I think I must be the last person to have discovered the San Juan Islands, but I would still like to share the experience that I had in May. I was really moved - unlike any other vacation I've ever taken, and I left with such a feeling of peace. But I suppose I'm waxing philosophical, aren't I?

Okay...

The basics first:

I'm in my mid-40s and my BF (G) is in his early 50s and this was a mutual birthday getaway. The timeframe was from May 15 to May 20. I am admittedly more a "city-girl" and G is very much all about being in the country. When I started planning this getaway back in October, I was a bit at odds as to where to go. One day while reading our Sunday travel section there was a brief article on the San Juan Islands, an area I'd not ever heard about, and I started doing a little bit of research. The information I found looked so intriguing I started asking around and discovered it seemed I was the only who hadn't been there yet! It seemed perfect, so I set about making plans.

Getting a deal on airfare was going to be deal breaker for me, and I was able to get a fairly good one with Alaska Airlines. When I checked out rental cars and got a great deal there, I knew this was written in the cards!

The difficult part was trying to decide which island(s) to stay on and how to divide up our time. I received some terrific advice from the folks here (as always!), and through the singular guidebook I found on the islands - Moon Handbooks San Juan Islands. We decided we would we spend all four nights (May 15 through May 19) on Orcas Island with a day trip to San Juan. Yeah, that was the original plan. It really was.

The next major decision was figuring out where to stay. We were in luck, in that we were missing the high tourist season by a few weeks so we did have lots of choices. But so many choices! Most of the hotels looked lovely, but those within our price range (even in the off or shoulder season) were with shared bath, which just isn't our thing. Quite a few people told me I should look into the B & B thing, but G and I absolutely hate, hate, hate being houseguests and I just don't get the idea of actually paying for the experience. G really wanted to do a vacation rental, anyway, so I started looking in that direction.

One place that kept coming to the top was the Beach Haven Resort. Now, "resort" is probably misleading. Well, very misleading, actually. This property is about 10 acres on the northwest shore of Orcas. Originally there were 4 one bedroom cabins built along the beach in the 1940s, or thereabouts. Eventually, a few more family sized cabins were built, along with a couple of larger lodge-like accommodations. It sounded like what we were looking for, so I made reservations for a one bedroom cabin.

If anyone has any questions, I can try to answer them as best I can. I did finally come into the 21st century and buy a digital camera, so I will have pictures online! Oh yeah! Will have a link soon for any one who might be interested.

This will probably be easiest if I use the entries from my journal, so I truly hope this report can be of help to some one else.

May 15


I am thoroughly enchanted, but I guess I must start from the beginning. We got up early and left Long Beach at the crack of dawn. The flight to Seattle was uneventful, but took much less time than expected – 2 hours!

Picked up the car – a Jeep Commander – and made our way out of Seattle and north to Anacortes. Washington is gorgeous! The weather was great. A little cool and a little cloudy, but mostly sunny. There was no traffic. The ride, which took about 2 hours, was very pleasant and seemed to pass quickly. Of course, beautiful scenery helped.

When we arrived in Anacortes, we found a grocery store and loaded up on supplies. Then off to the ferry. It was easy to find. If this isn’t high tourist season, I would hate to see the wait during that time! Luckily, we arrived early enough.

The ferries are huge. I remember the ferries we took from Canada being large, but for some reason I thought these would be smaller. Not so! After we were loaded in, I realized it was going to be kind of tough to get in and out of the car. It seems most everyone stays in their car for the crossing. At least the natives seem to. At least we were in the “wings” which enabled us a view of the islands, so I could still get some pictures of the islands!

We landed on Orcas after about an hour and I just couldn’t believe it! I don’t know if I can even describe it…. It is impossibly green. And beautiful. Almost everywhere you look is a postcard. It is just incredible! Absolutely beautiful. I’ve been to Hawaii and the Caribbean, and they are beautiful, but this is just something else. I’ve never experienced this and it is amazing!

It was a bit of a trick to find the Beach Haven Resort, but we did find it. Okay, so far this place is just terrific. It is remote and right on the water’s edge. We are in cabin #3 and it is absolutely adorable. It is small, yes, but everything one needs. In the main single room are a sofa and a wingback chair, along with a table and 2 chairs. The kitchen has a refrigerator and stove, with dishes and pots and pans, coffee maker and toaster. There is a wood burning stove. A picture window overlooks the beach. The bedroom is small with a queen bed and room to hang clothes. It is tight! The bathroom completes the cabin and actually is roomy. There is a shower stall only. There is a deck in front (facing the deck) that also has a picnic table. In addition there are 2 chairs to sit on the beach. The way the cabins are built, it almost seems the beach is exclusively yours. Sweet! There is a small bar-b-que provided. Firewood is also provided.

We settled in a bit, and then took off to get dinner. Decided on Bilbo’s Festivo. Excellent! G had the Chili Verde and I had the Chili Relleno. They prepare it with additional Anaheim chilis inside and pine nuts. Wonderful! I would recommend it.

May 16

An absolutely wonderful day! The weather could not have been more perfect. Warm with clear skies – beautiful!

We slept in to the music of the birds and the ducks (?) out on the water. After a leisurely breakfast and showers, we decided to spend the day on Orcas. We hopped into the car and took off for Moran State Park.

The Park is not very far away, but it is much larger than I had thought. It is so beautiful. Lush, green vegetation, trees that form a canopy over the road, and huge stands of trees. We saw a number of deer feeding by the side of the road. Evidently, they are not fearful of cars as they allowed us to get very close to take pictures.

We made our way to Mt. Constitution, which is the highest point in the San Juan Islands. The view is just incredible! Not only can one gain an appreciation for the jigsaw that is San Juans, but one can see mountains in Washington (including Mt. Rainier) and into Canada. The whole of it is laid before you. It really is quite spectacular.

On the way down we stopped at Cascade Falls. We had just a bit of a hike, but it was nice. The Falls were not like Yosemite, but they were at their fullest so it was beautiful.

After that we found we had worked up a bit of an appetite, so we headed back to the cabin. Made up some sandwiches and ate them out on the picnic table on the deck. It is so peaceful and relaxing here! You just start to feel all the pressures melt away and just relax. Beyond description.

We took a nap this afternoon. (See? I said it was relaxing!) Then G bar-b-qued some steaks. YUMMY! Who needs a restaurant?

Took a walk around Beach Haven, and this place really lives up to my expectations. There is a nice playground, with horseshoes and a ping-pong table. There are fire pits available as well as row boats and canoes. The one bedroom cabins are separated and have more privacy than the family cabins. The property is well maintained and the people who own it are certainly proud of it. It shows!

After the dishes were done, G and I sat outside for a long time. A collection of seals, between 5 or 6, had been seen off shore just about all afternoon. We watched as they played and ate, though they were too far away for pictures. Good thing we brought the binoculars! We watched the sunset, and then watched as the fish jumped after insects in the twilight. It started getting a little cool, so now we are snug in the cabin. However, the sky is clear tonight and we are hoping to do some stargazing tonight.

May 17

Woke up this morning to an allergy attack! UGH! It figures - I breathe smog and all manner of icky airborne crude all the time and when my body finally gets clean air it hasn't a clue what to do with it! Ah well, thank goodness there is a pharmacy close by!

I swear we are getting lazier each day, and by the time it is due for us to return we will have turned into sloths. Slept in again – time really means nothing here. I do believe we have decided to stay on Orcas Island. Somehow it just seems like too much energy to go to another island.

G noticed a place called “Eagle Lake” on the map and we figured we would take a drive over there. It’s on the east side of the island and a bit remote. But, alas, it is a private community. Oh well. It was a beautiful drive, anyway.

On the way back, we drove through Doe Bay and decided to head for Obstruction Pass State Park. It is about a ½ mile hike to the beach, but is very easy. The scenery is just outstanding – I can’t even come up with enough adjectives to describe it! I heard, rather than saw, a deer, but we did see a slug. I think I could have done without that. When we got down to the beach, we saw a lone seal or otter swimming about. As we got closer to take a picture, he got suddenly shy and disappeared.

I had heard some great things about Café Olga, and we did find it so we decided to stop for lunch. However they are closed on Wednesdays, and well, this is Wednesday. It does look charming, though.

We headed into Eastsound and decided to have lunch there. There are lots of places, but one that caught our eye was Mom’s TLC Café. Nothing fancy, mostly locals, but very good food. G had a Bacon Cheddar Burger that he said was very good. I had a Grilled Chicken Southwestern that was done to perfection. Simple burgers and salads for lunch (just opened for lunch today), but served with lots of flavor in a clean, simply decorated place, by a waitress who is just as friendly as can be, at prices that won’t break the wallet.

We walked around Eastsound, but the allergy meds were starting to kick in and I was getting drowsy. We headed back to the cabin and both of us took a nap. It is so easy here!

We took a walk to dump the trash and decided sometime to try the nature hike Beach Haven has on their property. It looks pretty interesting. They have 10 acres of land, and the walks consist of 3 different loops. If one finishes all 3 loops, they will have hiked 1.5 miles. Not bad.

And now, the dishes are done and the floor is swept and G and I are sitting out by the beach watching the sunset. There is a bush that attracts bees, and their hum fills the air – that is how quiet it is. Every now and then the water laps at the shore. And Lily, the resort cat, stopped by for a visit! How nice.

The sunsets here are so lovely. The play of colors on the water is just beautiful. Just amazing.

The weather today was a bit cooler than yesterday, but still very nice. It was clear and sunny. Really, all one could hope for. In some weird way I would sort of like rain, but I’m fearful it would make me even lazier!

May 18

Our last night here, and the dishes are washed and the suitcases (mostly) packed. We have both become very comfortable here and it will be hard to leave. Other visitors have written in the cabin journal of the magic of this place, and I can understand it. It’s so peaceful and serene and has some of the most amazing beauty. Not in the same way as Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, no. It is more sublime. And the wonderful thing is not fighting hordes of others to experience this. Oh, I suppose we timed this just right, and the hordes will arrive shortly after we leave. But, this is my experience!

This morning we wandered down to Orcas Village to see what the ferry schedule looks like tomorrow. Looks like we need to be there by 9:15AM, so we decided to get there a little earlier and have breakfast.

Orcas Village is tiny! The Orcas Hotel does look quite nice, though. We also saw a “scootcar” for rent, and it looks like lots of fun!

We decided to take the “road less traveled” back to Orcas Road, and – like all surprises on this island – I’m glad we did. So, so beautiful. We have seen every part of this island with the exception of Deer Harbor and Smugglers Villa. And it’s all good!

We went into Eastsound and wandered out to Madrona Point. Evidently, this piece of land was given back to the Lummi Indians and then was donated to….state? Federal? Anyway, it is protected, and has small foot paths that take a person quite a ways out. Beautiful vistas and so very peaceful. Just gorgeous. Once again, we spent the afternoon at the cabin. It is so easy to do that! And because the sun doesn’t set until around 9:30PM the days are so wonderfully long.

G bar-b-qued some steaks, and they were so delicious!

All day there has been more and more traffic pulling into Beach Haven. We took a walk after dinner, and almost all the family cabins are occupied this weekend. Wow! Our neighbors have left, so we are on this side of the beach by ourselves. G and I decided we like this so much, we want to come back next year. I’ve just never felt as at peace as I do here. It’s such a nice feeling.

Oh, and the weather perfect – just a bit cool in the shade, but warm, clear, and sunny. Can’t ask for more than that!

May 19


Our last morning on the island seemed rather sad. We got up early and packed in relative silence. We finished up the last of the housekeeping chores, packed up the car, dropped off the keys, and headed off the ferry.

We had breakfast in Orcas Village and quite a wait at the ferry line. Lots of kids heading home from camp, and they took 10 minutes to load! Thankfully, we had asked the ferry attendant about this particular ferry, and she suggested getting here early, as this ferry doesn’t take many cars.

Once again we were packed in tight, but I managed to crawl into the back seat and get out the back door to escape the confines of the car. The ferry is quite nice, though a bit too cold and windy to be outside. Well, I think so anyway.

We landed at Anacortes to gray skies and drizzly rains. I guess we had to experience Pacific Northwest weather sometime! It rained on and off the entire time back to Seattle. Not hard, just enough to use the wipers.

Now, Seattle looks like a great city and I can see that there is just so much to do here. Unfortunately, the way things worked out, we only have one afternoon and one evening. Some people's suggestions would include Pike Place Market or Pioneer Square or maybe the Underground Tour. Some might suggest some of Seattle's fabulous restaurants. Or doing all of it. So what do we do? Only one thing to do - hey, the Mariners are in town and we're baseball fans! That means Safeco Field!

No. Seriously. I even got a Richie Sexson bobble-head doll.

I know that it isn't often mentioned on these boards that when traveling that one should take in a ballgame unless it is one of the legendary fields, such as Fenway or Yankee stadiums. However, we really enjoyed the game at Safeco Field. Although built in 1999, it has the feel of an old time stadium and is a pleasant place to take in a ballgame. I know one would have to be a real fan of the game to seek this out, but if one has a few extra hours, this can be a good way to spend an afternoon or evening. Quite pleasant. And while we were there the Mariners won. That's nice and not so nice. (They are in the same division as my Angels so it was bittersweet)

We will have to do Seattle properly some other time.

Fantastic report!! We were in the area during the same dates and the weather was just beautiful, wasn't it? Now I feel bad though cause my trip report isn't finished yet...I better get back to work!

What a great report! The area is so beautiful and serene and you really do feel like you are somewhere far away.

Lucky you...getting to see the Mariner's win has become a rare event Safeco is a lot of fun, and of course when the M's win it is even better, lol!

Charming and lovely report Chele! Thank you for sharing your time on Orcas Island. You best be careful though. I have a BIL and SIL who lived in Long Beach forever. They visited the San Juan Islands and ended up selling all their properties in Long Beach and purchased property on Friday Harbor. The islands called to them also! They are still there and enjoy each and every day.

The islands are so beautiful, so lush and green. Truly a bit of paradise!

What a wonderful trip report. I am a Seattleite and haven't been to Orcas in years. You've inspired me to plan a trip for next year.

Chele60..LOVED your trip report and it brought back memories of just three years ago when hubb and I went to Beach Haven in October for a bday long weekend getaway w/no kids...and we had steaks too but it was raining so we attempted to broil them..next thing I know something's on FIRE in the oven..hubb managed to get the flaming meat outta the oven and out into the rain to cool 'em down...somehow they were still delicious and we still giggle about it. That place is SO relaxing-the water lapping at the shore, the seals and birds..at least in the off season. I know from their website they don't even TAKE reservations any more for summer since the same families come back year after year.
Hmmmm....maybe I'll ask him soon if he'd like another Beach Haven birthday this autumn

Thank you all for the comments!

I did for get to mention one very important item. The people! I do measure places by the locals, and I must admit we could not have been more welcome by everyone we met, everywhere we went. We did not have one instance of a rude or crabby person anywhere! Are they just not allowed in Washington? LOL It made for a perfect vaction, and has kept me in a good mood even 2 weeks later!

Anyway...for anyone who might be interested.. Pictures are online at www.pbase.com/chele60.

Wow! Just floored by your report,
as the words sounded like what I would have reported from many a May that we've spent in this gorgeous corner of the world. (what we like to call 'our fave corner of the world') ;-)

Well, clearly it's not just ours!
And to find someone expressing so eloquently what I've tried to explain in the past to family & friends as to just what is the allure of this place...pulling us back over & over again for our Anniversary, which just happens to be EXACTLY in the timeframe
of when you went.

This year, alas, we couldn't make it during this sweet little window of time...when the weather is phenomenal often, and yet the crowds have not yet arrived. (or so we hear there are crowds...have only been in the islands once during 'high time'!)

However, after having to postpone yet again a trip there, looks like this year, we'll be back to seeing what 'summer' there means. (for we just can't wait a full year, to our Anniversary rolls around again)

Don't miss a return. And you must also give San Juan a try. Write me if you'd like recommendations of places to stay there. Orcas was originally our fave...but both are enchanting for their own unique things.

I'd say getting to experience orcas (if you're lucky) just offshore
from San Juan while you snap photos from shore...
well, talk about magical as well!!

Just has floored me each time that has happened...as I see us closer to the whales than people on boats even are!
(and it's sooo much more peaceful from shore, too)

And the eagles, everywhere you turn!
(lots on both islands...they just are even easier to spot on SJ Island)

Well, anyway, thanks for sharing your gift with words & memories in the making! Will be enjoyed by many here.

Glad you discovered this gem of a place...
this gem of a 'pace' that CAN be found still!

(feeling a bit sad, knowing we missed such weather again at our Anniversary time...'tis such a wonderful fringe benefit to such a pretty place)

Well I am glad you enjoyed our Pacific Northwest. We live in Woodland Washington (Southwest Washington) (abiot 10 miles from Richie Sexon's house BTW), and I agree it so beatiful up here. I have never been to the San Juans but will go one of these days.

Thank you for your wonderful trip report and the gorgeous photos! We moved up from So. Cal. and you make me appreciate how lucky I am to live in this area (not that I really ever forget it.)

I loved your report and I love the photos!
Thank you for posting

I loved that little cabin in the woods too ~

What a great report and pictures. Thanks for sharing.

BTW, I have allegery issues here too--not from smog--from all the pollen because of all the green!

Fantastic. This should be posted as a link to every question about the islands from now one.

Two years ago my best friend and I flew to Seattle and took the ferry up to Friday Harbor. After a day I called home to DH and said "pack up everything, put the dogs in the car and come on out here...cause I am not coming home." Well, he didn't, we still live in North Carolina, but I really did think the San Juans were the most perfect place to live. Thank you for the beautifully written trip report. It gave my heart a lift.