Whale Watch Paradise! Friday Harbor Westside Waterfront

Everyone's first impression as we pulled up was wow and the wow's continued as we got inside. Beautiful, comfortable, great view, quiet, just fantastic! Saw Orcas first 2 mornings from deck! Pretty good as the normal pod's that feed on the salmon were in record low numbers this year. These were the transients that hunt seals. Had 2 fawns and the doe on driveway and a visiting raccoon on other days. Wish we had had more time but so glad to have chosen this house. Many things were supplied and this was just first class. This was our base to go fishing, whale watching, shopping, sightseeing, but is was always just as great to return and enjoy out time together with our family on the deck. Really: if you can, this is a place to get.

We stayed in this incredible home for four nights at the end of July. Everything was very clean and comfortable, but the view was outrageous! We had a little difficulty finding the house when we arrived after dark, but once we got in the door, we knew we had arrived! It's a little 80's, but quite luxurious. It was the perfect location for exploring the island. It's located in a beautiful quiet neighborhood where we saw black-tailed deer. There are orange-barked madrona trees lining the shore. The living area and kitchen (and the master bedroom) look out over the water and the sunsets are fabulous. The first morning we were there, we saw a mother and baby Orca out in front of the house. The house is walking distance to Snug Harbor where we went whale watching with Maya's Legacy (and saw two humpback whales!). We spent one day in Roche Harbor and another on Orcas enjoying Moran State Park and the Farmers' Market, before returning to this comfortable home. We had my birthday dinner (my Sweet Sixtieth!) of Dungeness Crab and prawns at the house. We were a little surprised at all the cleaning we were expected to do before leaving, including washing, drying, and folding all the towels and sheets, vacuuming, sanitizing the shower, etc.. There was a checklist, with an explanation that whatever the cleaning crew had to do , beyond one (or two?) hours of work, would be taken out of the deposit. Maybe if we hadn't done all of it (and we cleaned like crazy!), only a $50 fee would have been taken out, but maybe more (???) Karen was very helpful when I left a camera charger there; she mailed it back to Texas for me within a day of finding it. Overall, we would definitely recommend this wonderful place!

What a gorgeous home and a lifetime experience. You can sit on the back deck and watch the endless sunset. A pod of Orcas swam by only 30 feet from the shore. We saw bald eagles, harbor seals and sea otters from the deck. We also heard but could not see an elusive whale spouting one evening. The location is perfect, especially if you Whale Watch from Mitchell Bay which is literally down the hill from you or if you kayak out of San Juan Park less than 2 miles away. The home is clean and welcoming. Owners are available and immediately responsive. Can't wait to return.

It was our first trip to San Juan Island and we will be back every year. Went with my husband and 21 year-old son, Saw Orcas on the first day, which was the whole point of renting. Went whale watching twice and literally saw 50+ whales plus 1 day-old baby! Picked black berries along the road side. Saw too many deer to count, which were pretty tame, while looking for black berries. Went fishing one day and caught our limit, had an AMAZING dinner with our catch. Ate in a couple nights, went out a couple nights. Restaurants were very good. House was a little dated, but VERY clean and nice. Well stocked on everything. Manager was a dream to work with, EXTREMELY helpful with everything. Island even had a gym we could use for a small fee. The views are breathtaking!! Sat on porch for HOURS with a nice Pinot and just watched the whales go by. HEAVEN! Highly recommend at a great price. Only criticism is fireplace is closed off which would have been nice. Wifi was spotty but worked ok.

My husband and I stayed here with our two teenage daughters. If you want to see orca whales - this house is a must! Within an hour of arriving, we saw a huge pod of orcas from the deck! My girls were in heaven! We had hoped to see at least one orca on our trip and we ended up seeing them almost everyday from the deck - sometime a couple times in one day! The deck is great - we spent a lot of time just watching the boats go by and enjoying the sunsets! One day we heard a noise off the side of the deck and looked down to see a mama deer and her baby laying down in the grass. We also saw a bald eagle fly by. The house is nice and well stocked. Plenty of room for everyone. My girls enjoyed the piano too. We did a kayaking trip and a whale watching tour, but the house was by far the best place to see orcas for us!