You might be able to guess, due to the Mounties, that the above photo was taken somewhere in Canada. Your guess would be correct. The Canadian Mounties have dismounted from their horses and are overlooking a crowd enjoying festivities celebrating the annual first run of the Anacortes/San Juan/Sidney Ferry.
Sidney is on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, which is a province of Canada.
Anacortes is a port city in Skagit County in the state of Washington.
The Washington State Ferry System operates several ferries out of Anacortes, making runs to the San Juan Islands and to Sydney, B.C.
The San Juan Islands are part of an international archipelago of over 450 islands in the Salish Sea. The Canadian part of the archipelago is called the Gulf Islands. Fifteen of the islands are connected to the mainland (and Vancouver Island) by passenger ferries. The British Columbia Ferry System connects to 9 of the Gulf Islands, while the Washington State Ferry System connects to 6 of the San Juan Islands.
You can park and ride from Anacortes, walking on board.
Trust me, if you have never ridden a ferry and you are taking a vacation to Washington, you will want ride on a Washington ferry.
The Washington State Ferry Fleet is the largest in the United States and the 3rd largest in the world.
In Anacortes you can buy an outbound ticket to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and hop off for a visit at any of the island stops, like Orcas Island, and then catch the next outbound ferry.
Catching the last ferry of the day, in Friday Harbor, after dark, makes for a very fun ride back to Anacortes.
Below is a YouTube video of the first sailing of the year from Anacortes to Sydney...
Pt. Townsend/Keystone launched their brand new ferry today, most expensive one build in the US - Chetzemoka.
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