San Juan Island Lodging WA Friday Harbor

e-newsletter October 2010
Fall Specials
Bed, Breakfast & Dinner!
Restaurant Specials
Featured Recipe
Cookbook Arrives
Savor the San Juans
Keep in Touch
Whale Museum Double Days
Inn News
OOOPS!
Fall Specials
Stay 2 nights or more and receive a 50% discount on your second night.  Valid Sunday - Thursday (excluding holidays) on new reservations made between  October 19th and November 15th for travel between October and February

Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter
Bed, Breakfast & Dinner 
Stay 2 nights or more and receive a $50 dining voucher for Coho Restaurant.  Valid for new reservations made October 19th - November 15. Not valid for special winemaker or holiday dinners

Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter
Friday Harbor Dining San Juan Island WA - Coho Restaurant

Fresh

House-made

Seasonal

Local

Daily Menu Changes

Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter
Featured Recipe

There are a couple of tall, slender apple trees on the property, that yield a red fruit similar to a Gravenstein - crisp while holding up well with cooking.  With all the chores that need to be done around the Inns, it's tough to find time to pick the fruit before the wind blows them off.  But when we get to them before Mother Nature does, we like to make this moist apple cake.   
 

Apple Cake

Apple Cake


Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

New Edition Cookbook Arrives!
The Inn's Cookbook

A sincere "Thanks" to those who have been patiently waiting for the reprint of La Cucina Anna Maria.  The books have arrived and will be on your doorsteps soon.  For those who would like a copy, place your order before November 15th and the shipping will be on us!


Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

Savor the San Juans
October Events & Specials

 Savor the San Juan Islands  

lick Here For More Info

  
Keep In Touch 
Follow us on Twitter! 
 Follow us on Twitter

"Like Us"
  Harrison House:
Find us on Facebook

Tucker House:
Find us on Facebook

Harrison House Suites &
Tucker House Inn Newsletter
Greetings!   

Recently I overheard a guest comment that we do not provide bottled water in our guest rooms and cottages.  Her companion noted that bottled water isn't exactly "earth-friendly."   How right she is!  We try very hard to use sustainable-practices throughout the inns, and plastic water bottles - even those made from recycled plastic - are definitely not on the list of environmentally-safe products.   Just check out the enormous floating plastics garbage patch discovered by Captain Charles Moore, who is making an appearance in Friday Harbor later this month.  That's why we provide glass containers of filtered water in all the rooms, but truth be told, we also like the old-fashioned charm of a pitcher of water by the bedside. 

Captain's Moore Plastic Footprint

Nixing the plastic bottles is only one aspect of our efforts to save the environment. 

All food scraps from our inn and restaurant kitchens are picked up by Sweet Earth Farms for composting, and as you probably know, our meal ingredients are locally sourced, and sustainably farmed as much as possible.  Our take-out food containers are made from cardboard and are bio-degradable.  Blue recycle bins are placed in every guest room and in the Tucker House kitchen, for convenience of guests and staff alike.  The cleaning products we use are concentrated, biodegradable yet also hospital grade.  A staff favorite is the lovely hydrosol made at San Juan Island's Pelindaba Lavender Farm during their distillation process.  It is one of those products with a thousand and one uses.  The herbal scent and natural disinfectant properties of lavender make it perfect for cleaning glass table tops like in our restaurant, and other hard surfaces. 

The soaps and skin care products that we use in our guest rooms and suites are chemical-free and are hand-crafted by a local soap maker from a nearby island.  She formulates soaps in small batches using the old-fashioned, cold process method so all the naturally moisturizing glycerin that occurs during the soap making process is retained.  She uses only high quality skin safe fragrance and pure essential oils. 

 

We ask our guests to help do their part to conserve as well by turning off the water while brushing their teeth, and to be mindful of the amount of water used for bathing and showering.  Guests can also opt to reuse towels a day or two rather than requesting daily linen changes.  These are simple things, but they all add up.

For our laundry use high-efficiency washing machines and environmentally-friendly laundry soap.  Our Green Earth™ towels are made from super-fine cotton, which offers superior softness, absorbency, durability and a luxurious feel. Green Earth towels are 160% fluffier than traditional combed cotton towels, and due to this higher surface area, they absorb more water.  Yet, because they are lighter in weight, they use 30% less water to wash, less detergent, and take 10-20% less drying time.  But we still have a dilemma.  We love our thick, terry towels, but here in the Pacific Northwest, there's just so much moisture in the air, that towels never really stay; even after they are dried, folded and put back on the shelves, they can quickly take on moisture and an unpleasant odor.  We've tried every earth-friendly product we've come across -  including vinegar rinses - but the problem is the drying.  The only thing that's worked so far - and I mean the ONLY thing - is fabric softener.  We hate using it, but haven't found an alternative - YET!  We haven't given up the quest!  We know that many of our guests are sensitive to those scents, so please do not hesitate to let us know in advance when you make your reservation.  We will happily launder your linens with a vinegar rinse so you can enjoy a restful night's sleep.  

Since we're on the subject of "saving," there is another way you can save, and that is in the pocket book.  We've rolled out a bunch of Fall specials, just in time for what we locals consider the most beautiful season on the islands.  Come experience the quieter side of San Juan Island, and re-discover the natural beauty all over again.

We hope to see you soon. 

Fondly,


Anna Maria & Dave

Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter 

Double Days at the Whale Museum

 

Whale Watching San Juan Island WA


One of the little gems of environmental education on San Juan Island is the Whale Museum.  During the shoulder season (October - November), visitors will get two days for the price of one when they purchase an admission ticket to The Whale Museum. After walking off the ferry in Friday Harbor, visitors can go to The Whale Museum to learn all about the Southern Resident orcas and our wonderfully, diverse marine environment.  After that, you are well-equipped to get out and explore for yourselves.  Once you've experienced all our island has to offer, you can use your 2nd-day-free pass to go back to the museum and compare what you saw out in nature to what you learned from the exhibits.  Did you see whales (if so, who)? Porpoise? Seals? Steller Sea Lions? Did you explore the inter-tidal? 

Through exhibits, films, stories and activities, The Whale Museum aims to highlight our wonderful environment and instill a sense of stewardship in all who visit.  Double Days at The Whale Museum doubles your chances to do just that.  Be sure to ask our innkeepers for your Double Days pass when you check in.

Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter 

Inn News

 

Tucker House Inn San Juan Island WA

The original 1898 Tucker House, which we refer to as "the Lower Tucker House," on the corner of Nichols and B Streets, is now sporting her pretty new paint job.  Designed to complement the colors of the Upper Tucker House on Nichols and C Streets, she wears a lovely dark-green coat, trimmed with deep red and pumpkin colors.  The trim colors undeniably show off the intricate craftsman details in the fa�ade.  Local photographer Mark Gardner has taken her portrait, which will be featured on our future brochures and business cards.

Thank you to all the guests who graciously stayed with us throughout the painting process.  Unfortunately a paint job cannot be done in the off-season because of rain and winds; summer is the only time we can paint.   Our crew tried exceptionally hard not to inconvenience anyone, and overall we feel they did a pretty good job.  Like a pretty lady in a new dress, we're excited to show her off.  Next time you visit, please be sure to stroll down the street and admire our grand old dame.

OOOPS!    

We're sorry about the bad recipe links in last month's newsletter.  Even though we proofed several times, the link still went wonky on us!  Here's a new link for the Peanut Butter Cookies featured in the September issue.  We know several of your were desperate to make those cookies! 

Peanut Butter Cookies


Take Home a Memory

Stay at the Tucker House Inn this fall and winter and receive a free portrait sitting with professional photographer, Mark Gardner.  Remember your holiday on the San Juan Islands or your special celebration with a professionally shot fine-art portrait that will last a lifetime.  Your stay at the Tucker House Inn includes a fabulous 3 course breakfast made from local ingredients, afternoon cookies and the complementary use of bicycles and kayaks.  Choose one of our guest rooms with fire places and Jacuzzi tubs for two, or our suites and cottages with full kitchens and fireplaces.  This package includes a two night stay, portrait session with Island photographer, Mark Gardner, Gift Print and $25 of additional prints, breakfast each morning and $100 gift certificate for dinner at Coho Restaurant.  Packages starting at $335.  Call to book yours today. 

 

If you would like to contribute an article or photograph, or have an idea of something we should include in our next edition, please let us know. 

You can also follow our news on our blogs: Harrison House Suites Blog,
Tucker House Inn Blog, Experience San Juan Blog and Coho Restaurant Blog.
 
 Contact us at:
Harrison House Suites 235 C Street  360.378.3587 800.407.7933
 
Tucker House Inn  260 B Street  360.378.2783  800.965.0123
 
Friday Harbor, WA, San Juan Island 98250