Travel Washington: An Adventure on Orcas Island
Linda Ball and Abbey at top of Mt. Constitution, the highest point on the San Juan Islands
Travel Washington: An Adventure on Orcas Island
By Linda Ball
Driving off the ferry around 5 p.m. Friday of Labor Day weekend, I was among many holiday weekenders seeking solace in the San Juan Islands. I have been to all of the main islands of the San Juan archipelago, except Orcas, so I had to see it.
My destination was Doe Bay Resort on the east side of the island. It’s a 33-acre spread with cabins, campsites, domes and yurts. Having booked way in advance, I was fortunate to get the beach yurt, the only accommodation seriously close to the water, on tiny Otter Bay. The yurt was charming, with a comfortable bed, little table and chairs, and a bedside table. My traveling companion, Abbey, my 9-year-old King Charles Spaniel, wasn’t quite so sure of the joint at first, but by the next day, she understood this is where we “lived!” So, yes, they do have pet-friendly accommodations, which for someone like me, attached to their critter, is very important.
Yurt at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island
I have previously “glamped” at Lakedale Resort on San Juan Island about three times, in a wall tent. I will say, at Lakedale, the wall tent was much nicer in terms of amenities, including a “mess tent” with a complimentary breakfast for glampers. At Doe Bay, I had to go to their café for breakfast, which was great although a little spendy. That said, I had the best French toast EVER on Saturday morning.
One thing I wish Doe Bay Resort had told me, was that the beach yurt required walking down a very steep, narrow path with log stairs built in. This wouldn’t have been a real big deal, but I was still nursing a broken toe from an injury in early August.
To get to the bathroom facility, I had to climb up that hill every time. It hurt like hell.
Getting my stuff down to the yurt, with Abbey, was no easy task, and I almost lost the wheelbarrow, which was loaded with my stuff. So, I had to make several trips to get it all down there from about a third of the way up the hill. To their credit, the staff did help me move it all up when I checked out on Monday.
Stone observation tower in Moran State Park, Washington
So, what to do on Orcas Island? Definitely go to Moran State Park and go to the top of Mt. Constitution. It’s the highest point in the islands, and from a tower built by the Civil Conservation Corp in FDR days, you can see Bellingham, Canada, all of the islands – everything! Breathtaking.
Abbey and I also visited the Farmer’s Market that Saturday morning. What’s really cool is that most of the food on the island is either grown or raised there. There are no chain stores – not even a Costco!
Dinner at Inn at Ship Bay – Starter of proscuitto, melon and duck liver paté
That evening I treated myself to dinner at the Inn at Ship Bay after reading outstanding reviews. They were all true. It’s a lovely place with a fantastic view, and the food – well. My starter was prosciutto from a pig they raised (God rest his soul), perfectly cured, served with shaved melon, duck liver paté and homemade crackers. It was beautifully presented and delicious. For my entrée I had the scallops, and not only were they perfect, I got six of them for what I would pay for three at a restaurant in Seattle.
The Inn at Ship Bay also has a large private dining room, which I had a bird’s eye view of from my table, and it was set up for a small wedding reception. I marveled at the beauty of the table setting, and watched as the pastry chef set up the simple wedding cake adorned with fresh flowers. I stuck around for an after dinner drink so I could see the wedding party when they arrived. I’m a sucker for weddings.
Glamping at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island
I almost forgot to mention, I had a massage before dinner with a contracted massage therapist in the little massage house at Doe Bay Resort. She was quite good and very sweet. I hadn’t had a massage since April, so it was a good thing!
The resort also has a large hot tub/sauna area – which is clothing optional. There are two soaking pools and another one with jets, plus a very nice sauna. I soaked Sunday night and took a sauna, too, in my swimsuit. There were those who chose to go nude, and that’s fine, but not my bag. But everyone was adult about it – no geeking and gawking.
Beach at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island
The resort is so big, Abbey and I took a long walk around on Sunday, checking out all of the campsites, cabins and communal kitchen, which we didn’t use because it was just too far from our yurt. I ate breakfast in the café each day because it was so damn good! I ate dinner there the first night because I was too exhausted to go anywhere else, and had the salmon. It was good, but nothing I hadn’t experienced before.
Sunday, for dinner, I went to Hogstone’s Wood Oven, a very popular pizza place. Thank heavens I got there when it opened at 5 p.m., because it filled up fast. I started with their green salad, with “whatever is fresh in the garden right now,” and it was delicious – and large! I ordered a pizza with goat cheese and smoked tomatoes, which was a mistake. I really didn’t like the flavor of the smoked tomatoes, but I fault myself for not ordering something different. At any rate, everything is fresh from the garden. I also enjoyed the most delicious, crisp, dry Rosé – Brooks Pinot Noir Rosé from the WillametteValley, Oregon, which my local wine shop is having trouble finding.
Moran Mansion – now called Rosario Resort
The other cool thing I did was visit the Moran Mansion (yep, same guy as the park) now called Rosario Resort. Robert Moran built the mansion for his family, and it is spectacular. The hardwood and stain glass throughout are breathtaking. He was once the mayor of Seattle, as well as a successful ship builder, but the stress was wearing on him, so he built the mansion when he was in his 40s to go live in and die soon, or so he thought. He lived into his 80s once he got out there, and never left. This man is responsible for the park – for a lot of Orcas Island’s preservation. The mansion is now a museum, gift shop and an exquisite spa. Accommodations are in separate buildings.
The people on Orcas Island are the most “old hippie” of any of the islands. What annoyed me were what I call the “new hippies,” you know, the 20s and 30s crowd whom really don’t have a clue. Man I lived it, and they look at me like I’m a daft old woman. I wanted to tell a few of them to get over themselves. But the people are, for the most part, very awesome. The other guests at the resort, which was full, were really cool. Many were from Seattle, but some were from Portland and even a couple from New York on their honeymoon.
Visiting Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island
So comparing Doe Bay Resort to Lakedale Resort on San Juan Island, I liked being able to take my Abbey girl, and I really enjoyed the sound of the water lapping on the shore at the beach. One afternoon I sat on the beach and read for almost two hours, and not one person came down. Peace.
Lakedale is more expensive, but not very pet-friendly (they allow pets in the cabins but the cabins are huge and expensive), however the amenities are better, i.e. the common bath facility, free breakfast, and more comfort features in the wall tent than the yurt.
But I would go back to Doe Bay Resort. Without a broken toe!
NOTE: After the first of the year (2015) many of the ferry routes are going to require reservations. The idea is to cut down on the long lines. For more information visit: wsdot.wa.gov.
