Slow living on Lopez Island
Lopez Island languishes out in the Washington straits; a fragment of the greater archipelago known as the San Juans. But this one's not like its compadres on the edge of Canada. This one comes at you with a beaming smile and a wave, usually from over the dashboard of a passing motorcar – you'll see, it's a custom. Local markets and annual bike extravaganzas combine to give a real community feel to the place, and the scenery, well…let's just say it's everything you'd expect of the wild Pacific Northwest. A Lopez Island vacation rental is your ticket to it all.
Natural gems on Lopez Island
Lifejackets prepped and wetsuits at the ready, Lopez Island is loaded with natural jewels like the Spencer Spit State Park. The waters there are see-through and cold, and come surrounded by high cliffs draped in fir forests, or linked by sand spits where the washed-up trunks of old trees line the shores. Lopez Village itself is another draw, complete with a smattering of homey little coffeeshops and diners. And then there's the wine. Tipples abound in the Lopez Island Vineyards, where the unique terroir is said to produce reds and whites to perfectly match the seafood.
Lopez Island flourishes in the summer
To really make the most of the natural wonders that abound around the sounds of the Washington Pacific Northwest, you'll need to book your Lopez Island vacation rental during the warmer months of the year. They start with the onset of April – when the annual Tour de Lopez heralds the opening of the backcountry biking trails – and finish around October. The San Juans do pull in more modest crowds in the winter, for snowshoeing, or even storm watching in the wine bars along the shores.
Raw wilds around Lopez Island
Lopez Island is nestled in the middle of the wide Pacific Ocean straits that mark the border between the United States and Canada. Out there, on the very fringes of the nation, raw and wild nature dominates. The Pacific Coast Ranges and the Insular Mountains of Vancouver Island rise to the skies in the west. The forest-clad peaks and glacial massifs of the Olympic National Park dominate the south. All the while, Lopez Island vacation rentals have open bays and fir forests right on their doorstep.
Traveling to and around Lopez Island
Fly into Lopez Island, WA (LPS), the closest airport, located 2.8 mi (4.5 km) from the city center. If you're unable to find a flight that fits your schedule, you could also fly into Victoria Intl. Airport (YYJ), which is 24.9 mi (40.1 km) away.
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