San Juan Island Lodging WA Friday Harbor

e-newsletter February 2012
Featured Recipe
Friday Harbor Dining
Photo of the Month
Bath Bar Soaps
Island Artists
Inn News
Island News
Joy House History
Featured Recipe

 Tuscan Bean Soup

(Minestra)    

 

Tuscan Bean Soup, Harrison House Suites, Friday Harbor WA 

 

Winter months beg for  

warm comfort foods,  

and for us that means a  

big pot of hearty Minestra.  

 

It's also a healthy step towards what food writer Kim O' Donnel in USA Today has suggested for 2012 - The Year of the Bean, when we pledge to eat three half-cup servings of beans,  

peas or lentils  

(aka legumes) a week.

Tuscan Bean Soup 

 Tuscan Bean Soup

 

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Whatever's on the menu, we're always cookin'
up fun!


Treat your Valentine to a special 5-course dinner at Coho and choose your night February 11 or February 14.

Coho tours around the globe with Sushi and Asian Fare on Wednesday nights, and authentic Italian fare on Thursday nights.

On March 24th, chow down on a blend of French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Native American when Coho presents a pre-concert Creole dinner for the San Juan Community Theatre's Jeffrey Broussard and the Creole Cowboys show. See the Coho website for more details.

 

Call (360) 378-6330 to make your dinner reservations.  

    

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   Photo of the Month       

Red Skies, Tucker House Inn,San Juan Island  

The last few days  

of sunny skies have everyone cheering for Spring's arrival. We've  

also been having some amazing sunsets lately?  

 

Yes, it's true, we live in a post card titled San Juan Island!

 

 

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Gift Shop  

 

Bath Bar Soaps 

Bath Bar Soaps - Harrison House Suites, Friday Harbor WA  

We have a great selection of bar soaps in stock, with seven different scents.  

 

These luscious soaps leave your skin feeling silky, not dry, and with the steam from hot water, they smell absolutely divine! 

 

You can order them through our Gift Shop

 

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Harrison House Suites &
Tucker House Inn Newsletter

  

Greetings!    

 

Dave and I spent a lot of time recharging - eating, sleeping and diving - when we disconnected for a few weeks last month. We found ourselves on a small remote island a 90 minute boat ride off the coast of Belize. It seems we are always drawn to islands. It is the sense of detachment that fuels the soul - the same reason that visitors are drawn to the San Juan Islands.

 

We know too well the challenges of running an Inn on an Island, so we are always interested to learn how small resorts in remote parts of the world work behind the scenes. Not only do they have to procure supplies and staff their business like we do, but because of their remote location they house and feed their staff, and run a small utility (power, water, sewer, compost) for the private island. Because of the added complexities and infrastructure to run their operation, there were 2 staff for every guest! Their staff was similar in size as ours for housekeeping, food service and guest operations, but the additional staff supported their water containment and filtration system, solid and waste water systems, electric generators, and their fleet of boats - their umbilical cord for transporting guests, supplies, fuel, and food.

 

Having lived on islands my entire life and having island genealogical roots, I have learned that there are islands and there are islands. Technically anything surrounded by water constitutes an island, but real islands do not have bridges that conveniently connect them to the mainland. Growing up on one of the most populated islands in New York - Long Island - I never thought of myself as an islander. Living on a real island for the past 8 years, I am more in tune with the island life and consider myself an islander.

 

Hawaii, Madeira, Fiji, Tahiti, Sicily Grand Cayman, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Robben, Bimini, Cozumel, Vancouver Island - the list goes on; each and every one, regardless of their 'real island' status, faces many of the same issues that we do on San Juan or Turneffe Island, the remote Island off the coast of Belize where we vacationed. Islanders all over the world work to protect their precious marine habitat, struggle to find solutions to handle trash and recyclables, use elaborate transportation systems to procure food and supplies, and engineer utility services to support their citizens and visitors.

 

Here on San Juan, you can always pick up our local paper and read about plans for the 2nd Annual Great Island Clean-up; or about the Friday Harbor Town Council's discussion about a potential ban on plastic bags to protect the marine life of the Salish Sea or the County Council's struggle to find a cost effective solution to their solid waste stream. Near or far Island life has many similarities about environmental protection.

 

Here at the Inns, we always do our best to be stewards of our Island environment, and we encourage you to "think like an islander" when it comes to environmental issues.

 

We are refreshed and renewed, and are looking forward to welcoming you to San Juan Island.

 

Fondly,

 

Anna Maria & Dave

 

Island Artists  

 

Kathy Gjesme
The Upper Tucker House walls and Garden Room Caf� are now adorned with art works by a number of noted island artists, all featuring scenes from the San Juan Islands. Island Studios owner Claudia Fullerton selected pieces from her gallery to display in our main guest public areas, matching each painting and print to the wall colors. We are amazed at how beautiful the pieces look on our walls! 
Read More...

    

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Inn News:

This is the time of year when we focus our attention to our physical plant by giving guest rooms and suites a bit of a face lift in preparation for the summer season.

On January 4th, on-site innkeeper Erin Dannelly rolled out of bed and padded barefoot into her kitchen. Still fuzzy headed from sleep, it took her a moment to register that her feet were sloshing in water - her apartment had flooded! Just like last year, the island was deluged with another intense week of heavy rains and winds, and many locals found themselves with "waterfront property," dealing with flooded homes and impassable driveways and roads.
Read More 

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Island News

    

"Glocalisation" is the growing trend of dealing with big global problems through small, individual actions - something that every one of us can do. Vacation travel which includes volunteering for a charitable cause, called "Voluntourism," is perfect for travelers who want to make a positive change in the world, yet still enjoy a relaxing experience. If you'd like to do a little voluntourism during your holiday, mark your calendar for Saturday, April 21st Read More...

  

Miss Representation Screened in Friday Harbor, WAMiss Representation, an award-winning documentary, was screened at the public to a standing-room only crowd on Super Bowl Sunday. Hosted by our Guest Services Coordinator Stephanie Prima-Sarantopulos and Julie Hagn, a senior at Spring Street International School in Friday Harbor, this powerful film exposes Read More... 

 

Voice of the Orcas just launched. Orcas cannot speak - at least not to us in our own language. Now there's a new website up which is devoted to speaking up for them. Voice of the Orcas was created by professionals and former marine mammal trainers Read More...  

 

Taku In Captivity, Courtesy of Voice of the Orcas

 

Earth Hour: Saturday, March 31st at 8:30 pm Earth Houris the date that hundreds of millions of people around the globe will turn off their non-essential lights for one hour. This campaign, designed to raise awareness on Read More...

 

 

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Joy House History

 Jerry Hemphill's Grandparents, July 1928, Friday Harbor WAWe were thrilled to hear from Mr. M. J. (Jerry) Hemphill, who sent us photos and his personal history of what's known in Friday Harbor as the Joy House. To us, it's the Upper Tucker House, our main check-in and guest pubic area.

 

Jerry's father (Melville B.) inherited the Joy House from grandfather William in the dividing of the family estate in the early 1940's. Jerry visited the house often as a child in the late 20's and early 30's when his grandfather still lived there, Read More...

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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 Blogand Coho Restaurant Blog

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 Contact us at:
 
Harrison House Suites 235 C Street  360.378.3587 800.407.7933

Tucker House Inn  275 C Street  360.378.2783  800.965.0123

Friday Harbor, WA, San Juan Island 98250

 

We appreciate your staying at Tucker House Inn & Harrison House Suites and want you to enjoy your experience long after your return home.

  

So as a token of our appreciation, please accept our gift of 10% off any photo from local photographer Mike Bertrand. 

 

To make your selection, visit Mike's website, www.michaelbertrandphotography.com or contact him before you come out to set up an appointment for a special viewing.  

Mike Bertrand, 360 317-6622, [email protected].  

 

Take the island home with you!  And again, thank you for visiting. 

Ferry Coming into Friday Harbor with Mt Baker in Background
Ferry and Mt Baker

 

This offer is valid up to one year from the date of your stay. Please provide Mike with your reservation confirmation number.