Ahhh..Orcas, what can we say.  Diane found Orcas by serendipity.  Bill found it by thoughtful choice.  Both of us love this place, and every day we wake up feeling so fortunate to live amidst such beauty.

Orcas is the largest, and the most beautiful (an entirely unbiased opinion), of the 176 (depending on who you ask) islands that make up the San Juan archipelago in northern Puget Sound.  The Gulf Islands of Canada are a continuation of the same island chain.  Less than half of the islands are inhabited..the rest being little more than islets or rocks poking up out of the sea.  The beauty of Orcas is marked by forested mountains, rocky shores, bucolic grassy fields and a slowed down pace of life.

Orcas Island is shaped like a big horseshoe with the east and west sides nearly divided by the long fjord-like East Sound.  West sound makes a smaller fjord and horseshoe on the west side.  The shape of Orcas means that getting between parts of the island on our 30 some miles of county road takes a lot of meandering.  Driving from Deer Harbor on the far west side to Doe Bay on the east side takes more than 45 minutes even though it's only a few miles as the crow could fly. 

About 4500 people make Orcas their year round home.  Another sizable group of folks use Orcas as their summer home.  And then there are the tourists...which would be you.  The population balloons to an estimated 6000 to 10,000 (no one really knows) in the summertime. 

Getting to the island is a part of the fun, and the challenge, on the E-ticket for scenery Washington State Ferries, Kenmore air seaplanes or San Juan Airlines puddle jumpers. (See Getting Here).  Places to stay range from luxurious inns and B&Bs to simpler inns to rental houses and State park campsites. (See Where to Stay).  Once you've arrived by plane or ferry, well Diane's lived here for 7 years and still hasn't exhausted all Orcas offers to do.  For the active, all kinds of outdoor activities beckon, and for lazier days we have plenty of cute shops, art and pottery galleries.  (See What to Do).