Falling in Love with Orcas Island: Tuesday Aug 10 - Thursday Aug 12

We altered our planned journey and impetuously decide to take a trip to Orcas Island.  I had been reading about it and we realized : we can go anywhere we want.  So we sailed out of Friday Harbor under sunny skies and in 1 hr and 15 min we were at Deer Harbor on Orcas Island.  We docked and I walked to the shack at the top of the harbor and went into the "General Store" to get some groceries.  It is smaller than the dinghys in the harbor, with less groceries.  I asked where the town grocery store (that I read about)  is and they said "You're in it."  Then I asked where the town of Deer Harbor is and they said "You're in it."

Small but not without its charm.  We walked to the only restaurant in town, down a dusty road for 1/2 mile, up a hill covered in dry grass, and there, in the middle of a meadow of yellow crunchy grass was the Deer Harbor Inn restaurant - part of a resort complex.  We decided to dine on the boat. Which we did for the next two nights.

The next morning we woke up to...fog!  But it cleared and we went kayaking.  Jim and Zippy paddled under a bridge at flood tide riding the rapids but  the current was so strong they could not paddle back against it so Jim had to get out and drag the kayak over the rocks near shore.

On Thursday we rented a car and drove Orcas Island, to the town of Eastsound.  It was love at first sight!  Then to the state park and up to Mt. Constitution, over 2,ooo+ feet elevation with a 360 degree view of Canada, the San Juan Islands, Mt. Rainer and  Bellingham.  It was stunning.  We ended the day at a waterside bar that allowed pets on their deck and served Mac &; Jacs.  Jim was in heaven!

Man's Best Friends:  A Mac & Jack And Zippy 

For dinner we went to the most romantic and picturesque place we have dined to date.  The Inn at Ship's Inn on Eastsound on Orcas Island.  We ate outside overlooking the bay with Bald Eagles keeping us company and deer meandering by.  And the food!