Where did the idea for Sammy and The San Juan Express come from? Years ago I vacationed with my two children in the San Juan Islands. We’d spend two or more weeks on a 28′ Chris Craft with a small sailing dinghy in tow. It was magical watching how they adapted to their new environment. Two urban kids suddenly transformed into sailors, fisherman, divers, and explorers. During the day they would swim in warm coves, or spend lazy afternoons in the dinghy. In the evenings, with no television or radio, we’d play card games, and I would make up stories about pirates, goblins, and lost children living on the islands. And so, some thirty years ago, the seeds of The San Juan Express were planted. Many years later, they began to sprout.