Where It Never Rains In Washington

San Juan Islands women's trip!

I have a complicated relationship with the Pacific Northwest.

Throughout high school and college I badly wanted to live there. I imagined a thinner, taller version of me with thin-lined tattoos who drinks oat milk and matcha and speaks more languages and is effortlessly cool and a morning runner. So when I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2023 I was shocked to discover I did not magically morph into the idealized version of Pacific Northwest Maddy I had invented in my head.

Instead, I found myself craving rugged piney hills and tannin-stained waterfalls, the black rock and sandstone shores of Lake Superior, quiet inland lakes and the Northwoods. The mountains were beautiful sure, but they didn’t do anything for me.

So I moved back home, because it turns out there’s a place out there that fits on everyone and my place is up on Lake Superior and not in the Pacific Northwest, and that’s okay.

I still catch myself dreaming about PNW Maddy though, a long list of what-ifs. Going back there is strange. I know logically that places exist even when I cease to be in the of course but I had thought so much about the PNW that the memories felt worn and dreamlike, lost the edge of reality. I was happy to find that the place still exists at all, that I hadn’t daydreamed so hard and often about the PNW that I’d corrupted my memory completely.

Last week, I headed out to the San Juan Islands, where I used to work as a sea kayak guide, with Chicas Abroad, a small woman-owned adventure company with a group of strangers. Here’s how that went:

Orcas & the full moon

Full moon means big tides, and I like a big tide. I like the whirlpools and peering into the intertidal zone, and it always feels like the wildlife is more active. My theory is that the big currents shake up the food and it’s a feeding frenzy from the bottom of the food chain up.

We headed out whale watching with San Juan Safaris—a whale watching boat is really the best way to see whales in the San Juan Islands. It’s a big ocean, and kayaks are really slow. Whale boats are fast, and they actually all work together to find whales, observe from a safe distance, and then flag when boats are not following the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Deception Pass - Whidbey Island

First thing we did after our airport pickup (quick side note but I think the coolest things about the Chicas Abroad¹ trips is that someone literally takes care of 100% of the logistics from the second you hit the airport and that is incredibly freeing as a stressful traveler) was head to Whidbey Island and explore a little!

We had group dinner at a brewery then started the morning with a hike at Deception Pass, which runs between Whidbey Island and Fidalgo Island. The pass between the islands has one of the strongest tidal currents in the continental United States, reaching speeds of a maximum near ten knots.

A quick list of my favorite hikes in the San Juan Islands:

• South Beach, Grandma’s Cove & Cattle Point in the San Juan Islands National Historic Park. Great for fox photos.

• Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island, lighthouse and wildlife. Likely one of the best land-based whale watching spots in the US.

• Young Hill on the North Side of the historic park

• Turn Point Lighthouse from Reid Harbor, best accessed on overnight kayak trip

• Sucia Island trails, best accessed by overnight kayak trip or boat

• Mount Constitution, Mountain Lake, Cascade Falls in Moran State Park

Stuart Island

Once we hopped in the kayaks with Outdoor Odysseys (yes, this is where I used to guide!) we paddled out to Stuart Island!

We saw orcas again (twice!), sea stars, jellyfish, otter, deer, eagles, raccoons (not my favorite), kingfishers, and porpoises.

One interesting thing about the San Juan Islands is that they’re in the rain shadow of the Olympic Range, meaning that it rarely rains here especially in the summer—the islands are even technically classified as a Mediterranean climate!

Fun fact, you can’t see orcas in the picture above, but we sure could! Looking out toward Canada and nearly two miles away we were able to pick out dorsal fins and blows.

San Juan Island

We stayed at Earthbox Inn when we were on San Juan Island in Friday Harbor, which was so cozy and clean feeling. Most of our time on San Juan was just pockets of downtime in between activities, but in summer 2023 I lived on the island.

San Juan Island has a few small hiking trails, great sunset spots, fun shopping, and excellent wildlife sightings.

READ: Best Things to do in the San Juan Islands

Orcas Island

We didn’t visit Orcas Island on this trip, but it’s one of my favorite islands. A little off the beaten path, several glamping options, pottery shops and classic coffee shops, cute bookstores, a variety of longer hiking trails and scenic spots.

READ: Best Things to do Orcas Island, Washington

On women’s trips…

I’ve got just two more real trips left this summer—I’m meeting up with some friends to do a longer sea kayak trip in the Apostle Islands with heavy milage at the end of August then in September I have the women’s climbing trip at Tettegouche State Park (which is SOLD out!! Wow!!).

It’s been kind of a wild summer for me, with essentially three trips a month since June, and I’m looking forward to the slow down. Sort of.

The trips have been a lot and I’m tired but oh man are they fun. Every single time I am out on a trip, especially these women’s trips where it’s literally strangers who find the trip through the internet, I feel like the part of my brain that processes stress shuts down completely. They’re just fun and the people are always cool, and every single time I feel like I leave having made meaningful friendships with everyone along. It feels bittersweet when they end. Everyone is helpful and funny and kind and no matter how tired I am I’m always grateful for the chance to have gone.

Anyways, if you’ve ever been on a trip with me just know I 100% do remember you and thanks for coming along! Don’t hesitate to reach out :)

1. I run a few trips with Chicas Abroad as a guide! Melanie, the owner, is a super cool person and guides a lot of the trips herself.