Between asphalt and electrical lines
The theme this year for the fourth of July? Get as close to Canada as possible without actually being in Canada.
View Larger Map And watch whales.
And boats.
And build some stuff. 
And have a great time doing it.
For the fourth, we got invited to camp on a friend of a friend's land on a remote island north of San Juan Island. In exchange for the boat ride out there (needs to be chartered since no ferry goes out there), we helped build a structure that would be an open-air shelter. The awesome folks at Five Dot Design Build were responsible for the plans and the building of said structure. In 3.5 days, we got everything but the roof on and it never felt like work. We stopped to run over to a bluff to watch the passing orcas any time someone heard the unmistakable sound they make when surfacing and we got to see plenty.
It's interesting to imagine an island sandwiched between civilizations (Sydney, B.C. and San Juan Island) that has no water or power or any infrastructure. During the winter months, the island is inhabited by 15-20 people. There is a school on the island that will stay open as long as there are at least 2 students enrolled. The library is chock full of books and film reels. There's a little museum documenting the island's 125 year history. A lighthouse sits at Turn Point, on the western side of the island and provides a marker for shipping traffic where it needs to turn in Haro Strait on its way to Bellingham and Vancouver.
I can't really imagine myself living full time in a place like that, but it's definitely a place I can see myself visiting time and again to recharge and refresh. Life is simpler and just a little bit more beautiful without asphalt or electrical lines.
