After a period of staying at home and finishing our landscape, we finally escaped to the San Juans Islands for a short but well-needed getaway. Since visiting Lopez Island in 2016, I’ve been meaning to return and explore the other islands in the same archipelago —Orcas, San Juan, and maybe even Shaw. However, other summer plans always got in the way. Well, not this summer as 2020 is the year of road trips and local jaunts.

Thursday, July 3, 2020

We arrived at Mount Baker Farm for the July 4th long weekend and we set up our campsite. We walked into our small site, #27 carrying wagons of gear and luggage.

Friday, July 4, 2020

Sadly, we woke up to rain and camping in the rain is never fun. So we slept in, made breakfast from the tent and waited for the rain to stop. We then ventured out to explore Eastsound, a charming little town with lots of cute shops and restaurants. To my relief, everyone was wearing face masks and keep distance when possible.

We headed towards Moran State Park, the gem of Orcas Island. This park is what really attracted me to visit. With the gloomy weather, we opted for the easy hike to Cascade Falls. It was a great way to stretch our overdue lazy legs. But, the misty rain kept the crowds at bay and the waterfalls flowing.

We ventured south to Buck Bay Shellfish Farm for lunch. It was a great outdoor dining spot but it was also spitting harder and harder… It didn’t stop us from ordering the fanciest takeout of baked oysters, steamed crab and buttered clams. I don’t know if it was hunger, the cold and wet environment, or the vast home-cooked meals we’ve been having, but this was such a fulfilling and satisfying meal.

With the rain, we had minimal options to keep exploring so we headed to the Orcas Islands Pottery store. This recommended stop was somewhat magical, like stopping at cottage from fairy-tale.

And with that, we headed back to camp for a late dinner and called it a night in anticipation for sunnier weather.

Saturday, July 5, 2020

It was finally sunny and we started our morning on Mount Constitution for a breath-taking view. Unfortunately, it was still too foggy to see anything so we drove back down and headed for Obstruction Pass State Park. We hiked to the beach but it was a bit underwhelming with an overwhelming sea smell.

We hung out at Cascade Lake for a bit before our 3-hour kayak tour with Outer Island Expeditions. We saw many jellyfish and seals as we paddled our way to Point Doughty and around Freeman Island. It was scenic and relaxing despite my burning arms.

After heading back to camp for dinner, we drove up to Moran State Park for a sunset view of Mount Baker paired with the San Juans Islands. It was remarkable and breathtaking.

On our drive down, Chi was obsessed with how cute the deers were. He kept asking me to take their photo. We finished the night at Clever Cow Creamery with locally made ice cream in a fresh waffle cone. Again, this was unexpectedly so delicious.

Sunday, July 6, 2020

We woke up early to pack up and fit one more hike in before our ferry back. Instead of hiking at Moran State Park, I picked hiking on the east side and up Turtleback Mountain to Ship Peak. The view was very rewarding for a short 2.9-mile round trip hike.

To wrap up our trip, we had lunch on 6-ft apart outdoor patio near the ferry terminal. The sun was shining and it was a fantastic long weekend to get away from the troubling current events. I’d love to revisit Orcas Island but San Juans Island, the largest in the archipelago is next.