Under the Stars near Seattle

As I see it the biggest drawback of car camping is having to deal with all those other campers. Boom boxes, barking dogs, bawling babies; a campground can be anything but a peaceful weekend getaway. If you absolutely must have peace and solitude, but don't want to backpack miles into a wilderness in search of said solitude, then this is the place for you.

This private campground is set in the woods on an old farm in the middle of quiet Lopez Island. The owner started out with four cushy cabins and then added the campsites to attract cash-strapped couples. Sure the campsites are more expensive than you'd pay at a state park, but you won't have neighbors breathing down your neck. All the sites are walk-ins and all have plenty of space between them and the next nearest site. There's also a group cookhouse area where you can prepare meals or get out of the rain should you need to.

Lopez Island is well known as the best of the San Juan Islands for bicycling, and you can easily spend a long weekend pedaling the island and checking out the many little waterfront parks scattered around the Lopez shoreline. Once you've finished exploring this island, Shaw, San Juan, and Orcas are only a ferry ride away. Bring your sea kayak, and you can do some exploring out of Spencer Spit State Park. You can also rent sea kayaks here on the island or do a guided kayak tour. This park also has a few short hiking trails and attractive beaches.