San Juan Islands Beginner Kayaking Expedition

Say farewell to worry and stress and say hello to the mellow island vibe of the San Juan Islands. Soak in the clean air, enjoy the clean water, revel in the slower pace of island life and refresh and rejuvenate your soul. Located on the northwestern-most point of the contiguous United States, the San Juans consist of 172 named islands and reefs. A happy confluence of weather systems accounts for a “banana belt” and generally drier climate than much of the surrounding coastal region. So breath in—you’re on “island time” now!

This 4-day, 3-night adventure is ideal for anyone looking to explore the outer San Juan Islands in a way that is rarely seen by travelers. We will travel at a leisurely pace, set up our own camp, and help prepare meals in some of the most pristine campsites in the world.

No prior kayaking, yoga, or camping experience is required, but please note that camping is rustic and all participants are responsible for helping prepare meals, set up camp, and load kayaks each day. This trip is a great opportunity to learn about sea kayak touring and to empower future explorations on your own!

What's Included In This Package

• Daily meditation and movement activities

• 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals

• Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, liner

• Group excursions/activities

• Nature hikes with a trusted guide

• Pre and post retreat support from our team

• Tips for guides

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What's Not Included In This Package

• Travel insurance

• Flights costs

Please arrive in Friday Harbor by 10am on August 31st.  We will arrive back at Friday Harbour approximately 2-3PM on Sunday Sept 3rd.

Travel to Friday Harbor

The nearest airport to Friday Harbor is the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).  From there, there are a handful of options to get to Friday Harbor:

Island Airporter - SEA airport directly to San Juan Island, either Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor

Bellair Charters - From SEA airport to the ferry terminal in Anacortes. Approximately $40 one way. 866-235-5247 (this is the most common option)

There is also an option if someone rents a car or is bringing a car (if they are local) that we could arrange a carpool.

Because of ferry times and depending on where you are flying into/out of there is a chance you will have to fly into SEA the night before and/or spend an extra night in Seattle on the way home. 

Earliest departure time out of SEA on Sept 3rd would be 7:00PM.

. Anacortes and Friday Harbor are both incredible places to stay extra nights as well and explore!  Root Adventures can help you with any travel details necessary!

Watch the most recent Instagram Live with Tiff: Click here!

About Tiffany 

Tiffany Grimm has been leading global retreats for over 15 years. A former collegiate athlete and adventure racer with a background in leadership development, executive coaching, and sports medicine, she thrives off of challenging others to push their limits and recognize their greatness. 

As a yoga and meditation instructor, energy healer, and lineage holder in two traditions of shamanism, she offers unique opportunities at her retreats to connect to the local culture, honor the land, and continually engage in a sacred process of self-discovery and transformation. She is founder of Mothers Moving Mountains as well as an accountability coach and public speaker. 

When she’s not traveling, you’ll usually find Tiffany in Colorado playing in the mountains or dancing in the city with her fiancé, Aaron, and 4 year-old son, Tre.

 

Get To Know Me

Q: What's your favorite book? 

Untethered Soul

Q: What are your favorite self-care practices? 

Getting into nature, ritual around the fire, sacred pauses, movement. 

Q:  What's your favorite place to travel and why? 

Haha. Loaded question! Any place that challenges me to look deeper into myself. If I had to travel anywhere tomorrow, I’d go back to Patagonia. Because it reminds me of my wild, raw, untamed nature. And there I feel free. 

 

Learn More

Visit:  https://mothersmovingmountains.com/

Follow on Instagram: @tiffgrimmz

About Dana 

Dana is an intentional living coach and experience curator. With a background in hospitality and events, she has spent the last 5 years in Community Management where she helps bring the "balance" to "work-life-balance" for high-pressured professionals in the Silicon Valley. While Dana is a supportive business consultant and sounding board for her clients, she also enjoys fostering connection through planning events across the spectrum from startup pitch competitions, to networking happy hours, to mindfulness workshops.

Dana is a curious student for life and passionate about building community, supporting small businesses & local organizations, and empowering those around her to live in their purpose.

In her free time, you can find Dana exploring the outdoors with her dog Cloud, spending quality time with loved ones, or treating herself to a relaxing spa day filled with natural healing remedies!

 

Get To Know Me

Q: What's your favorite book? 

A: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - I always find myself coming back to this for its powerful reminders to be impeccable with my word, not take anything personally, never assume, and to always do my best.  

 

Q: What are your favorite self-care practices? 

A: Outdoor time with my dog Cloud. Whether it's spending time at our local park, exploring trails, kayaking, or laying out at the beach. I also recenter myself by practicing meditation, herbal medicine, journaling, and dancing like no one's watching! 

 

Q:  What's your favorite place to travel and why? 

A: It's so difficult to pinpoint one specific place! However, I'm a true water child and feel most in my element by bodies of water. 

 Learn More

Follow on Instagram: @danamhari

Q. Do you offer payment plans?

A: Yes we do offer customizable payment plans!

All that is due at the time of sign up is a $500 deposit to reserve your spot.

Our goal is to provide unique and once-in-a-lifetime experiences while paying our local guides and tour leaders fairly and boosting the local economies that we visit. We also want to make sure that our trips are financial available to those who are interested in traveling in a conscious and intentional way, which is why we offer customizable payment plans.

Please call 765-418-0571 or email [email protected] to inquire about how we can help you make this trip a reality.

A: Absolutely! We are here to make everything for your trip, including planning, go as smoothly as possible.

Once you secure your spot on the trip with your deposit, we can help you navigate flights and travel and answer any other questions you have about the trip including what to pack, what to expect, any fears you might have and more.

We are a real company with a real human being just like you at the other end of your phone, text, or email - no call centers or un-caring customer service representatives.  We are mindfulness practioners and teachers who truly want to know about you and how we can help make this an incredible experience for you.

A: Yes!  In these uncertain times of travel, we highly recommend travel insurance.  Travel Guard is our preferred provider, but you are welcome to use other providers.

A: It’s very important to Root Adventures that our trips include mindful components.  This might be yoga, meditation, journaling or other transformational activities.  Every day we will have intentional practice and connect to nature, however this trip is for you! 

We encourage you to take time to rest, unplug, and do what feels right for you.

Our wellness guides have decades of experience in transformative group work and are trained in inclusivity to ensure that experiences are accessible to all.

New to mindfulness or wellness practices?  Not to fret! You will be provided with a pre-trip guide that will walk you through components of mindfulness practice if you're new to it all!  We love beginners and always hope to create a space where we can return to our child-like selves, seeing everything as if for the first time.

A: Yes.  Each trip has two pre-trip calls via Zoom.  One will be about a month before departure and the second about a week before departure.  You will have a chance to meet the other participants, the tour leader, and ask all remaining questions that you might have.

In addition you will receive packing lists, a pre-trip guide to prepare for your trip, and  access to our mindfulness-trained Director of Traveler Experience.  She is here to help you with any pre-trip questions and planning that you need.

After your trip there will be 2 post-trip Zoom calls with your tour leaders as well as a post-trip integration guide that will help you ease back into life and keep the magic of the trip going!

A: If you're wanting to talk to a real, kind, caring human being please call 765-418-0571, schedule a Trip Discovery Call, or email us at [email protected] if you have more questions.  When you book your trip, we will call you directly and will be able to assist you with anything else you might need in making your trip the best it can be!

Upon arrival at Friday Harbor, we will attend a safety and skill briefing. We will then board our double kayak and begin our journey to Gossip Island for lunch on a beautiful beach, enjoying spectacular water and island views. After some yoga stretching, we will board our boats and make our way to Jones Island State Park. Upon arrival, we will set up camp and appreciate our pristine campsite before our welcome land acknowledgment, appreciation ceremony, and yoga session.

Enjoy some free time to hike, explore the tidepools, or simply relax before gathering to help prepare dinner. After our freshly prepared dinner, you have the option to partake in an evening paddle, sit by the campfire (burn bans permitting), do a sunset hike, or opt to join our leaders for guided conversations and intention setting. 

Meals: L | D

Early risers can enjoy guided yoga and meditation.

Energize your day with a hot breakfast and French press coffee. In the late morning, we will paddle through a spectacular section of islands, passing along the shorelines of Stuart Island and the Cactus Islands - a beautiful chain of small islands located east of Stuart Island. Upon arrival, we will set up camp and enjoy downtime before our yoga practice.

On days 2 and 3, we will have time to explore the islands by foot and kayak, dive in for some guided intuitive movement, or simply enjoy some downtime. All meals will be prepared by the group.

Stuart Island is one of the most northwestern islands in the San Juan archipelago and is only accessible by private boat or sea kayak. Stuart Island Marine Park is part of the Cascadia Marine Trail and has over 33,000 feet of shoreline to explore by foot and sea kayak. Stuart Island has great old-growth hiking trails and rocky shorelines for tide-pooling. Stuart Island Marine State Park offers an easy two-mile hike to the iconic Stuart Island Light Station on the northwestern-most point of the island. This, along with Lovers Leap, is a favorite sunset viewpoint with sweeping views of the Canadian Gulf Islands.

Meals: B | L | D

Wake up early for sunrise yoga and meditation on this last day.

After breakfast, we’ll break camp and be on the water around 10 am depending on tides and currents. We’ll paddle to Posey Island (Washington’s smallest State Park) for lunch. Upon arrival at Roche Harbor, we’ll load our gear and transfer to Friday Harbor or extend your trip.

Meals: B