Comments on: Orcas Island Life http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/ Perspectives from a Raleigh geek Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:29:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Mark Turner http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/#comment-2603 Mark Turner Wed, 01 Aug 2007 23:04:47 +0000 http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/#comment-2603 What? Gary Larson lives here? One of my cartoonist heroes?!? Wow! Just when I thought this place couldn't get any better! Thanks for the picnic offer, Ron, and the advice! You should go into the travel business! :-) Oh, and check out the <a href="http://www.hallieandtravis.com" rel="nofollow">Hallie and Travis</a> page for my wife's take on the visit. What? Gary Larson lives here? One of my cartoonist heroes?!?

Wow! Just when I thought this place couldn’t get any better!

Thanks for the picnic offer, Ron, and the advice! You should go into the travel business! :-)

Oh, and check out the Hallie and Travis page for my wife’s take on the visit.

]]> By: RKinner http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/#comment-2602 RKinner Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:36:09 +0000 http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/#comment-2602 Robert was a neat guy. When you get to Rosario, turn around and look to the right. You should see two houses that are almost identical. They were built by Robert for his sons. Seems their wives were into one-upping each other and Robert got tired of it and built both houses exactly alike. They been modified slightly since then by later owners but you can see they are the same plan. Robert was told he had 6 months to live when he lived in Seattle. He moved to Orcas to spend his remaining years and actually lived about 40 more years. Shows what a good place the island is! Obstruction Pass park and Turtleback Mountain are two other places that are not well known. We haven't been to either yet but there is supposed to be a nice beach (for exploring - not bathing) at Obstruction Park but you probably have to hike in 1/2 mile or so. (Make the turn at the Olga Cafe like you were going to Doe Bay but before you get there take a right turn where the road makes a Y. Go about a mile and on your right is a small sign. It's a dirt road several miles long but in good condition which takes you to a parking lot. You have to hike in from there. Ask the locals about hiking trails and distances. (We went Kayaking at Spring Bay Inn on the same road on our last trip. Unfortunately the wind was up so it was more work than pleasure. $30/ person but I don't know if your kids are old enough. They use two-passenger kayaks so they wouldn't really have to paddle. http://www.springbayinn.com/director.php?content=kayaktours.) Turtleback was on your left as you came from the ferry. It was just recently saved from development and turned into a park by a fund-raising campaign. Gary Larson (of the FarSide cartoon) lives on Orcas and in support of the fund-raising drew a special cartoon that was put on T-shirts and given to donors of $150 or more. Wish I'd known about it at the time. http://www.sjpt.org/turtleback.php Supposedly there are two trails open on Turtleback. Old logging roads mostly. One is supposed to have a nice view but it will probably have to wait until your kids are bigger. Again you would have to ask the locals. I can offer you a really nice picnic spot with what we think is the best view on the island. Email me directly rkinner AT gmail DOT com and I'll tell you how to get there. It's our 5 acres up on Buck Mountain. It's on a private road but if I invite you then it's OK. Ron Robert was a neat guy. When you get to Rosario, turn around and look to the right. You should see two houses that are almost identical. They were built by Robert for his sons. Seems their wives were into one-upping each other and Robert got tired of it and built both houses exactly alike. They been modified slightly since then by later owners but you can see they are the same plan.

Robert was told he had 6 months to live when he lived in Seattle. He moved to Orcas to spend his remaining years and actually lived about 40 more years. Shows what a good place the island is!

Obstruction Pass park and Turtleback Mountain are two other places that are not well known. We haven’t been to either yet but there is supposed to be a nice beach (for exploring - not bathing) at Obstruction Park but you probably have to hike in 1/2 mile or so. (Make the turn at the Olga Cafe like you were going to Doe Bay but before you get there take a right turn where the road makes a Y. Go about a mile and on your right is a small sign. It’s a dirt road several miles long but in good condition which takes you to a parking lot. You have to hike in from there. Ask the locals about hiking trails and distances. (We went Kayaking at Spring Bay Inn on the same road on our last trip. Unfortunately the wind was up so it was more work than pleasure. $30/ person but I don’t know if your kids are old enough. They use two-passenger kayaks so they wouldn’t really have to paddle. http://www.springbayinn.com/director.php?content=kayaktours.)

Turtleback was on your left as you came from the ferry. It was just recently saved from development and turned into a park by a fund-raising campaign. Gary Larson (of the FarSide cartoon) lives on Orcas and in support of the fund-raising drew a special cartoon that was put on T-shirts and given to donors of $150 or more. Wish I’d known about it at the time.
http://www.sjpt.org/turtleback.php

Supposedly there are two trails open on Turtleback. Old logging roads mostly. One is supposed to have a nice view but it will probably have to wait until your kids are bigger. Again you would have to ask the locals.

I can offer you a really nice picnic spot with what we think is the best view on the island. Email me directly
rkinner
AT
gmail
DOT
com
and I’ll tell you how to get there. It’s our 5 acres up on Buck Mountain. It’s on a private road but if I invite you then it’s OK.

Ron

]]> By: Mark Turner http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/#comment-2596 Mark Turner Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:03:56 +0000 http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/#comment-2596 Hi Ron! Thanks for stopping by! I assume Desticam simply grabs blog feeds and that's what led you to me, but I'm glad you visited all the same. Yes, you're correct, that is Mount Baker, which I learned last night. I'll correct that in my afternoon post. Thanks for the sightseeing tips too, especially about the Rosario museum. The more I read about Robert Moran, the more fascinated I am about his life. Kelly didn't have much inclination to see Rosario but the museum may be the thing that convinces her. Glad to hear you raised your daughter right, too. Go Pack! :-) Hi Ron!

Thanks for stopping by! I assume Desticam simply grabs blog feeds and that’s what led you to me, but I’m glad you visited all the same.

Yes, you’re correct, that is Mount Baker, which I learned last night. I’ll correct that in my afternoon post.

Thanks for the sightseeing tips too, especially about the Rosario museum. The more I read about Robert Moran, the more fascinated I am about his life. Kelly didn’t have much inclination to see Rosario but the museum may be the thing that convinces her.

Glad to hear you raised your daughter right, too. Go Pack! :-)

]]> By: RKinner http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/#comment-2583 RKinner Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:32:26 +0000 http://www.markturner.net/2007/07/31/orcas-island-life/#comment-2583 Found a reference to your blog on desticam.com. Desticam has webcams on three of the islands (though the Orcas one seems to be down right now.) I like to check the weather on the island and sometimes just sit and imagine I'm back there. We love the island so much that we've bought land up on Buck Mountain and are going to build our retirement home there. On our last trip (2nd week in June) we took my stepson and his girlfriend to see the property. She's an architect and has volunteered to help us with the design and get us started. We made the same day trip to San Juan. To our eyes it is nowhere near as pretty as Orcas but the whale museum is fun and there is always a chance you will see some whales over on the west side of the island at Lime Kiln park. (Gas is also $0.25 per gal cheaper there.) Have you taken the kids to the Funhouse Discovery Center (30 Peapatch Lane)? Something to do if it rains or if you are not feeling up to a hike. Also the museum, upstairs at Rosario is interesting. Just park in front of the hotel and go in the lobby. To the right of the desk clerk are stairs up to the museum area. No charge. They have kept it mostly like it was when Moran lived there. Also Madrona Point park is nice and close to downtown. From downtown Eastsound, head south on Haven Road. Madrona Point is at the end. We liked the Protofino Pizzeria (upstairs next to the movie theater). You can sit outside on the patio under the umbrellas and it's quite pleasant (no smoking!). There is also a little Mexican restaurant named Chimaya (hidden inside Our House Mall, North Beach Road) that we liked. Our real estate agent We can also recommend The Kitchen if you like Asian food. Rose's is also OK but a bit pricier. In a previous life I lived for 10 years in Burlington NC. My youngest daughter just graduated from NC State (for the 3rd time) so I am very familiar with Raleigh. (How did you hear about Orcas? From the article in the News and Observer?) Currently working in Sussex, NJ tho we live in Melbourne Beach, FL. Ron PS. I'm thinking you are probably seeing Mt. Baker rather than Mt. Rainier. If you drive east on Mt. Baker road you usually can see Mt. Baker in front of you. Found a reference to your blog on desticam.com. Desticam has webcams on three of the islands (though the Orcas one seems to be down right now.) I like to check the weather on the island and sometimes just sit and imagine I’m back there.

We love the island so much that we’ve bought land up on Buck Mountain and are going to build our retirement home there. On our last trip (2nd week in June) we took my stepson and his girlfriend to see the property. She’s an architect and has volunteered to help us with the design and get us started.

We made the same day trip to San Juan. To our eyes it is nowhere near as pretty as Orcas but the whale museum is fun and there is always a chance you will see some whales over on the west side of the island at Lime Kiln park. (Gas is also $0.25 per gal cheaper there.)

Have you taken the kids to the Funhouse Discovery Center (30 Peapatch Lane)? Something to do if it rains or if you are not feeling up to a hike. Also the museum, upstairs at Rosario is interesting. Just park in front of the hotel and go in the lobby. To the right of the desk clerk are stairs up to the museum area. No charge. They have kept it mostly like it was when Moran lived there. Also Madrona Point park is nice and close to downtown. From downtown Eastsound, head south on Haven Road. Madrona Point is at the end.

We liked the Protofino Pizzeria (upstairs next to the movie theater). You can sit outside on the patio under the umbrellas and it’s quite pleasant (no smoking!).

There is also a little Mexican restaurant named Chimaya (hidden inside Our House Mall, North Beach Road) that we liked. Our real estate agent

We can also recommend The Kitchen if you like Asian food.

Rose’s is also OK but a bit pricier.

In a previous life I lived for 10 years in Burlington NC. My youngest daughter just graduated from NC State (for the 3rd time) so I am very familiar with Raleigh. (How did you hear about Orcas? From the article in the News and Observer?) Currently working in Sussex, NJ tho we live in Melbourne Beach, FL.

Ron

PS. I’m thinking you are probably seeing Mt. Baker rather than Mt. Rainier. If you drive east on Mt. Baker road you usually can see Mt. Baker in front of you.

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