Cycling the San Juan Islands of Washington State

October 15, 2015

Here at Adventure Cycling we enjoy a fantastic benefit of additional vacation days allotted for bicycle travel-specific trips. This year I took full advantage of that benefit by joining our inn-to-inn WA San Juan Island tour with my husband, Rob.

The trip was memorable and hilly! I highly recommend this small-group, autumn tour. Below are some of my favorite photos from our experience.

As you can tell, we were an enthusiastic bunch, ready to hit the road out of Anacortes!

Though a little bit nervous, Rob and I were anxious to depart that first morning.

On the first day, we rode the length of Whidbey Island which included crossing Deception Pass.

This tour included a three-hour whale watching trip. We were fortunate to see a one-week old Orca on our cruise. No pictures taken by me could do that sight justice!

At about the mid-point of the trip, we climbed Mt. Constitution. At 2,399 feet, it is the highest point in the San Juan Island chain.

Though it was a foggy day and the views were nil, it was with a great sense of accomplishment that we summited the hill.

This was one of my favorite stretches of the trip. The traffic on the road we took to Limekiln State Park was so light it felt like we were riding a private bike path. Being from Oregon, I was thrilled to be surrounded by a canopy of tall trees and sprawling ferns breathing ocean-scented air.

Here's my trusty steed, Black Beauty, the Surly Long Haul Trucker, outfitted with old school Cannondale panniers and newly upgraded to lower gearing for the mountains.

Photos by Jenn Milyko.

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