The trip starts on Sunday morning in Seattle with a complimentary van shuttle to the port of Anacortes, about 1-1/2 hours north of Seattle. We catch a ferry for the 10-minute ride to Guemes Island. Guemes is a small island with only one commercial establishment: a general store and deli where we have lunch after our 17-mile ride around the island. We’ll enjoy water and forest views of the neighboring islands and snow-capped Mt. Baker in the distance. An afternoon ferry takes us to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Peaceful rural roads through rolling pastureland lead to Lakedale Lodge, our home for the next three nights. The Fine Living Channel ranked Lakedale Lodge as one of the 10 most romantic hotels in the world. You’ll love its gorgeous lakefront setting.

On Monday we cycle beside the shore of San Juan Island, enjoying the open farmland and marine vistas from quiet country roads. You’ll visit American Camp, a national historic park that was once part of the “Pig War” between England and the United States.

Today is a layover day. In the morning we board a whale watching boat for the wildlife cruise. This cruise, included in the tour price, will seek out the resident pods of orcas around San Juan Island. We’ll also see seals, bald eagles, and osprey. A naturalist on board will help us spot and identify the wildlife, and teach us more about them. The afternoon is yours to do as you wish: swim in the lake at our lodge, hike nearby Mt. Young, or visit the shops and Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.

An early morning ferry takes us to Orcas Island. We cycle to a great pottery shop, then down a rural road winding through a beautiful open valley. We'll have lunch beside a mountain lake in Moran State Park at the base of Mt. Constitution. In the afternoon many guests hike in the park to the panoramic view at the top of the mountain, where they meet the van for a ride back. Some choose to cycle up — a challenging but scenic and rewarding ride. We spend Wednesday and Thursday nights at Rosario Resort. Rosario is the former mansion of Robert Moran, who once owned a good portion of Orcas Island. It overlooks a peaceful harbor and is adjacent to Moran State Park.

Today you’ll have the chance to go sea kayaking in the calm waters of Puget Sound. Bicycle Adventures has hired a local sea-kayaking outfitter to supply us with two-person kayaks, guides, and instruction. We’ll spend the morning watching and learning about the abundant bird and marine life along the rocky, tree-lined shore. The afternoon is free to relax at our inn, get a massage on-site at the resort’s full service spa, or browse the shops and art galleries in Eastsound. We’ve arranged for a special pre-dinner show of organ music, history lesson and comedy in the music room of the main house.

Today we visit Lopez Island. Lopez is the flattest, most rural, and least populated of the three main San Juan Islands. It’s also considered the bicyclist’s island for its quiet roads, gentle terrain, spectacular marine vistas, and friendly residents who wave as you cycle by. A wonderful optional walk through a wooded park leads to a spot on the rocky shoreline where we can gaze down on seals basking in the sun, and across the water to a lighthouse on nearby San Juan Island. We have time to bask in the sun ourselves before taking an afternoon ferry ride back to Anacortes, then shuttling to Seattle.