Driftwood Farm

A Special Place

A sole, private guest cottage ideal for your get-away-from-it-all San Juan Island holiday.  Phone (360) 378-4295.  Paul's cell phone: (360) 298-2956.

Cozy and quaint.  Sleeps 4: one queen bed, two bunks in a long room that also has your kitchen and dining area.  Attached bathroom with shower.  WiFi,  DVD.  Electric heat plus a woodstove for when the Winter winds blow.  No phone, but our house is right next door.

Incredible setting.  It's just steps away from a low-bank private beach about 1000 feet long, amid 40 acres of fields and woods.  A private pond on the property attracts birds.  Acres of fields are planted to hay, which is cut and baled around the 4th of July. 

Fully Equipped Kitchen. Pots, pans, dishes and utensils provided.  Stove, oven, microwave, coffeemaker, full-size refrigerator-freezer.  This allows you to say goodbye to the world for your stay. Just bring your own food, or drop by the market in Friday Harbor on your way here.

Wildlife galore.  Eagles, herons, loons, canada geese, raccoons, fox, deer and otters pass by your front porch.

Pets allowed.  Dogs love the fields and beaches.

Close but not too close.  About 12 minutes from Friday Harbor. American Camp National Park, with its spectacular miles-long South Beach, is about the same distance away in the other direction.

Sheltered.  It's on the quieter East side of the island; the sun rises over the water each morning. Breezes are gentle.  You have a spectacular view of Griffin Bay and Mount Baker.

Note: you may have found we're not on the VisitSanJuans.com website any more.  We've decided to wind things down, but we're still renting to our past guests and, heck, their friends if they are pointed to us.  We're still renting, just not advertising.

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For Availability, click here.  

For rates and policies, click here.

For pictures, click here.

For directions and maps, click here.

About Us, click here.

FAQ, click here.

Availability

As of 1 October 2024

We're booked up in October.

Closed Nov-March

Starting in April 2025, we're wide open.  Please book!  (360) 378-4295 h (360) 298-2956 cel

Getting Here

  Click on the thumbnail to the left for a printable,full-sized map with directions.

You'll be arriving on the island in Friday Harbor via Washington State Ferries (by car or walk-on)  San Juan Airlines (from Bellingham) Westwind Aviation (charter flights), or Kenmore Air (from Seattle) or the Victoria Clipper (passenger boat from Seattle), most likely.

This comprehensive page on transport to and among the islands is part of the Visitor's Bureau website.

Once you're in Friday Harbor:

Getting off the ferry, you'll be directed to Friday Harbor's main street, Spring Street.  Take it up the hill -- about a mile.

At the light brown coffee drive-through, at a traffic circle, turn left on Mullis street, and take it out of town (South).  In about a mile it becomes Cattle Point Road. 

About four miles down, turn left on Jensen Bay Road. 

One mile down, turn left again on Halsey Road.

We're second driveway on the left, 259 Halsey Road. The post says "Chadwick" and "Driftwood Farm" and has two reflectors on it like eyes.

Here's a simpler drawn map you may prefer (click to enlarge).  It prints better on our printer than the color version above.

A few people have been steered into little dead-end side roads like Old Crab Lane by Google maps.  Stick to the big roads nearby like Cattle Pt. Rd and Jensen Bay Rd.

Important note on Ferries: this route has a 90% reservations policy.  They open reservations for 30% of the boat two months ahead, 30% two weeks ahead, and 30% two days ahead.  The 10% is for medical priorities and those lucky few who didn't book but still get on (and that's not many!). 

So go to Washington State Ferries and make a reservation when you can, ideally at 8:OO in the morning when the new tranche of reservations opens.

A last chance happens at 4:30 the day before sailing, because some people cancel then before the 5:00 cutoff for returning their deposits.   

Even with a reservation, they suggest arrive an hour before sailing.  In fact, you must be at the ticket booth at least 30 minutes prior to departure, or you lose your reservation.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a bed-and-breakfast?
No, but you’ll have everything you need to make meals (except food, which you can buy in town).  Our advantage is privacy, and a rare, quiet seaside setting.

Can I walk to town?
Not easily; we’re not that close -- about 6 miles by road.  It takes about 12 minutes to drive to town.

May I bring my pet?
Yes.  Dogs love the fields and beach.  Our dog would love to play with yours.  You will want to keep pets inside at night.  Foxes, raccoons, mink and otters might tangle with them after darkness falls.

May I moor my boat?
There’s good anchorage out front in Mulno Cove, but we do not currently have an anchor buoy or a float on our dock (necessary because tides are extreme here).

How about my kayak? 
We have an excellent boat-launching ramp 100 feet from your door.  These sheltered waters are ideal for kayaking.

Are there good places to swim?
Puget Sound water is quite cold, but we do have a freshwater pond which has all the attributes of the ol' swimming hole, including the usual creepy-crawlies.  We have life jackets of various sizes you may borrow. You must supervise your kids when they swim!

Can you describe the cottage more completely?
It’s a cozy 380 square feet, a bathroom (with a shower) and one long room that incorporates a kitchen, a dining area, a queen-size bed and two built-in bunk beds.  Linens, towels and dishtowels are provided.  It ‘s heated by electric space heaters and, if you prefer, a wood stove.  The deck overlooks Griffin Bay.  A table and chairs allow you to dine outdoors, usually mosquito-free, thanks to the sea breeze.

This historic building was part of  San Juan Island’s American Camp in the 1850s where Captain George Pickett (who would later lead his famous, disastrous charge at Gettysburg) commanded his troops in the bloodless Pig War.  It was moved here in the 1940s to house the manager of a sawmill that operated on the property.  Roy and Kay Halsey refurbished it as a guest cottage in the 1950s and it has received a number of makeovers since.  Nobody has reported a ghost so far.

How well equipped is the kitchen?
A full complement of plates, dishes, utensils and cooking tools.  Full-size refrigerator-freezer, electric stove and oven, microwave, coffee maker and grinder, toaster.  No dishwasher.  Some condiments are on hand, but bring your own food to prepare.

How do I get there?
To get to the island, click here.  For directions once you're on the island, read this post.

Is there Internet access?
Mosts guests can piggyback on our home wireless network, which is fast enough to keep up with Netflix, usually.  The cottage has no phone, though cell reception is good.

Do you take credit cards?
Not at this time.  Please pay by check, money order, PayPal or cash.

Is this a working farm?
There is light activity.  Fields are hayed each July.  We have no livestock at present.

Is there a hot tub?

No, sorry to say.

Will I see orcas?

Possibly.  They only occasionally visit the east side of the island.  Lime Kiln Park, on the west side, is the best orca-spotting place.  There's a parking charge.  Plenty of harbor seals, eagles, herons, mink and otters hang around Driftwood Farm, though. In Summer, you'll hear seals snorting at night. At midsummer, bioluminescent plankton put on a show.

I have mobility issues.  Is your place for me?

There are three steps up to the deck, so if you're wheelchair-bound, that's a challenge.  Once, an elderly lady couldn't make it into the upper bunk; so we put the mattress on the floor for her.  We'll work however we can to accommodate your needs.

 

Rates and Policies

Two-night minimum.

May through September (high season)- $200/night or $1200 week plus tax of 10.3%.

October or April (shoulder season)  $160/night or $900/week plus tax of 10.3%.

We are closed November through March.

Dog Charge: $40 per stay of any length. Much as we love them, our furry friends add to the cleanup time.No cleaning charge or other additional charges.

Check-in 2:30. Check-out 11:30.

Cash, check or PayPal, please.  We're not currently equipped for credit cards. PayPal address: [email protected]

Deposit of $100 required to secure a reservation.  Make checks payable to:

Paul Chadwick
POB 3051
Friday Harbor WA  98250

Please smoke on the porch, not inside.  The next guest might be sensitive to smoke.

Pets, kids welcome.

You have full access to the beaches, fields, forest and other grounds, but please don't use our skiff (we're not insured for that) and give us as much privacy as you can, as we will for you.  Of course if you need anything, just knock at our door, but we discourage kids playing in our garden by the house, etc.

 

About Us

We're a pair of working artist/writers who have lived here since 1993.  We purchased the farm from Paul's Grandmother,  artist Kay Halsey. Kay and Roy Halsey purchased the land in 1950 from the Ackley brothers, one of whom had married a Mulno daughter.  The Mulnos had homesteaded the land, and Mulno Cove bears their name.

We have a black-mouthed cur, a dog much more lovely and delicate than its breed name suggests, a timid soul named Ailish.  She may say hello, and even woof a bit at first, feeling it's her duty.

As required by San Juan County, here's our UBI number, 602071057, and Transient Vacation Rental Permit number, 02PROV020.