Kayaking the San Juan Archipelago

Program Registration: 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the hotel conference room to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will also complete kayaking waivers. A copy of the waiver is included at the end of these preparatory materials but need not be completed in advance. Our knowledgeable Group Leader will also serve as our Study Leader. In addition to kayaking experts will provide educational content during paddling field trips, we will also hear from local experts for some lectures and field trips. Paddling distances during sea kayaking field trips will vary based on tides, currents, and wind conditions. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach, public transportation, and vans/mini-buses depending on circumstances. Please note that supply-chain issues could have an impact on food services, particularly on San Juan Island. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

In the Conference Room, we’ll enjoy a catered Northwest-style dinner plus coffee, tea, water.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

You'll receive a breakfast voucher. Breakfast is served in the lobby restaurant.

Once checked out of the hotel, we’ll board the motor coach and ride north to Anacortes on Fidalgo island. Anacortes is a town steeped in maritime history and serves as the gateway to the San Juan Islands. We’ll then ride Washington Park and enjoy its expansive marine views.

At a picnic area in Washington Park, we’ll have sack lunches. Sack lunches will feature a sandwich, chef's choice side (whole fresh fruit, chips, or deli salad), beverage, and a chef’s choice fresh bakery treat for everyone.

Next, we’ll ride to the Skyline Marine Center for a kayak safety and operation orientation. We’ll then get into two-person sea kayaks and paddle near Fidalgo and Burrows Islands for approximately 2.5 hours. Fidalgo and Burrows are known for scenic rocky shorelines where evergreen forests carpet the landscape right down to the shore. During the paddle, our naturalist kayaking instructors will provide educational commentary focused on the natural history and wildlife of the area. We’ll reboard our motorcoach and ride a short way to the Washington State Ferry Anacortes Terminal, where we’ll board the Washington State ferry bound for San Juan Island. You might like to enjoy the view of the National Scenic Byway through a tapestry of islands from the inside passenger cabins or from the outside decks as we take our 1.5 hour journey through the archipelago to Friday Harbor. Upon arrival at the dock in the late afternoon, we’ll make a quick transfer via shuttle check to the hotel and check in.

At the hotel, we’ll enjoy a tasty meal featuring salad, a main entrée, sides, vegetables, and dessert, plus coffee, tea, water. You may bring other beverages of your own with you.

After dinner, the Group Leader will provide handouts for recommended morning stretching, yoga poses, and meditation that you may do on your own in preparation for tomorrow’s paddling activity.

A breakfast featuring hot and cold choices and beverages will be served in the hotel conference room.

A local resident expert will join us to offer an insider’s look at contemporary life in the Islands and explores issues affecting island life. Later in the morning, we will be joined by a wildlife rehabilitation expert who will give us an informative presentation about the wildlife that call the San Juan Islands home. We’ll learn about rehabilitation efforts and techniques as well as specific characteristics of local species. We’ll then set out on mini-bus with our Group Leader for a field trip to Limekiln Point State Park, one of the best places in the world to view whales from land. The park is also home to an Orca research outpost and lighthouse. We will explore areas of the park including around the lighthouse (entry into lighthouse is not permitted).

At Limekiln Lighthouse, we’ll have sack lunches.

For our next field trip, we’ll load into our mini bus and travel north to Roche Harbor. Established in 1886, Roche Harbor is home to the classic Hotel de Haro which is still open today and is now listed on the National Historic Register. While in Roche Harbor, you’ll have a choice of two walking activities that you may choose to do on own. Choice 1: Set out on a short stroll to the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park and Reserve to view various works of art and sculptures as you stroll through this unique outdoor sculpture park. Choice 2: Self-exploration of Roche Harbor Resort and it’s gardens and marina. After, we will have another kayak safety and operation orientation at the Roche Harbor Marina. We’ll then set out with our naturalists in two-person sea kayaks from the Roche Harbor dock for an early evening paddle to explore the northwest coastlines of San Juan Island, Henry Island, Battleship Island, as well as Westcott Bay.

Served in the hotel conference room. Coffee, tea, and water are provided. You may bring other beverages of your own with you to dinner.

At leisure.

Served in the hotel conference room.

After breakfast, we will gather in the hotel conference room for a presentation from a local expert on our local resident orca pods. We will also hear recordings of a uniquely social population using their “language” to communicate with one another.

At a local restaurant.

Everyone will go on a walking field trip to the Whale Museum (the nation's first museum dedicated to whales living in the wild). Enjoy some afternoon free time to explore Friday Harbor or otherwise enjoy as you wish! We’ll meet up at the hotel late afternoon for a short reception. Enjoy a wine reception featuring Washington wines hosted by Skagit Valley College and your group leader. Celebrate the long term partnership of SVC and Road Scholar, and take time to socialize and connect with program staff and your fellow participants.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

Served in the hotel conference room.

We will hop into vans and ride to Jackson’s Beach where we’ll launch from the beach for our morning paddle of approximately 2.5 hours. We’ll paddle through Griffin Bay and pass by Dinner Island and Brown Island as we explore the San Juan Channel. We’ll return to the hotel after our field trip.

Served in the hotel conference room.

For our next field trip with our Group Leader, we’ll set out in vans/mini-buses and ride to the University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs for a docent guided tour to learn about the important research being done at this unique marine setting. We’ll then continue riding south to the island’s southern area and the south end of the San Juan Island National Park site at American Camp. Upon arrival, we’ll set out on a spectacular coastal hike with epic views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountain range to the west. Our buses/vans will pick us up at the end of the trail and we’ll return to the hotel late afternoon.

Served in the hotel conference room. Coffee, tea, and water are provided. You may bring other beverages of your own with you to dinner.

After dinner, a local historian joins us to give us a presentation on the impact the fishing industry has played in San Juan Island history.

Served in the hotel conference room.

We will gather in the hotel conference room for a presentation by a local expert from the San Juan Island Preservation Trust Stewardship, highlighting the island’s most precious resource: undeveloped land. We’ll then hop into vans/mini-buses and ride to Roche Harbor for a paddle along the island’s scenic west side, known as one of the best areas to view wildlife of all types. Our naturalists will also identify and point out intertidal life along the shoreline.

At a scenic spot, we’ll have sack lunches.

Returning to the hotel mid-afternoon, the remainder of the afternoon will be free. You might like to explore in town, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or just relax.

In the hotel conference room, we’ll enjoy a tasty farewell dinner, including coffee, tea, water. Other beverages will be available for purchase.

We'll then gather for a quick wrap-up and review of the program, including a review of the departure details. Share some of your favorite experiences from the program with new Road Scholar friends. The remainder of the evening will be at leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.

Early breakfast in the hotel conference room.

We will check out of the hotel, walk to the ferry landing, and board the Washington State Ferry. Upon docking in Anacortes, we’ll board a chartered motorcoach and ride to Seattle with drop-offs at SeaTac International Airport, followed by the original hotel. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!