San Juan Islands National Historic Park

"Lovely setting!"

We do a boat trip every summer through the San Juan's, and last year we decided to check out English Camp (we didn't get to American Camp, because it is a bit off the beaten path and would have either required a car which we didn't have, or some good walking shoes!).

English Camp Is one half of the National Park. The British occupied this part of the island during the Pig War, in which neither side really fought (in fact, historians say they were quite friendly with one another). The killing of a pig set off a boarder dispute, which was eventually settled by Kaiser Wilhelm I. After that, the camp was abandoned. Some of the original structures remain, and there is a nice little museum set up in one (on a cold day they have the fire place going, which is a nice thing to warm up next to).

There are hiking trails around the site that explain what once stood in each location. There is also a beautiful garden that was originally started by the Officers Wife's (a little piece of England for them, so they weren't quite so homesick).

This National Park has a Jr. Ranger Program, which we found really fun. The Park Rangers were especially nice too.