favorite destinations?

[poncho]

Ratickle reminded me of a favorite destination only reachable by boat in the San Juan Island chain of the pacific northwest. Thought Id share it here Its called Sucia Island and its one of the best places to go by boat. Second choice is another San Juan gem, its the biggest island in the chain. Orcas, it has a resort with a decent fine dinning restaurant. The island deer can be hand fed, fun for kids. Anyway what are your places?

 

[old377guy]

It's hard to beat the San Juans for a great destination. I love Friday harbor in the Summer - very bustling and interesting.

 

[Ratickle]

I'll have to dig up some of my old pics of the Orca Pods up there and the islands. A friend of mine's brother owns, (or owned, I'm not sure anymore), Deer Harbor Resort on Orcas. The last time Terri and I flew out there we stayed at Rosario on Orcas and Roche on San Juan.

 

[poncho]

Cool. I'll have to dig up some photos as well. Probably have to look over at my parents house. Spent more then 30years boating in the Canadian Gulf Islands and the American San Juan's. Saw killer whales lots of times. Rescued a sick seal off a beach once. Seal died at the Vancouver aquarium. It was interesting getting gas with a vocal seal in the back of the jeep at a busy downtown gas station.

 

[Ratickle]

To pick one favorite boating destination would be really tough, but the San Juans are certainly on my short list.

 

[poncho]

I tell people to bring on global warming and turn the San Juans into the Caribbean. Florida does have the Bahamas. Outside of that think the pacific northwest does have better boating then anywhere else in the U.S.

 

[Ratickle]

I don't know if you've spent much time in the Keys, but they are awesome.....

 

[poncho]

I've only been to Florida twice. Once when I was 10 and we did Orlando and the keys. Second time was 27 and only did Orlando. Florida is not a popular place from here. We go to California, Vegas, Arizona and Hawaii mostly.

 

[old377guy]

I don't know if you've spent much time in the Keys, but they are awesome.....

some of the residents are a bit hard to tolerate - the stuccooers, the sea hags, the pink bicyclists...etc..

 

[Ratickle]

That's just Key West. The middle keys are a lot more laid back with fishing and relaxing being the favorite pastimes from what I've seen. We looked at homes on Duck Key with waterfront a few years back to purchase a winter home, but decided it was too early to make the move. Down around Deer Key area it's pretty relaxed also.


There are just so many boating destinations in the Keys to do everything from snorkeling to fishing to the Bahamas to the Dry Tortugas etc. It reminds me of the San Juans in many ways, except the water is a lot warmer! You don't go snorkeling and diving in the San Juans without full blown Farmer Johns with full hoods!!

 

[Serious News]

The San Juan Islands consist of 172 islands with names.

 

[Serious News]

The Florida Keys are a cluster of about 1700 islands.

 

[Ratickle]

I am a bit surprised no one has said anything about the 1000 Islands part of upper Lake Huron?

 

[fund razor]

I am a bit surprised no one has said anything about the 1000 Islands part of upper Lake Huron?

Georgian Bay? As in Haystacks?

(Gratuitous shot of my first boat)

 

[old377guy]

I've said it before, but I'd like to have a 250XL as a spare boat.

 

[fund razor]

That was a 1979 210xl with a merc 260. Biggest little 21 foot boat ever.

 

[Serious News]

Georgian Bay? As in Haystacks?

Georgian Bay - Lake Huron, southeastern Ontario, Canada. Sheltered from the rest of the lake by Manitoulin Island and the Bruce Peninsula, it is 120 mi (190 km) long and 50 mi (80 km) wide; its maximum depth is 540 ft (165 m). The Georgian Bay Islands National Park, established in 1929, comprises some 40 islands in the southeastern and western parts of the bay. The Thirty Thousand Islands along the bay's eastern shore constitute a popular summer resort area.

 

[Ratickle]

I guess I was a bit off. 30,000 islands, not 1000...:blush5: