Definitely, and by all means I recommend taking a trip to Orcas Island. From the scenery to the food, it is simply the perfect weekend vacation. I started off my trip with a ferry ride from Anacortes to the island, and with gorgeous weather out with a bright blue sky and summer-like clouds it was a beautiful hour-long cruise. My brother and I like to go out on the deck for a 180 view of the water, but if there are lots of people out and the wind gets too chilly, we head to the back of the ferry where there is usually no one else to be found. Even if you don’t plan to spend the night on one of the islands or if you are looking for a ferry ride that’s a little more exciting than the Edmonds-Kingston or Mukilteo-Whidbey ferries, this trip is definitely worth it. Make sure you make a reservation if you are travelling by car at least 24 hours beforehand, or you may have to delay your trip a day or so.
The first night we arrived, we decided to take the windy forest drive up Mt. Constitution where there is a watchtower to see the sunset. It was absolutely fantastic. The clouds were beautifully reflected in the water and the sky turned many shades of pink and orange over what felt like hours that we spent at the top just looking out over the water. Not only was this a picturesque spot where it was impossible to take a bad picture, the view was so clear that you could easily pick out familiar towns across the water. Equally as stunning as the water was how clearly you could see the Olympic mountains. Usually you can only see a snippet of the range here and there, but from the mountaintop you could see the entire expanse of them. Climbing up the stone watchtower in the dark was thrilling in itself. Although it was built in 1936, you feel like you’re in a castle from centuries ago as you step on the cold stones and pass by the open windows.
There are also tons of hikes that to go on and explore even more of the beauty of the island. My personal favorite was the Mountain Lake Loop in Moran State Park. An easy 4 miles, it is a walk on which you can spot huge fur trees and wildlife like herons sitting on the edge of the still lake. If camping is your go-to, there are also hundreds of spots that would be absolutely perfect to go to here, including some located in Moran State Park. You can also take a leisurely drive across the island through forests and farms. I quickly didn’t feel like I was on an island anymore, but instead somewhere in England or in the middle of a James Herriot novel in Scotland. Along the way, my favorite part was seeing all the baby cows and sheep. I would recommend going to Orcas Island Pottery, a hard to find shop full of every single piece of pottery imaginable and in every color. They also have the most awesome treehouse that you can go up and wish you were five years old all over again. For food, I would 100% recommend going to the Madrona Bar & Grill in Eastsound. The fish and chips there was by far the best any of us have ever tasted before and the portion sizes were huge. We went for dinner after dark, but judging by the proximity to the water and the windows all around the cafe, it would also be a beautiful place to watch the sunset and eat.
This was my first time visiting the San Juan Islands, and it is safe to say that it is one of the most breathtaking places I’ve been. The entire weekend we spent there, the weather was amazingly pleasant for most of the days, with some light rain here and there. On our third day, I woke up from a nap to look outside and found that it was snowing! The snow was bigger than a quarter in size and watching the flakes fall down among the evergreens from the inside of our warm cabin with huge windows was magical - I felt like I was in the middle of a book or movie scene. All around, I would certainly recommend visiting Orcas Island for a day trip or even a week long trip where you can make your own schedule and have an amazingly relaxing time while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
The first night we arrived, we decided to take the windy forest drive up Mt. Constitution where there is a watchtower to see the sunset. It was absolutely fantastic. The clouds were beautifully reflected in the water and the sky turned many shades of pink and orange over what felt like hours that we spent at the top just looking out over the water. Not only was this a picturesque spot where it was impossible to take a bad picture, the view was so clear that you could easily pick out familiar towns across the water. Equally as stunning as the water was how clearly you could see the Olympic mountains. Usually you can only see a snippet of the range here and there, but from the mountaintop you could see the entire expanse of them. Climbing up the stone watchtower in the dark was thrilling in itself. Although it was built in 1936, you feel like you’re in a castle from centuries ago as you step on the cold stones and pass by the open windows.
There are also tons of hikes that to go on and explore even more of the beauty of the island. My personal favorite was the Mountain Lake Loop in Moran State Park. An easy 4 miles, it is a walk on which you can spot huge fur trees and wildlife like herons sitting on the edge of the still lake. If camping is your go-to, there are also hundreds of spots that would be absolutely perfect to go to here, including some located in Moran State Park. You can also take a leisurely drive across the island through forests and farms. I quickly didn’t feel like I was on an island anymore, but instead somewhere in England or in the middle of a James Herriot novel in Scotland. Along the way, my favorite part was seeing all the baby cows and sheep. I would recommend going to Orcas Island Pottery, a hard to find shop full of every single piece of pottery imaginable and in every color. They also have the most awesome treehouse that you can go up and wish you were five years old all over again. For food, I would 100% recommend going to the Madrona Bar & Grill in Eastsound. The fish and chips there was by far the best any of us have ever tasted before and the portion sizes were huge. We went for dinner after dark, but judging by the proximity to the water and the windows all around the cafe, it would also be a beautiful place to watch the sunset and eat.
This was my first time visiting the San Juan Islands, and it is safe to say that it is one of the most breathtaking places I’ve been. The entire weekend we spent there, the weather was amazingly pleasant for most of the days, with some light rain here and there. On our third day, I woke up from a nap to look outside and found that it was snowing! The snow was bigger than a quarter in size and watching the flakes fall down among the evergreens from the inside of our warm cabin with huge windows was magical - I felt like I was in the middle of a book or movie scene. All around, I would certainly recommend visiting Orcas Island for a day trip or even a week long trip where you can make your own schedule and have an amazingly relaxing time while enjoying the beautiful scenery.