Overlooking Olga and East Sound is a high, steep hill called Entrance Mountain. It is not open to the public; but, with special permission, one is allowed access to part of the mountain. It is a steep climb, but only about 900 feet. There are several great views along the way […]
Vendovi Island is owned by the San Juan Preservation Trust. It is a 217-acre island north of Anacortes, Washington. The island is open to the public, and visitor guidelines are on the Trust’s website. https://goo.gl/BTf8Y2 We visited on a cloudy, rainy day in late April, finding it to be a […]
We took a three hour cruise with Deer Harbor Charters. This was our third trip with them, bringing different guests each time. They operate a couple of boats. We rode on the “Pelagic,” which holds 20 people. It is the smaller of the two boats run by the company. In […]
When family comes, we all go visit the area wildlife. Deer Harbor Charters makes sure passengers see some local critters. We’ve been out three times and had a great experience every time! The orcas get a lot of attention in this region, but there are other wildlife wonders to enjoy. […]
The other day, as I was headed into the garage, movement caught my eye through the window of the man door to my right. Looking through the window and the deck wires beyond, I caught a glimpse of reddish tan fur. Sure enough, one of our little island deer was […]
July 16 was opening day for the Dungeness Crab season off of Orcas Island. Dave and Sue Morrish allowed us to tag along. A big thank you for the experience. A couple of visiting nephews also joined me. Step one was to bait the crab trap. We were a […]
My wife, Jennifer, regularly donates blood. This was her first time donating on Orcas Island. So, I decided to tag along and take pictures of the process. The drive was held at the Fire Station. The department clears out the trucks from the garage (thank you!) and lets the blood […]
Turtleback Mountain has a couple of trails. This post is about the trails accessible via the south trailhead. The trek starts at about 120 feet elevation at the trailhead and climbs to 920 feet at Ship Peak. It is about 1.5 miles, one way, from the parking lot. The first […]
We were on our way out of town for a hike up Turtleback Mountain when we noticed that the tide was out, and the tombolo (Italian word for sand bar that shows up at low tide connecting an island to a bigger island or mainland) was exposed. Normally, Indian Island […]
We have visited Obstruction Pass State Park a few times, but this is the first time that we visited during low tide. An island friend had suggested it. Thank you! The puddles on Orcas’ beaches are not the same as the mud puddles we have in Nebraska. There, we might […]
