Hat Island a Journey and Vacation Back in Time
Take a private passenger ferry from the Everett Marina. Pack everything you'll need with a plan to carry it back out. If traveling with your pet, it must be caged or muzzled. Then prepare for a most unique, restful, unplugged vacation unlike any other.
Due to a last minute cancellation, we were able to rent a house for Labor Day Weekend at only $75 per night through vacation rentals on www.craigslist.org The owner simply said to look for their island car, let the community know we were their guests, the car was unlocked at the marina and the keys to the house were inside.
Hat Island is a private island community with cabins and houses loosely placed on one of the state's most pristine and mostly untouched pieces of real estate just a 45 minute passenger ferry ride from Everett. If you have your own boat, there's a marina too. Interested in buying in? There's many waterfront and interior lots for sale. Visit www.hatisland.org for island information.
The island is so peaceful and the vegetation is lush and the wildlife is limited to a few birds, many wild rabbits and all the bounty one can legally harvest from the waters of Puget Sound.
As a native of the state, I haven't spent much time on the islands of Puget Sound, especially the San Juans. It was always the anticipation and challenge of waiting in long ferry lines that kept these jewels from my travel radar.
Here's some photos:
The passenger ferry "Holiday" has a quirky schedule. Check the website for details. Fares are $6 each way for adults and $1 each way for pets.
There are NO services on the island, save for a lone telephone booth. There's a water system, electricity and one sees a few satellite TV dishes. But looking for a latte' or a pop machine?...you're stuck! Pack it in, and pack it out or befriend a local if you need something. There's a fire department and yacht club. We lucked out and attended a Saturday evening Octoberfest celebration dinner with kegs of beer and pork loin with sauerkraut. We enjoyed the German band too.
Island cars are also a trip back in time as owners escape state licensing laws and besides the old cars you share the well manicured dirt roads with golf carts and ATVs.
There's even a 9 hole golf course and tennis courts on this 1.5 mile long island.
There is a unique mix of vegetation for what we're accustomed to in the Northwest. Many many varieties of maples, spruce, hemlock and douglas fir fill the landscape along with brambles, thistles and even a tangle with poison ivy. There wer enough blackberries to pick to even bake a pie.
Living in the city, I was struck, even spooked by how quiet this little slice of paradise was over the weekend. I'll be back!
