My husband and myself toured part of the Pacific Coast bike route from June 19-July 5, 2011, covering British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. We visited many B&B's, hotels, and restaurants on our travels, and hence with confidence I can recommend the Juniper Lane Guest House for those who are willing to consider interesting variation in their travel experience! This is a cross between a B&B and high end hostel in that the sleeping accommodations were private, clean, with ensuite bathroom, but a shared kitchen for making your own dinner and/or breakfast. We took the Regal Royale and the bedroom and bathroom were clean and artfully decorated with some eco touches (like the reading material in the bathroom!). It sits in a beautiful open field venue about 2 miles from downtown and was much less expensive than other places on San Juan Island. This is an excellent choice if you want something actually different in your travel experience!

This is a beautifully appointed guest house with rich paint colors and beautiful art and "objects" from around the world. The setting is very bucolic -- a bit of a walk from town though if you don't have a car. There was a great backyard overlooking acres of fields and forest and even a fire pit. One ambitious guest built a fire, and we all gathered round one evening. It has two spacious secluded bedrooms upstairs, with widow seats overlooking the fields. Downstairs, there are two rooms that sleep many people and a couple of other double rooms, a communal living room and kitchen. It is good value (rare on San Juan), especially if you want to make your own breakfast and a meal or two. Note -- it is a guest house. Juniper will come when she is needed, and has good tips about where to go, etc., but she is not right there, e.g., making you breakfast. Also, it has a communal feel to it -- people hang out in the living room. You will probably need to share the kitchen. When we were there, we really liked everyone. My guess is the place tends to attract people who are attracted to it! Friendly, interesting, outdoorsy etc.

On a three week trip round the USA in May 2011 Juniper Lane was probably the favourite place we stayed. Just a short distance from the centre of Friday Harbor, it's cool, quirky, beautifully decorated and great value (the San Juan islands are beautiful but not a cheap place to visit on a budget).

With quirky colours and a shared common area and kitchen, this is about as far from corporate uniformity as it gets. If your idea of heaven is a marble lobby with beige decor, this isn't the place for you. Instead Juniper Lane offers good, clean facilities, a comfy bed, a really friendly owner and the chance to truly relax in the beauty of the San Juan Islands. There's a nice outside area too, though we were too busy exploring the island to use it!

(On a side note, because it's increasingly important to me when travelling, the free wifi was fast and totally reliable).

In summary I would highly recommend this place - try something different!

My family and I chose to stay at the Juniper Lane Guest House during our annual cycling trip of San Juan island. We found the house to be welcoming, comforting and a fair value. The guest house reminded me of staying with family, you feel comfortable running to the bathroom in your socks, but are still on your best behavior! The kitchen was well stocked and easy to get around in. Views from the backyard were spectacular, especially with an early morning marine layer! The grounds offered a covered place to lock our bikes.
We stayed in the Pine Backpacker. Beds were comfortable, room was spacious and our 12 year old LOVED the three tier bunk-bed. The guest house was clean, well maintained and we’re looking forward to coming back next year.