Hello, June! I can’t believe you are here, already, again. They tell you life moves faster the older you get. They were right.
Nick and I spent an evening last weekend looking at our photos from the last year-and-a-half living in Washington, and we were quite surprised. “We’ve done so much!” Sometimes it doesn’t seem that way, but it’s nice looking back and remembering all the sights and sounds we’ve experienced. That’s one of the main reasons I want to maintain this blog: to document all those things we do. So we can piece together the past through pictures and captions and really actuallyremember all those good and wonderful times. And know for sure what we were up to. Without having to guess at the places and moments based on snapshots viewed out of context.
My dental hygienist told me about Orcas Island last June. She also told me that she’s been here 20 years and just now feels like she’s seen enough of Seattle and the surrounding area to feel satisfied, like she knows it. Boy, do I believe her. I’ve been here a fraction of the time and am certain we’ve only scratched the surface.
I can’t say for sure since I haven’t visited the other San Juan Islands (yet), but Orcas was the most perfect getaway for us. Ironically, I learned that the NY Times wrote a feature piece on Orcas (as one of the top islands in North America for “ideal escapes — into the past, into nature, into luxury”) as we were on the ferry there. When we arrived, we stopped for a bite of lunch at Brown Bear Baking (mentioned in the article), and locals were buzzing about it. Jokes were made about wanting to keep the secret of the island just that, a secret. “Don’t write about it, then they will come!”
It really was a special place to escape to. Not a single traffic light or fast food chain in sight. The air was fresh. The buzz of cars and sirens from the city quickly forgotten.
Nick and I stayed at The Tiny House on the beach in the center of the island for 4 nights. Thank you AirBnB. It’s always amazing to see a listing, with just a couple photos, really come to life as you pull in.. and park on the grass 20 yards from the ocean. (Probably less: I am bad at estimating distance).
We made one plan: a 4-hour whale watching excursion off the northern coast of the island smack dab in the middle of our stay. The rest would be left to exploring, sans hour-to-hour, day-to-day itinerary (sometimes I really get too intense with my itineraries!).
We actually did want to do a bit of island hoppin’ to visit trendy Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, but plans were shifted and ferries non-existent on a holiday weekend Sunday, so we ended up spending the entire 5 days on Orcas. And I’m completely okay with that. Because I can say with certainty that we got a good and thorough taste of the island. I already want to go back.
Our favorite photos from the trip are below, captioned for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy.
Day 1: On the ferry from Anacortes to Orcas Island!
Day 1: Leaving the dock via ferry. The ferry trip reminded me of the beginning of Alan Wake.
Day 1: Riding the ferry!
Day 1: Once we got to Orcas, we wandered into East Sound which is in the middle of the island. Here we shared an amazing ham and swiss croissant sandwich and a latte at Brown Bear Baking.
Day 1: Arriving at the Tiny House, we were greeted by Jacqueline, our AirBnB host, and a DEER.
Day 1: At the Tiny House, Nick standing next to an old buoy.
Day 1: The view of the dock outside the Tiny House. There was so much wonderful driftwood on this beach!
Day 1: Nearing sunset, the view of Obstruction Island. The island is aptly named because it obstructs the view of this part of the island. It’s actually really small compared to Orcas.
Day 1: Looking back at the other house on the property. Since no one was renting it at the time, our host let us use the house. We sat on the porch and watched the sunset each night. We cooked dinner in the kitchen there, and had breakfast there one morning too. So perfect, pensive, calming.
Day 2: Planning to do some afternoon hiking, we first stopped at the Catkin Cafe to enjoy a hearty breakfast. It was glorious. Perfectly cooked eggs, deliciously dark and strong coffee. I also grabbed a tasty scone to go as we were heading out.
Day 2: Catkin Cafe Artist Co-Op: The second half of the building that housed the Catkin Cafe was an artist co-op housing the works of about 45 local artists. It was great to see everything altogether there.
Day 2: Before heading up to Mount Constitution, we hiked around Mountain Lake for a bit. I love that it’s called Mountain Lake. What is it? A mountain or a lake??
Day 2: Beautiful foxgloves surrounded the area leading up to the lake. I had to take a photo!
Day 2: The trail around Mt. Constitution in Moran Park was really nice. Very quiet, sounds of nature all around, peaceful with a slight chill in the air.
Day 2: A lovely view of Mountain Lake at the water level.
Day 2: The top of Mt. Constitution. We cheated and drove up there. It was a long, slow and winding road up, but so very worth it! Nick is “happy” to be at the top, instead of in the car.
Day 2: Really felt like we were on the top of the world here. As tall as the clouds. These photos do not do the view justice, I must admit.
Day 2: Carved names in the stone observation tower at the top of the mountain.
Day 2: I think this was the view to the east, and you can see the black waters of Mountain Lake below. A nice contrast with the pale grey ocean water and the vibrant green trees.
Day 2: One last view from the top of the mountain. It was glorious up there, I didn’t want to leave.
Day 3: We were supposed to go whale watching, but our guides rescheduled with us because of rainy weather. Instead, we had brunch in East Sound at the New Leaf Cafe. The cafe is right as you turn into town, and has a lovely view of the ocean (not pictured). They served up some tasty chai tea here, and delicious garden greens!
Day 3: After brunch we drove to the western edge of the island explored a bit of Deer Harbor. It was quiet and moody over there. We walked along the docks and looked at all the boats. Then, a plane landed in the water!
Day 3: Some of the local sea greens on Deer Harbor. Love the colors.
Day 3: We rounded out the day with a trip to the only brewery on the island: Island Hoppin’ Brewery. It’s a really great local spot, the bartender used to be the drummer in one of our favorite bands from back in the day, and they had a well-rounded tasting menu on tap.
Day 3: I loved almost every single one of their brews. We sat outside under an umbrella in the pouring rain, and I borrowed one of their blankets to keep warm. So thoughtful! We were even able to take some beer back to the Tiny House with the growlers we brought from home.
Day 4: Early morning whale watching! This is a pre-whale-sighting inside-the-boat shot.. Note, we did NOT look as neat and cozy afterwards 😉
Day 4: Whale fin!
Day 4: I was hanging over the edge of the boat in the choppiest water ever with my Nikon and my biggest lens to capture this. We were very far north, in Canadian waters, when we finally had some humpback sightings. Glorious!
Day 4: After the exciting morning whale watching, we stopped back at the Tiny House for a quick change of clothes and headed out to the eastern tip of the island, Doe Bay. This is the part of the island I fell in love with. It felt truly secluded and so very far away from the city. Also, the name Doe Bay is very fitting, given how many deer populate the island 😉
Day 4: Every night Nick and I played Carcassonne and every night he beat me, except for the final night!
Day 4: Drying our boots near the fire. They got quite wet on the whale-watching excursion!
Day 5: A view of the road that winds along Cascade lake in Moran Park, headed back to the ferry. The early morning light was just perfect. A nice final view of the island.
Day 5: Saying goodbye to Orcas from the ferry. It was a great trip, and I already want to go back. See you next time, Orcas!
