Embark on a 3-day gourmet kayaking adventure in the San Juan Islands, a perfect blend of paddling thrills and culinary delights. Suitable for all skill levels, this experience promises serene waters, hidden gems, and the chance to spot seals, starfish, osprey, and maybe even orca whales.

Itinerary:

• Day 1
  • 10:30 am: Start in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
  • Lunch: Grilled meat skewers and black rice salad with a paddling technique discussion
  • Paddle along the eastern shore to Jones Island State Park
  • Camp setup, Happy Hour with grilled salmon, Lost River wines, and rosemary olive oil cake
• Day 2
  • Breakfast: Bacon and spinach faro with scrambled eggs
  • Explore Wasp Islands and Yellow Island
  • Lunch: Pork tenderloin with cherry chutney and Chukar Cherries peach cherry salsa
  • Flexible downtime or join Guides for an easy hike
  • Happy Hour with Fran’s salted caramels, local cheese, fruit, and nuts
• Day 3
  • Break down camp and load equipment
  • Return paddle to Roche Harbor
  • Lunch: Peaches and chickpeas with slow-cooked pulled BBQ pork sandwiches
  • Expedition concludes between 3:00-4:00 pm with a shuttle van transport back to Friday Harbor ferry terminal.

Any restrictions to participate?

• Age: Must be 18+
• Physical limitations: To fully enjoy, participants need a certain level of fitness and stamina. Expect up to 5 hours of daily paddling with breaks. Conditioning upper body muscles before the tour helps. Guides are adept at instructing beginners, ensuring a comfortable pace. Stronger currents may require sustained paddling, with breaks for safety.
• Experience level: All levels are welcome.

Who can you accommodate for?

• Children: This is not an experience for children.
• Individuals with disabilities: Unfortunately, this experience is not wheelchair accessible.
• Dietary Restrictions: The menu can accommodate most dietary restrictions, including vegetarian, pescatarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free. While the partner can’t promise an “out of this world” substitute 100% of the time, they’ll try our best to make every meal a tasty one. Please note that due to the nature of cooking in the great outdoors with limited resources, the partner cannot accommodate last-minute changes. All dietary restrictions need to be communicated in advance during the booking process.
• Pets: Sorry, no pets allowed.

What to expect on the day of the experience?

• Duration: 3 days/2 nights
• What’s included: 
  • All food and beverages are included: Two breakfasts, three lunches, two happy hours, two dinners, snacks while on the water, coffee and tea at breakfast, sparkling water at lunch and dinner, and wine at dinner
  • Premium tents (singles or doubles), kayaks, paddles, and spray skirts
  • NOT included: Air/ferry/ground transportation to/from the San Juan Islands, WA, Pre and post trip accommodations, $50 bedding rental and cleaning fee (waived if you bring your own sleeping gear) as well as gratuity for your guide.
• Who will be present: You will have a guide/teacher with you at all times; also, other guests may be joining (up to 12 people).
• Spectators: No spectators are allowed, everyone must have a ticket/reservations.
• Photo/ video: You may take your own photos.
• Specific rules to follow: No smoking, need to follow the guide’s rules, no alcohol or substances

How to prepare?

• Weather dependency: Rain or shine, the experience will be running
• Arrival: Plan to arrive 15 minutes in advance
• Parking: Refer to the Travel Planning section in the Info Packet.
• What to bring:
  • Refer to the detailed packing list contained in the Info Packet (links to pop-up window prompting to enter an email address so that it enrolls them into our Flowdesk newsletter flow), which also is the same destination as the “download info packet” link in the Share/Download Info Packet/Ask A Question block)
  • Your own sleeping bag, pad, and pillow to save on $50 bedding rental and cleaning fee
  • Body wipes since there won’t be showers available at the campsite 
  • Portable charging packs and cables as outlets will not be available
• Restrooms/ lockers/ changing rooms: There are eco-friendly composting toilets at the campsite and locations we take breaks at during our paddling adventures.

Anything else I should know before going on this experience? 

• Gratuities not required, but they sure do make our day!
• Don’t snooze on pre and post-trip accommodations in Friday Harbor, WA. They fill up fast, so book well in advance!
• Get ready to show off your teamwork skills! We’ll all pitch in to set up and break down camp, so roll up your sleeves for a jolly good time.
• The campsites are managed by the Washington State Parks Department. All the sites have picnic tables, fire pits, potable water, and eco-friendly composting toilets.
• Conditions and state-mandated burn bans may necessitate shutting off the well pump and precluding bonfires. While out of our control, we do our best to manage and mitigate for adverse conditions (e.g. bringing in our own potable water).
• Cell service is usually available at camp and intermittently available while on the water.
• Please keep in mind that space is limited. You’ll have a 20 liter dry bag and a 5 liter bag for your gear, so make sure to pack smart and bring only the essentials.
• Once you arrive to the meeting location, you’ll transfer your gear into these trusty dry bags before setting off in your kayaks. Don’t worry, we’ll be there to help you pack and make sure everything fits snugly. And if you have any extra luggage, no problem! We’ll store it safely on shore until you return.
• For safety reasons, everyone will be paired up in tandem kayaks. Solo or odd numbered parties will be matched with other guests or a tour guide. We promise you’ll appreciate being able to take breaks from paddling while your partner keeps you both gliding!

Unused Experience Vouchers can be returned within 30 days for a full refund to the original purchaser, no questions asked.

If you have any unused Experience Vouchers, you can exchange them for anything else in our marketplace, no matter when. If you choose an experience that's more expensive, you'll need to pay the difference, but if you choose one that costs less, you'll receive a credit towards your next booking.

All bookings are final and no rescheduling or cancellations will be allowed.