The Islands

WHALES GATHER in the cool waters of Washington from roughly April to September. And the 170-odd islands of the San Juans offer prime spotting territory for orca, gray, minke, and humpback.

Savor a slow, dry visit to the San Juan Islands.

Whidbey and its neighbor Camano woo visitors.

I PULL HARD on the paddle, launching the kayak into the cold, clear Salish Seathe coastal waterways surrounding southern Vancouver Island, Puget Sound, and the San Juan Islands. Heading for open water, I inhale the salt air off San Juan Island State Park. Its sandy, protected beach serves as a popular launch site for kayakers.

THE PIG WAR was a dispute over San Juan Islands territory, the only casualty of which was a single swine.

ABOUT 30 MILES and a ferry ride north of Seattle, on a long, puzzle piece of land, resides whats often known as the Puget Sounds largest artist colony: Whidbey Island.

Waters are so clear I can eye sea stars and huge Dungeness crabs.

The San Juan Islands are surrounded by deep, cold saltwater: a boon for salmon, crabs, fishermen, and foodies alike.

Small-town friendliness mingles with international acclaim in local art scenes.People dont live here by accident.

AN HOUR-LONG BOAT RIDE from Anacortes is all that separates mainland day-trippers from the shores of Friday Harbor, the gateway to San Juan Island.

From Whidbey to Orcas Island, isolation and a bounty of seafood make the area a mecca for esoteric wines, palate-cleansing brews, crisp ciders, and herbal spirits.

From the air, the San Juan Islands look like a necklace of gleaming emeralds, a chain of 172 pristine islands strewn across Puget Sound.