BELLINGHAM, Wash. Seeing San Juan Island from your bicycle to save a few dollars is no great sacrifice, not when you're staring slack-jawed at the sparkling waters of Haro Strait, a sky so blue it's unreal, and the rugged beauty of the snow-edged Olympic Mountains.

In fact, leaving your car at the ferry terminal in Anacortes and walking on with your bike for the ferry ride over to Friday Harbor is one way to sightsee this summer without draining your wallet. Trading in four wheels for two can cut ferry expenses by half.

"There are a lot of people who are leaving their cars on the mainland. The cost of getting your car out here is so expensive now," says Paul Ahart, owner of Island Bicycles, the only bike shop on the island.

And you'll get fresh air and plenty of exercise in the process; one route that starts and ends in Friday Harbor makes for a 28-mile loop with a stop at Lime Kiln Point State Park as the highlight.

ISLAND OVERVIEW

San Juan Island, along with Orcas and Lopez, are popular destinations for bicyclists, especially during summer. All three are an easy ferry ride from Anacortes.

Of the three, Orcas is known for hilly, winding roads that make outings tough for novice riders. Lopez is the flattest and is a favorite of visitors who want scenery without breaking much of a sweat.

San Juan Island is somewhere in between; if the hills aren't short and steep, their long inclines will make rec riders thank the gods for granny gear.

The islands also are ideal getaways for rain-weary, sometimes sunshine-starved Whatcom County residents. Because they're in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains in the southwest and Vancouver Island in the west, the islands - part of a group of 700 islands and reefs collectively called the San Juan Island Archipelago - get more sunny days and less rainfall.

Cattle Point on the southeast end of San Juan Island, for example, receives an average of 19 inches of rain each year compared to nearly 36 inches recorded in Bellingham.

Even when it's sunny in Bellingham, a trip to San Juan Island is still a magical experience.

WOW! VIEWS

It starts with the ferry ride over from Anacortes.

After you tie up your bike in spots set aside for that purpose, wander out on the ferry deck to get an eyeful of the views that will elicit plenty of "oohs" and "aahs." There are mountains and sailboats and other islands and the gorgeous water. Your smile will stay plastered on your face.

Upon landing, bicyclists and those who walk on the ferry are first to be let off.

Jump on your bike and do a slow and steady ride through Friday Harbor. Be careful here: There's plenty of car and foot traffic to become entangled in if you're not paying attention.

Bicyclists can take numerous routes.

If you want a good ride that doesn't totally wear you out, there's a 28-mile loop that starts from the ferry landing in Friday Harbor. As soon as you get off, you'll do a quick jaunt on Spring Street to Guard Street and then north on Tucker Avenue. Your aim here is to follow Tucker and merge left onto Roche Harbor Road, one of the main routes on the island.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you're riding:

- Keep a sharp eye out for road signs. They can be few and far between.

- While there are some bike lanes or slightly wider roads, much of your road-biking trip will depend on the forbearance of motorists. San Juan Island is the more populated of the three islands, and some residents might get a little cranky but are otherwise good about giving bicyclists space.

But there are definitely moments when you'll hear and feel cars whizzing by you. If that makes you nervous, a midweek trip to the island, when there's less traffic, or to Lopez Island, which also has fewer motorists, might be a better outing.

- You'll be tempted to stop and gawk in beautiful places. Just make sure there's enough room for you, your bike and vehicles driving by.

- It's best to ride single file.

- Pack plenty of drinking water. Depending on your route, there may be some stretches where there's no water for you.

WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS?

The ride to the northern part of the island on Roche Harbor Road will likely be the hottest part of the trip. It's inland just enough to keep cool breezes from wafting in from shore. But as you ride, you'll have a chance to admire open farmland, picturesque bales of hay sitting lonely under the sky, and views of Sportsman and Lakedale lakes as you pass by.

You'll hit long inclines starting at Roche Harbor Road, which you'll stay on until the intersection with West Valley Road. From there, you'll cut over on Mitchell Bay Road and follow signs to get to Lime Kiln Point State Park on the west side of the island.

As you ride the hills, you'll find yourself mumbling: Is this fun? I think I can walk faster than I'm riding. Whose idea was this? Is it better to grunt up a steep hill that's short or to ride up a long hill? Can my granny gear go any lower?

(By the way, a map of the San Juan Islands put out by Great Pacific Recreation & Travel Maps recommends that riders head west on Beaverton Valley Road and then south on West Side Road to bypass the island's steepest hills.)

But, mercifully, you'll hit spots where you can zoom down at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. And then you'll suck in your breath in astonishment as you round a corner on South West Side Road to see Haro Strait before you as you head to Lime Kiln State Park.

Don't keep riding. This is the place to stop. Park your bike at the racks near an interpretive center, walk 300 yards down a flat trail to picnic areas, and park yourself with a lunch.

Nicknamed Whale Watch Park, this is the spot to hang out for a chance to see resident orcas and minke whales as they swim close to shore. About 90 orcas hang out in the area through the end of September.

While you wait, you'll blink in disbelief at the beauty around you, including a postcard-perfect view of the lighthouse perched on a nearby point since 1919.

FOUR FRIENDS AND A VIEW

Laurie Sacknitz, Kathy Theuer, Wendy Pound and Pam Conners were among those admiring the view from the park one day earlier this month, even though they didn't see any whales.

The friends and visitors from California say the trip is part of their bike the islands adventure, and the island has been a "natural wonderland," as Sackitz puts it, and a "biker's paradise," as Theuer says.

"We always wanted to ride bikes in the San Juans," says Sacknitz, 52.

The friends already had ridden Lopez and Whidbey islands earlier in their trip.

"We started what we thought were the easier ones, and we're working our way up," says Theuer, 49, laughing.

The group says drivers are friendly on the island. And they are happy with the condition of the routes.

"The roads are wonderful for biking. They're so nice," the 54-year-old Pound says.

Theurer is particularly taken by the day's sights, saying Lime Kiln is her favorite place so far. "My three favorite colors are here - blue, green and white."

She's referring to the blue of the water, the green of the trees and the white-capped mountains.

"What about the moon? It's right there," Conners, 59, says of the wedge of white perching over Theurer's shoulder in the late-afternoon sky.

Next up on their island-hopping adventures: hilly Orcas Island.

"We're thinking mopeds might be good there," Theuer jokes.

And with that, the four friends hop on their bikes and ride off.

You also climb back on yours and tackle a couple more hills with ocean on one side and high cliff walls on the other. You'll eventually connect to San Juan Valley Road to ride back into Friday Harbor, where you'll have just enough time to grab an ice cream cone - with two scoops as reward for all your hard work - before reluctantly riding the ferry back to Anacortes.

FERRY INFO

- Driving directions to Anacortes ferry terminal: Go south on Interstate 5 and take exit 230. Merge right onto Goldenrod Road. At the first traffic light, turn left onto State Highway 20 West. Follow the highway to Anacortes. In Anacortes merge right onto Commercial Avenue to reach the central business district. Then, take a left at 12th Street and follow the signs to the ferry terminal.

- Cost for one adult and one bicycle on the ferry to Friday Harbor, round trip: $17.15.

- Cost to park one car for 24 hours in the terminal parking lot: $10.

- Cost for one adult and one car on the ferry, round trip: $64.35.

- You should know: The ferry ride from Anacortes to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island will take a little over one hour, provided you pick the ferry that doesn't stop en route to the other islands.

- Washington State Ferries Web site: Go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries and type "San Juan Islands schedule" into the search window.