Relax, View Wildlife at Gorgeous, Immaculate Home
Review Submitted: July 27, 2009
Date of Stay: July 2009
Our family of five - including three children, ages 4-9 - spent an incredible week at Pear Point in July. The house is gorgeous, well-appointed but not too stuffy for children, perfectly clean, excellent location. The house feels tucked away from the world, but it's a quick and easy ride to Friday Harbor.
The house sits maybe 20-30 yards back from the water. (It's not a steep drop-off - gradually rocky as you get near the water - but we didn't let kids near there without an adult.) The view from the property is amazing, with Lopez Island directly across the water, and snow-capped Mt. Baker in the distance. From the decks and two-story windows we spotted a bald eagle or two flying past the house every day, sometimes with dinner in talon! Little black foxes and deer with their fawns would take a path through the yard, and song birds dined on the berries growing by the side of the deck.
The owners thought of everything: fresh herbs growing on the deck, which we used for our grilled fish and salads; lap blankets for chilly mornings on the deck with our coffee; binoculars for watching spotted harbor seals frolic, feed and sun-bathe throughout the day.
The kids loved sleeping, reading and playing in the loft (loft not for toddlers because of steps and railings). The kitchen is updated and has all the basics for cooking; we used the outdoor grill every night for dinner.
Things to do while you're there:
Rent a couple of bikes in town. Take a ride to the local bakery for fresh pastries or a loaf of bread. My husband and nine-year-old did this daily.
Visit Westcott Bay Sea Farms, a very rustic oyster farm not far from Roche Harbor. Grab fresh oysters for your dinner. They go great with the local wine!
Picnic at Lime Kiln Park while watching for orcas and porpoises. Let the kids climb the rocks and explore the tidal pools full of crabs, sea stars, anemones.
Relax, read, hike at South Beach (watch for orcas there too!). Let the kids build driftwood forts.
Take a jog from Pear Point to Jackson Beach and back - 3.5 miles.
Hike the American Camp and British Camp areas; learn about the Pig War that wasn't.
Visit the alpaca farm.
Shop in Friday Harbor for local pottery and books.
On your last day, park your car early for the ferry, and enjoy a giant breakfast at the Hungry Clam before you board.
We would definitely return and rent this house again!
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