Lopez Island, San Juan Islands, Washington
While in the San Juan Islands we also ventured over to Lopez Island. This island is nicknamed ‘Slowpez’, as it is a laid-back bicycle-loving island. It encourages bicycling so much that it hosts a Tour de Lopez Bike Ride every year. It only has one very small ‘town’ with a couple shops, restaurants, and a grocery store.
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]
The rest of the island consists of farmland, state parks, and wilderness. A really cool aspect of the San Juan Islands is that they are mostly self-sustaining. Most of their food, including meat (beef, chicken, pork, etc.) and vegetables are grown on island. Consequently, there are numerous farm stands along the roads. These farm stands are still run on the honor system, so you just pick your pleasures and pay the donation box. On this day we bought some pork, lots of fresh tomatoes, and peppers. I cannot tell you how much I love farm stands!
We drove the whole circuit of Lopez Island and really enjoyed ourselves. The highlight of our day was watching harbor seals and Stellar sea lions at Shark Reef Park. These marine mammals live on small islands just off shore and it is remarkable to watch them sunbathe. It is also super cool to watch the harbor seals move out of the way of the Stellar sea lions!
Another gem on Lopez Island is Spencer Spit State Park. There is a great hike along the ‘spit’ where you can collect your crab pots, watch the sea birds, or just admire the beauty of the islands. We had a very laid back day soaking up Lopez Island!
Next up on the blog, Whale-a-palooza![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]