New Orca Calf – Just in Time For Christmas!

J16 Slick with her new baby calf J48 and her 2007 daughter J42. Photo by Candice Emmons, NWFSC, December 17, 2011. Taken under NOAA permit #781182400.

Exciting News! It’s been kept quiet to make sure all parties confirmed, but NOAA’s NW Fisheries Science Center and the Center for Whale Research have confirmed that on December 17, 39-year old J16 (Slick) gave birth to a new baby calf in Puget Sound, probably only a few hours judging from the fresh fetal folds, before being seen and photographed by veteran field researcher Candice Emmons of NWSFC.

Guest Shares Christmas Gift Giving Ideas

We are tired of the “commercialized” Christmas.  How many times have we all said that??  This year we have decided to do something about it. 

Island Events For the Holiday Season

The town is always lovely in December, with storefronts decorated and lights twinkling everywhere. There’s no trace of the hustle and bustle of mainland cities – a peaceful calm fills the air, and there is truly a sense of joy everywhere on the island.

Wedding Photographer Available

We love hosting weddings on the lawn at the Lower Tucker House – the ancient willow tree adds such gentle beauty to the setting.  One of the weddings were had the privilege of hosting and catering this summer was captured on film by free lance photographer Jonathan Steinberg.

Free Tickets!

No one likes to pay taxes, but here’s a chance for you to recoup some of the lodging tax that you pay on hotel rooms. Thanks to funds received from the Friday Harbor Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, the Whale Museum is able to offer free Vacation Passes to our inn guests. The pass is good for

Are There Ghosts in Friday Harbor?

Does the spirit of one of these women linger with us still? We’ve had guests tell us they heard strange sounds while staying in the Victoria’s Flower Garden suite in our historic 1898 Tucker House. One even told us she heard a nice, grandmotherly voice, clear-as-a-bell, tell her “It’s time to get up, sweetheart.”

Tucker House Named One of 10 Best

The Tucker House was just named one of 10 Great B&B Escapes for Fall on Smarter Travel.com.  They particularly loved our Dine and Dream Package, offering special room rates for guests joining us at Coho Restaurant for our San Juan Vineyards Winemaker Dinner on Friday, October 21 and the Westcott Bay Cider/San Juan Distillery Dinner on Friday, October 28.  View details on the website.

Smarter Travel.com is the largest online travel resource for unbiased travel news, deals, and timely expert advice. We are honored to be included in their selection of Trip Advisor 5-star rated inns.

Fall is the perfect time to travel – the weather is gorgeous, the crowds are gone, the savings are starting, and the beauty of the islands is bathed in the golden light of autumn.  As they say on Smarter Travel, “Why stay home when you can spend the weekend away enjoying all these seasonal spoils?”

Four Orca Calves Receive Names

After several weeks of public voting with more than 6,500 votes counted, four Southern Resident Community Orca calves have new names! The newly named babies are: Notch (J-47), Saturna (K-43), Mystic (L-115) and Finn (L-116).

Historical Home Tour

Wouldn’t it be cool if inanimate objects had a voice?  Like old homes for example; think of all they could tell us about the families they sheltered. 

More Than Just Whale Babies in these Waters

Our local orcas are so magnificent, it’s hard not to place all our attention on them.  But there’s more to these waters than orcas.  Whale watch captain Jim Maya regularly gets lovely photos of all kinds of wild life, as seen in this shot of a sea otter giving her pup a ride.

Tribute to Ruffles

J1 in Admiralty Inlet on November 4, 2010; photo taken by Susan Berta, courtesy of Orcanetwork.org

As the summer season nears it’s close, we would like to take a moment to honor the memory of Ruffles, the oldest living male orca in the Southern Resident pods.

Guests Enjoy Reprieve at Tucker House Inn

We just wanted to say Thank You!!  so much for the wonderful experience you gave us as winners from the Flower & Garden Show.  We so enjoyed your Bed & Breakfast and the wonderful dinner at the Coho.  You and your staff have a lot to be proud of and we are telling all of our friends of the wonderful experience.

Again thank you so much.  I can’t tell you what a wonderful repreive this truly was!  Your staff was great!  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Debbie & Ron F

Tukwila, WA (Jennie’s Cottage)

A Day At The Inn: Puppy Love!

From the keyboard of Stephanie Prima-Sarantopulos: Being a pet-friendly inn, we have lots of four-legged guests.  But June 22 was a special day for us dog-loving innkeepers.

Staff and volunteers from our local Animal Protection Society had made a trip that day to the Yakima Valley Pet Rescue to bring back two litters of puppies.  Innkeeper Erin happened to be on the same ferry, and volunteered to take two of the pups in her vehicle.  Once on island, she stopped at the inns to brighten our day by plopping a puppy in my lap, and one on Anna Maria’s shoulder.

Emma, a three-month old tri-color Aussie mix snuggled right up to me, giving me a few sweet puppy kisses and resting contentedly.  I was struck immediately with Puppy Love!  Claire Bear, Anna Maria’s red and white Aussie mix couldn’t contain her curiosity, and started exploring Anna Maria’s desktop.

These were the females of a litter of four; Leo is another tri-color with those crazy blue and brown eyeballs; Nanook, so light blond he’s almost white, has that gorgeous look that will turn heads.  All of these puppies are very friendly and quite mellow – which is impressive for puppies!

The second litter of two pups is a mix of Dachshund and possibly Chihuahua.  They are seven-month-old sisters with curly tails and lots of energy.

San Juan Island is such a dog-loving community! They rarely surrender their dogs; the longest the shelter has had a dog is three months now – a 13-year old sweet girl whose owner recently passed away.  So there are never enough dogs to go around; hence, the trip off island to obtain more.  Yakima Valley Pet Rescue is a no-kill shelter that rescues animals from other kill facilities.

You can check out more photos on the Animal Protection Society Facebook page; for information on how to take one home with you, visit their website.

Additional Ferry Sailings Authorized for July 4th Holdiay

Visitors to the San Juan Islands this coming holiday weekend may have a little relief from the ferry traffic congestion in Anacortes this year.

Photo Courtesy of Melanie Rollins

The WA State Ferries’ Anacortes and Islands Terminals have permission to add ferry service, at their discretion based on need, during the following dates and times over the July 4th holiday:

Mike Bertrand Captures the Beauty of San Juan Island

We just LOVE how Mike Bertrand captures the beauty of San Juan Island.  Every one of his photos makes you “wish you were there!”  One of Mike’s photos is probably the next best thing to being there; you can view purchase his work online at MichaelBetrandPhotography.com.

Remember to Mark Your Calendar for Encampment

Mark your calendar for the annual Encampment on July 23 & 24 at English Camp.  It’s always a kick to see how folks who look so quirky in this day and age look GREAT in mid-19th century garb and setting.  There’s always something cooking in the big cast iron pots, interesting artifacts and lost crafts to view, and chatting with these history buffs really invokes a sense of gratitude and wonder.

Guests Love Delicious Meals at Tucker House

We had such a great time on San Juan Island.  Tucker Inn was outstanding & ALL our meals were delicious!  Thanks for the wonderful hospitality.  We’ll tall all our friends!

Thanks again,

Ken & Deborah H.

Gig Harbor, WA

Jerusalem Artichoke Hashbrowns

From Chef Paul La Valley

4-6 oz. Jerusalem Artichoke (the red or purple ones have more flavor)
1/8 c. Shredded Parmesan
1 tsp. Chopped Parsley
1 TBLS. Butter (unsalted)
Pinch of Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Using a mandolin or box grater, thinly shred the artichokes to have a match stick-like appearance. (It is not necessary to peel the artichokes. Sometimes they are difficult to peel. If you peel the artichokes, quickly place them in a bowl of lemon water to stop them from oxidizing.)

2. Mix artichokes and remaining ingredients in a bowl. (Try to work quickly to keep them from discoloring.) Form a ball and squeeze with both hands to release excess moisture. Then press together to form a thin pancake. It will have a birds nest appearance.

3. Add butter to hot skillet. Lay artichokes in the pan and fry 2-4 minutes at medium high heat or under golden brown. Flip and repeat on other side.

Perfect as a base for an Eggs Benedict or as a side dish where you would normally serve potatoes.

Yield – one serving.

New Photographer for Inns

With our inns being in business so long and the rooms getting lots of use, we are constantly revamping the facilities, room by room. With the launch of our new Tucker House website coming up next month, we thought it was time for updated photos of our rooms, suites, and cottages as well.

Enter Mike Bertrand, a local photographer who has a keen eye for detail, and a creative way of looking at things. Mike is actually the Fire Marshall for the Town of Friday Harbor, but photography is his passion, and that definitely shows in his work. He spent several days shooting the accommodations in Tucker House, and we’re thrilled with the results. You’ll be able to check them out at www.tuckerhouse.com once our new site is up.

We have a few favorites posted here, but you can see the full spectrum of Mike’s work at his website, www.michaelbertrandphotography.com. One thing you’ll love is how he captures images of the island spots we’ve all seen, but could never shoot them as beautifully. His photos are bound to be favorite reminders of favorite places!

Great Island Clean-Up Picks Up in a BIG Way

Poster Announcing the Event Was Designed by Girl Scout Jersie Angel

The Great Island Clean-Up, held Saturday, April 9th on San Juan Island, was by all measures a huge success! A joint project sponsored by Soroptimists of Friday Harbor,Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, the Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the San Juans, Girls and Boy Scouts, the event drew over 200 volunteers who picked up over 5,000 pounds of trash from local beaches, county roads, and the town streets. Though the island appears relatively clean compared to most American cities, those of us who see it every day were feeling the weight of this staggering amount of roadside litter.

After spending the day at South Beach, Jana Marks, with Friends of the San Juans, wrote, “I had a beautiful day down at the south end. And, I was full of good feelings as I drove back into town; everything really did look nice. It was so noticeable NOT seeing all those little bits of flotsam and jetsam. I could practically feel the island shake her hair out and give a sign of gratitude – she felt so good.”

Soroptimists Barbara Sharp and Stephanie Prima-Sarantopulos Pause While Cleaning San Juan Valley Road

Participants felt good too as it was so rewarding to see the results of our labor. In addition to the individuals who signed up to pick up on the roads in front of their homes, numerous groups volunteered to tackle the main roads and beaches, including Ace Hardware, Bureau of Land Management, Cutthroats, Friday Harbor Labs, Legion Auxiliary, Leos, Lutheran Church, National Park Service, Ravenhill Construction, Spring Street International School, San Juan County Land Bank, Trash Masters, and Washington State Ferries employees.

Inn Guests Frank & Marie Morley Turn Their Visit Into an Eco-Vacation By Cleaning Up on South Beach

Business support came from Ace Hardware, Browne’s Home Center, Coho Restaurant, Harrison House Suites, King’s Market, Market Place, and Tucker House Inn, with equipment loans from Centurylink, OPALCO, Town of Friday Harbor, and San Juan County.

Even some of our inn guests helped out, picking up those minute pieces of plastic on South Beach that can be so devastating to marine life. Clearly the value of our precious eco system is recognized by visitors as well as residents.

Now flush with the feel-good vibes of giving back to the community, organizers are hankering to keep that pristine look, and are already talking about “the next time.”