Fall on San Juan Island is special. The crowds are gone, ferry traffic lightens up, the weather is just starting to cool, but winter storms feel far away. It’s also a special time at the Homestead; the clouds over the Straits become increasingly dynamic – often framing the Olympic Mountains – the crickets start chirping their way into winter and spiders’ webs begin to cover the grass. Then there’s the produce from the garden. This is the richest time of year when the main crops all mature. We typically have corn, lettuce, carrots, basil, garlic, pumpkins, and winter squash. Then there’s the orchard; apples of five different varieties, and pears in three varieties.
The garden and orchard are both entirely organic and the products are of a high quality. Our guests are invited to harvest as much as they’d like for their meals and we encourage our guests to fill a bag for meals at home.
Do you want to combine the convenience of downtown Friday Harbor and the relaxation of country life? Consider spending your vacation at our Homestead We are on a narrow, dead-end, country road one mile from the Town’s boundary. We are less than two miles from downtown and the ferry landing and less than 1.5 miles from the airport.
We are on 5 acres and surrounded by large parcels. We look over the farmlands of San Juan Valley on to the Straits of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains. This view has been declared by a citizen committee to be the second best in all of San Juan County.
Our home and property are very child-friendly. Your children are invited to explore the outside games and facilities and the inside children's books, toys, and puzzles.. The very light traffic at the end of Lampard Road ensures that you and your children will be safe if you bike or walk on the road. Is there a runner in your party? We are on Lampard Road which is great for a two mile run and longer runs are available on nearby county roads and trails.
We have a large fenced in garden/orchard that is ideal for kids' play. Plus, you can harvest fruit in season.
Finally, we are very proud of our Internet access. I just ran a speed test: 40 Mbps up and 26 down! And the strength is excellent, too: right now (in the midst of a heavy rain storm) the WiFi strength is RSSI = -29dBm.
Cell phones: our carrier is T Mobile which has excellent service on the property. Verizon is marginal here and other carriers' reception is poor. Except for an emergency 911 phone, there is no landline at the house, requiring that all calls be make via your cell phones, perhaps using your WiFi call options.