the wandering chick
...the San Juan Islands
Orcas Island & the San Juan Island
It would take a lifetime - and a boat - to visit all the San Juan Islands. There are just over 100 in count, and a very small portion of those are inhabited. Ferries service six of the islands, the major ones being Orcas and San Juan.
I spent a day on each, taking the hour-plus ride from Anacortes, on Whidbey Island. (OK, technically, Anacortes is not part of Whidbey Island, but that falls under TMI. )
The fun was in seeing the whole islands, not just the ferry dock towns. One might be hard-pressed to spend a complete day in either Friday Harbor (San Juan's ferry town) or Orcas Village. But diversity lies in every corner of each island, each different, each beautiful in its own way.
Above and below: Along the West Sound of Orcas Island.
The islands can't be all coastline. I found the inland farms and pastures to be as picturesque as the rugged beaches.
The red-barked Madrona trees can be found throughout Washington's islands.
Above and Left: Overlooking East Sound. Orcas Island is kinda horseshoe-shaped, and in the middle is this body of water called East Sound.
Below: The Outlook Inn has a wonderful view of East Sound.
St. Moran State Park is located on Orcas' east section. It's a popular state park for good reason: It's home to Mount Constitution, the highest mountain in all the San Juan islands. A five-mile drive up the mountain offers incredible views of the surrounding islands. On clear days, you can see as far as Victoria, B.C. and the outerlying Cascade Mountains, Olympic Mountains and Mt. Rainier. I wasn't that lucky, but it's still an awesome sight!
Cascade Falls at Orcas' Moran State Park
Halfway down Mt. Constitution is this view. The photo on the left is of the St. Moran boathouse.
the town of Friday Harbor welcomes ferries to San Juan Island. The two pictures on the right (top and bottom) are of the town's harbor.
San Juan Island is roughly 25 miles long, from Roche Harbor at the northern-most tip to Cattle Point on the southern tip. The photos above, right and a couple below were taken at Cattle Point. The lighthouse guides boats in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Lime Kiln Point State Park lies on San Juan Island's west coast overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It's also called the Whale Watch Park since its location is perfect for watching whales as they pass through the strait. In addition to that, the lighthouse sits stately on the rocky, Madrona-lined beach.
A back road from Cattle Point to Lime Kiln Point is called False Bay Road which bypasses False Bay.
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San Juan Island is a National Historical Park known as American and English Camps, San Juan Island. The informative board to the left explains The Pig War. The British Camp is the only part of a US national park that commemorates a British military site and the only one that flies the British Union Flag.
Roche Harbor is on the north tip of San Juan Island. It's a community of its own, clean, modern and filled with pride by the residents who reside there. These last pictures are of Roche Harbor.
