It's the secret San Juan Island. Lesser known, ferry-line free, even got its own Sasquatch -- Guemes Island is a getaway among getaways.
One store. One resort. Infinite relaxation.
A ferry boat operated by Skagit County motors between Anacortes and Guemes about every half hour. The ride is a little more than five minutes.
And the ferry docks on the Guemes side at Anderson's Guemes Island General Store are the de facto community center for one reason:
"We are the only store on the island," said Anderson’s General Store owner Charlotte Clifton.
Anderson's has a restaurant, a friendly Sasquatch named Uncle Guemes and whatever else an islander could need.
"If we don't have it there, we'll tell you how to get along without it,” said Clifton.
On the other side of this eight-square-mile island is the only other business here, Guemes Island Resort.
“It's kinda like a summer camp for whole families,” said Guemes Island Resort owner Mark Linneman.
A crab cleaning station means guests can cook what they catch from the waters in front of the cabins.
Post feast, they can soak in a unique hot tub it gets its heat from a campfire built around coils.
"The typical person trying to come here for a weekend or a week is trying to get away to a quiet place,” said Linneman. “We have some amenities, like wifi, but we don't have TVs. We don't have phones.”
So the next time you're craving bikeable back roads and nothing but kelp for company, head to Anacortes and ferry for Guemes, the other San Juan. Chances are, you won't even have to wait in line.
Anderson's Guemes Island General Store
(360) 293-4548
7885 Guemes Island Rd
Anacortes, WA 98221
Guemes Island Resort
(360) 293-6643
4268 Guemes Island Rd
Anacortes, WA 98221
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