camp...

We took a hike...

To a bluff overlooking the water...

Then we had a little camera crisis. We thought the battery was dead. So, we moped back up the hill and discussed what to do next. How could we go to lunch if we didn't have the camera? How could we eat lunch if we went back to the b&b to charge the battery? So, we huffed and we puffed back up the hill and discussed what to do next. How could we continue without pictures? How could we continue without full bellies? Then...EUREKA!!!! We took the battery out, put the battery back in...and the honeymoon was back on!

Time to get our passport stamps...

And give a shout out to our favorite Ranger...

On to Other Adventures...

Lime Kiln State Park...

Give us a break, we're on our honeymoon...

Trumpeter Inn, San Juan Island, WA
We were the only couple at the inn for the first two of our three nights there. We had a cozy room with a little gas fireplace on the first floor. Each morning we woke to a wonderful breakfast. Our favorite was the stuffed french toast. Overall, we'd recommend the Trumpeter. It's just outside of Friday Harbor and convenient to everything on the island. We loved the fresh baked cookies on two of our afternoons...they forgot them the other day. Boo!

Backdoor Kitchen, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA

We went to the Backdoor Kitchen on a cold, rainy night after exploring the island all day. It was strange to find...it's literally behind a wearhouse. We stepped in a found a beautiful, sophisticated candlelit restaurant. We sat in the little bar area and had an awesome dinner, complete with wine and dessert. Backdoor Kitchen sources fresh and, when available, local food. We HIGHLY recommend this fabulous gem!

Pork chops with apple/horseradish and spatzle. Amazing!

Wish we could tell you about the homemade silky chocolate pie...

Duck Soup Inn, San Juan Island, WA
This beautiful little restaurant came highly recommended. Our b&b made a reservation for us and we headed out into the country on a chilly, rainy night (sound familiar?). As it turns out, we were dining at Duck Soup Inn on the last night of the 2009 season. We were seated in a huge booth with a view of the dining room. The restaurant was filled with locals celebrating special occasions. We ordered shrimp risotto and duck. We both enjoyed a cup of mushroom soup and eagerly awaited our meals. The shrimp risotto came and was delicious. The duck arrived...with chives sprinkled all over it. For the average diner, this would be good right? For one of us (might be bald), this is worst case scenario. If it's related to an onion and it's not cooked, call in reinforcements! The duck was sent back and we waited...and waited...and waited. The duck arrived...much later. Although it was good, it killed the experience. We'd recommend this place, but would go to Backdoor Kitchen instead, if we had to choose.

Shrimp Risotto...