We boarded the ferry later in the morning. After a brief stop at Shaw Island, we landed at Orcas Island about noon. These ferries are huge - they can carry up to 200 cars and 2000 passengers. Today there were very few cars or people. The ferry has a complete snack bar and large, comfortable seats. Many of the tables have half-finished jigsaw puzzles that anyone is free to work on to pass the time!
The ferry terminal at Orcas Island is about 8 miles from the main town, Eastsound. (one word). This is a bustling little village full of shops and eateries. There is a year-round population here but it must be few, although they have a school, library, and grocery store. We had lunch at The Pub, overlooking the bay.
After lunch we headed off to Moran State Park and drove to the top of Mt. Constitution(elev 2400') for a spectacular view of the islands. A stone tower on top was a remnant of the CCC's work back in the 1930s.
We couldn't spend too much time on Orcas since we had to get the ferry back to Friday Harbor. Upon our return to the B&B we were invited to the living room for some music by our Innkeeper. Then dinner at the Blue Water Bar and Grill. Back to the room to watch the Red Sox lose to the Yankees.
Notes about the San Juans: Our 2 1/2 days here was plenty to see the sights and get a feel for the place. Without a boat, your options are limited! Even though we're here at the beginning of the off-season, it was still busy. Parking is a real problem! Some popular restaurants had long wait times. And, its very expensive! It must be a real zoo in the summer. So we'd recommend a shoulder season visit.
Tomorrow we sail to Victoria.
Love the views from Mt. Constitution - glad it was clear for you. We've been there a few times so it was a lovely trip down memory lane. (Don't know exactly why my google name is Nana - you've probably gathered that it's Nancy writing! :-)
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