Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EXPLORING THE ISLAND
Eastsound
is the largest town on the island and has several interesting shops and
good restaurants. Shops here worth checking out include
Darvill's Rare Print
Shop,
Horseshoe Highway (
&
360/376-2351
), which sells antique prints and
maps, and the adjacent
Darvill's Book Store
(
&
360/376-2135
), which spe-
cializes in Northwest fiction, history, and guidebooks. Just outside Eastsound,
on Horseshoe Highway, you'll find
Howe Art
(
&
360/376-2945;
www.
howeart.net), a studio and gallery run by sculptor Anthony Howe, who fashions
fascinating hanging kinetic sculptures from stainless steel. The studio is open
Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Other smaller villages include
Deer Harbor, West Sound, and Olga.
To learn a little about the history of Orcas Island, drop by the
Orcas Island
Historical Museum,
181 N. Beach Rd., Eastsound (
&
360/376-4849;
www.
orcasisland.org/~history). Between late May and September, the museum is
open Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 4pm (Fri until 7pm). Admission is $1.
At the
Lambiel Home Museum
(
&
360/376-4544
), on Horseshoe Highway
southeast of Eastsound, you can view a private collection of artwork by 169
artists from around the San Juan Islands. The museum is open daily by appoint-
ment. Admission is $10 and tours take about 2 hours.
Around the island you'll find several interesting pottery shops. A few miles
west of Eastsound off Enchanted Forest Road is
Orcas Island Pottery,
366 Old
Pottery Rd. (
&
360/376-2813;
www.orcasislandpottery.com), the oldest pot-
tery studio in the Northwest. Between Eastsound and Orcas on Horseshoe
Highway is
Crow Valley Pottery,
2274 Orcas Rd. (
&
360/376-4260;
www.
crowvalley.com), in an 1866 log cabin. On the east side of the island in the com-
munity of Olga, you'll find
Orcas Island Artworks,
Horseshoe Highway
(
&
360/376-4408
), which is full of beautiful work by island artists.
SPORTS & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Moran State Park
(
&
360/376-2326;
www.parks.wa.gov), which covers
approximately 5,252 acres of the island, is the largest park in the San Juans and
the main destination of most visitors to Orcas Island. If the weather is clear,
you'll find great views from the summit of Mount Constitution, which rises
2,409 feet above Puget Sound. There are also five lakes and 33 miles of hiking
trails. Fishing, hiking, boating, mountain biking, and camping are all popular
park activities. The park is off Horseshoe Highway, approximately 13 miles from
the ferry landing, and there is a $5 parking fee within the park.
BICYCLING
Although Orcas is considered the most challenging of the San
Juan Islands for bicycling, plenty of cyclists still pedal the island's roads. One of
the best places to rent bikes here is from
Dolphin Bay Bicycles
(
&
360/
376-4157;
www.rockisland.com/~dolphin), which is located just to the right as
you get off the ferry. From here you can explore Orcas Island or take a free ferry
to Lopez Island or Shaw Island. Bikes rent for $30 per day, $70 for 3 days, and
$100 for a week. Guided bike rides are also sometimes available. In Eastsound, you
can rent bikes from
Wildlife Cycles,
North Beach Road, Eastsound
(
&
360/376-4708;
www.wildlifecycles.com). Bikes rent for $30 to $40 per day.
If you're exploring the island by mountain bike, you may want to take the unpaved
Dolphin Bay Road to Eastsound; otherwise, take the Crow Valley Road.
BIPLANE RIDES
For a very fun overview of Orcas Island, try a scenic
biplane ride in a restored 1929 Travelair. Thirty-minute flights with
Magic Air
