San Juan Island
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Forest_on_San_Juan_Island.jpg
San Juan Island is the second largest of the San Juan Islands at the entrance to Puget Sound. The main town on San Juan is Friday Harbor, located right at the Washington State Ferry terminal, and at the north end of the island the community of Roche Harbor has a small airport.
Friday Harbor is the county seat for the San Juan Islands, with the court house, the sheriff's office and the governmental buildings where the County Commissioners and other non-elected staff members work. The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor. Three large pods (J, K and L) of orca (killer) whales roam the waters of the San Juan Islands. Whale watching, speed boats and kayaking are popular in the summer months.
San Juan has one weekly newspaper, many farms and an economy where tourism plays a major role.
Besides Friday Harbor, the village and resort of Roche Harbor are worth a visit. Roche Harbor was a typical company town earlier in this century, where lime production was a major industry and revenue source. The whole town and, some say, the souls of the workers were owned by boss John S. McMillin. The historic Hotel de Haro, which once hosted President Teddy Roosevelt among other VIPs, and the remarkable McMillin family mausoleum are among a number of places worth inspecting.
Other notable attractions are the old British and American Camps at opposite ends of the island which together comprise the San Juan National Historical Park, which commemorates the 1859 "Pig War". Interpretive centers and reconstructed buildings, formal gardens etc. recall the events and lifestyle of that era. In season, park workers and volunteers in period dress recreate significant moments for visitors.