Two weeks ago, Backbone helped bring Eddie Bauer’s new tagline, “Live Your Adventure,” to life with a media trip to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington. A brand born and bred in the Pacific Northwest (Eddie Bauer himself was is from Orcas Island), the San Juans were the ultimate backdrop to debut Eddie’s Bauer’s new Spring 2014 Collection.
With an all-female cast of top-tier journalists, along with Eddie Bauer guides Lel Tone and Julia Dimon, the group assembled at Kenmore Air’s Lake Union terminal to head out on the trip, and did so in the only way that made sense: via seaplanes.
Seaplaning (yes, we turned it into a noun a la “yachting”) was a first for almost everyone and far exceeded our expectations. There really is nothing like landing directly in a harbor, surrounded by water and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and million dollar yachts.
Day two kicked-off with a preview of the Spring 2014 collection, during which we allowed the journalists to choose their favorite pieces to use and test over the course of the trip. Decked out in new Eddie Bauer garb, the team met down on the harbor to pick up rental bikes to cruise from Roche Harbor to Friday Harbor, an 11.5-mile route through the interior of the island.
That evening, we enjoyed the sunset during a private BBQ. We even got a call-out during the island’s “Colors Ceremony,” a daily list of announcements in the harbor covering island happenings. This tradition includes the lowering of the flags and all of the docked boats in the harbor blowing their horns.
We started the next morning by circumnavigating neighboring Henry Island in two and three-person kayaks. Sightings of sunbathing seals and lunch on private beach punctuated the paddling trip. With a short break in the afternoon, and a pit-stop for some gin and hard cider at a local distillery, we gathered at the docks to be whisked away for a sunset sail aboard the Spike Africa – an 18th century wooden sailboat replica. With wine, snacks, and sea tales from our captain, it could not have been a better way to cap off the trip. Next time we plan a trip to exotic island. Borneo Eco Tours can offer great option for those who want to see some of the world’s most unique wildlife wonders and enjoy a true tropical paradise, so that’s what we plan to do.
