Day 4 - Exploring San Juan Island 10/5

Light rain fell all day, it only got to 49 degrees, but it didn't  stop us from enjoying the day exploring the island. We were thankful that we had such great weather yesterday when we hiked around Lime Kiln S.P.

Our day began with the delivery of our breakfast right to our room! We could get used to that!

There are two historical stories to tell about this island. First, it was the scene of the famous Pig War which began in 1859 when an American named Cutlar shot a pig owned by the Hudson Bay Company, which was rooting around in his garden. Control of the San Juans was disputed between the British and the Americans and they almost came to blows. The issue was resolved by 1872 and not shots were fired. The islands were deemed to be American.

The other interesting story is that the islands produced more Lime than anybody. There were two major kiln operations, the State Park we visited yesterday and a larger one at Roche Harbor.

We began our exploration by heading to the southern tip of the island to visit the American Camp, where a small battalion of US Army headquartered during the Pig War. They led a pretty miserable existence and there isn't much left to see. There is a small visitor center with a video presentation.

Then we headed to the northern end of the island to visit Roche Harbor and the English Camp. Along the way we came across the San Juan Vineyards. They were just beginning their harvest.

There are only two major activity centers on the island, Friday Harbor, where the ferry landing is, and Roche Harbor. The latter was pretty well closed up for the season but has a large marina, with some VERY expensive looking boats, and some fancy condos and vacation rentals. There's also an odd "Sculpture Garden". Looks like it would be a fun place to hang out in the summer.  Very nice lunch at Lime Kiln Cafe on the pier.

After lunch, and a walk along the docks to pick out our boat, we drove over to English Camp. There's a lot left of that settlement, where the British built substantial buildings, a formal garden (to keep the captain's homesick wife happy) and more.

On our way back to Friday Harbor we stopped at the Krystal Acres Alpaca Farm. Sorry, can't afford any of it!

Back to our room in time to start watching the Red Sox-Yankee game, then dinner at Haley's Sports Bar to continue the ball game. Then back to our room to finish the ballgame - Sox won 5-4!

Day 5 - Orcas Island 10/6

Sunny today, but still cool, 55 degrees. We started our day (that is, after our gourmet breakfast!) with a visit to the Farmer's Market. Some wonderful looking produce. Linda bought a bracelet from a local artisan, and we enjoyed fresh roasted coffee to go with a chocolate filled croissant.

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.