San Juan Island
— — the headland the resident orcas pass on the long evenings.
Not only on a wall.
“The second-largest of the San Juan Islands, reached by Washington State Ferry from Anacortes and centred on Friday Harbor. Lime Kiln Point on the west shore is one of the best land-based whale-watching spots in the country when the southern resident pods are passing. The Pig War's American Camp and English Camp still face each other across the island. From the studio.
San Juan Island, on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
San Juan Island is the second-largest island in the San Juan archipelago, in the Salish Sea between the Washington mainland and Vancouver Island. It covers about 55 square miles and is the most populated island in San Juan County, with Friday Harbor as the county seat. Access is by Washington State Ferry from Anacortes, by floatplane from Seattle, or by private boat. The island's terrain runs from rolling pasture in the south to forested ridges in the north, with the west shore facing Haro Strait, the deep-water channel that the southern resident killer whales use on their seasonal passes.
Lime Kiln Point State Park, on the west shore, is widely considered the best land-based whale-watching site in the contiguous United States. The park sits directly above Haro Strait, and southern resident killer whales pass close enough to shore that observers can see them from the bluff without optics. The orca population has been monitored continuously since the 1970s by the Center for Whale Research, based on the island in Friday Harbor. Peak passing months historically ran from May through September, though sightings have grown less predictable as the resident pods have shifted their patterns.
Washington State Ferries run from Anacortes to Friday Harbor several times daily, with vehicle reservations strongly recommended in summer. The crossing takes about 70 minutes. The island can be circled by car in two hours; bicycles are common in shoulder season. San Juan Island National Historical Park is split between American Camp at the south end and English Camp on Garrison Bay in the northwest, the two posts that faced each other through the 1859 Pig War. Both are free and open daily during daylight hours. The town of Friday Harbor anchors lodging, restaurants, and the ferry dock.