This summer I took a short fun trip up to Eastsound on Orcas Island with a good friend of mine. Before taking the ferry over we stayed a night in La Connor to take the ferry over early in the morning. It is such a cute little town with some great restaurants, a few of which will do a great job for anyone on a plant-based vegan diet. My friend and I always have a lot of fun when we travel together! However, I would have been just as comfortable taking this trip on my own if one of my friends couldn’t go! It is that sort of place! I’ve always felt safe on the island. However, going with a friend, family member(s) or a significant other is always more fun! The San Juan Islands are an amazing place to visit in Washington State – I’d compare these islands to going to Europe. I’ll give you my perspective of what one can do while on Orcas Island. First, here’s a picture from West Beach where we went to watch the sunset.
Bringing along some champagne and a little chocolate (dark & vegan) while watching the sun go down…Life really doesn’t get any better than this!
When the sun was setting it looked like this
I decided to play around on the beach with it while the sun was setting. Here are a couple of snapshots.
My sweet dog decided to join in the fun too!
Once the sun had set this is a view back at the beach from the boat ramp of the cool cabins that are for rent at West Beach. Many families with children stay here. What a view to wake up to each morning!
There are many great restaurants on Orcas. We went back to The Kitchen, which serves vegan and vegetarian food. After the amazing sunset and fun on the beach we went to New Leaf Cafe for dessert. Sitting next to us was Joe Walsh (The Eagles) and company. My friend knew who he was and really wanted a photo of the two of them. I wouldn’t have paid any attention, otherwise. No offense to Mr. Walsh or anyone out there who might be an Eagles fan. It wasn’t until later that I realized his connection to The Eagles and his amazing guitar solo in Hotel California. So frankly right before I had this picture taken with him I said, “I’m sorry I don’t know who you are, but I’m delighted to meet you.” He replied, “Well, you’re probably better off!” Hahaha. The man has got talent and a good sense of humor! He was also in company of Jeff Lynne from The Electric Light Orchestra.
One of my favorite things to do when on the island is to go hiking around Mountain Lake. It is SO incredible beautiful. Depending on where you park your car the hike can take anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours. It’s just stunning and not that difficult to hike, unless you have small children in tow.
Orcas Island also has a wonderful center for the arts where we have gone to listen to music before. We went again this year! The islands all have rich arts programs with so many talented artists! It is definitely worth checking out, either before going or while there, to see what might be on the program. I have never been disappointed, plus it is a great way to meet some of the locals! Orcas Island also has many great shops. I personally love the local bookstore and believe in supporting small businesses. How sad it will be the day there are no more bookstores to browse because we all shop on line just to save a few bucks! Here are some books that we purchased. The top two are mine!
There is also the Saturday’s Farmers Market which is really great and not to be missed with great crafts, jewelry, fruits and vegetables, and lots of other good stuff! In addition, there are many galleries, small boutiques and a history museum. Plus there are many beautiful flowers to snap pictures of. Here’s one that I’ve named “Firework Flower”.
Another place that I’d highly recommend is to drive out to Doe Bay for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The Cafe has great vegan options and the food is just amazing. Here’s a glimpse at what I had for breakfast one morning.
They were serving Huevos Rancheros vegan style with grilled tofu, topped with avocado and the yummiest corn salsa. It’s a lot of food, so go hungry! I also ordered a Thai tea with soy milk. Very yummy! Plus you can’t beat the view from Doe Bay! (I’m wearing my tennies because we just came from a hike!)
Not only can you hike on the island, but you can rent bikes, boats and kayaks! One can also go whale watching. It must be unbelievable to see the whales coming through these waters at the right time of the year, I would imagine! This is my summer update. I hope yours has been fun as well, even if it was short like mine due to work and other obligations. Never underestimate the rejuvenating power of a short weekend getaway!
What about you?
Where have you gone this summer that has refreshed your mind/body/spirit?
Feel free to leave a comment at the end! I’d love to hear what has inspired you,
even if it was just a trip to the park!
In best of health & wishing you a good rest of August!
“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”
~Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society
