2024 San Juan Islands Kayaking

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

We provide a full service experience. Included in your trip cost is:

• Transportation: All transportation once you’re on Friday Harbour.  Participants are responsible for transportation to Friday Harbour and back.

• Food: All food from lunch day 1 until breakfast on the final day as outlined in the itinerary.

• Equipment: We will provide all group gear as well as tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, sleeping bag liners, dry bags, kayaks, paddles, life jackets, and kayak skirts. Trip participants will be responsible for providing their own clothing and personal items.  A packing list will be provided.

• 2 Professional Local Guides

• 2 Root Expert Tour Leaders who will facilitate mindfulness/wellness practices

• Daily mindfulness activities/sessions

• Individual pre-trip support as needed

• 2 pre-trip calls

• 2 post trip calls

• Access to our Director of Traveler Experience who can help answer all your questions!

• All tips/gratuities

• 6 Week Post-Trip Meditation Series to help integrate your experience

• Lifetime access to the Root Community

What's Not Included In This Package

• Travel insurance

• Flights costs

• Travel to Friday Harbor

It takes some maneuvering to get to where this adventure starts! The most important thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to arrive on Friday Harbor by 10:00am on Friday August 30th.  We will arrive back at Friday Harbor approximately 2-3PM on Monday Sept 2nd.

If you’re traveling by plane you’ll want to fly into the Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) airport. There is a good chance that you will need to fly in the night before or stay after an extra day. Friday Harbor and Anacortes are incredible places to stay on either end.

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Option #1: Fly directly from Seattle Airport to Friday Harbor

There is an option to take a fun sea plane directly to the San Juan Islands - either Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor.

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Option #2 (what most travelers do): Make your way from Seattle Airport to Anacortes and take the ferry across to Friday Harbor

There are a couple of legs to this trip. You’ll begin by getting to Anacortes and then making your way across by ferry to Friday Harbor.

Step 1: From Seattle Airport to Anacortes

-Bellair Charters: From SEA airport to the ferry terminal in Anacortes. Approximately $40 one way. 866-235-5247

-Rent a car (this is the most common option)

-Carpool: 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

Step 2: From Anacortes to Friday Harbor

Here is the link to purchase ferry tickets from Anacortes to Friday Harbor.  It is OK that they are general admission, they do not need to have a specific timestamp since you'll just be walking on to the ferry. There is a parking lot at the ferry terminal where you can pay a small fee to leave your car overnight through the duration of your trip.  

You DO NOT need to purchase a return ticket, your ticket there also acts as your return ticket. 

Expect to be on the 6:15AM ferry Friday morning (unless you are staying on Friday Harbor or getting there via seaplane). If you happen to miss that one for whatever reason, the next one is at 9:05AM and we will wait for you.

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For the return, your guides will try to get you back for the 3:40PM ferry, but there is also one a 6:30PM ferry back to Anacortes.

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