Top 10 things I learned on San Juan Island

1. A lone British pig was the one and only casualty of an England vs. U.S. skirmish over this territory. The poor pig was simply searching for potatoes but mistakenly rooted in the wrong American's soil.
2. Popeye is a resident seal who lives in Friday Harbor where the ferry docks.
3. Don't take any advice from a woman named Donelda.
4. The town has two gas stations less than a block apart owned by the same person. One of them is a penny less per gallon ($3.52 vs. $3.53).
5. The window of opportunity for doing most things is very small. Things don't open till late (10 a.m.) and close very early. Few restaurants are open past 9 p.m., so plan accordingly if you're arriving on the 9:30 p.m. ferry.
6. There are no chain stores here, which has pluses and minuses. On the plus side, everything is an adventure. On the minus side, you never know if a place will be open or not (even though the posted hours indicate it should be open), or what the food will be like.
7. Restaurants are pretty hit or miss. Recommendations: hit the Blue Dolphin; miss the China Pearl. If you hit the Blue Dolphin during the morning rush, don't worry. A nice local going in for coffee club is likely to let you have his table.
8. If you want coffee, get it before 1 p.m. After that, every coffee shop in town except the one by the ferry closes. (Don't expect the coffee to be very good, either.)
9. You can find free 8-hour parking by the courthouse at the end of 1st and 2nd streets.
10. Wanda, the dog in the wine shop near the ferry, has a lot of food allergies. Only give her attention (she loves it) and no doggie treats.