Orcas Island Explorations -> 4 “Eastern Arm” Secrets
We’re having our first day of rain in a month. Quite a big deal considering we’ve been travelling one of the moistest parts of the country. This means time in-doors with the heater on, fresh-baked gluten-free blueberry scones (my first attempt & I can happily say it ROCKED) paired with fresh-brewed coffee. For the latter we’ve just acquired this snazzy Hario ceramic hand-grinder which is working fabulously together with our Italian stove-top coffee maker -> grinds perfectly and the combo is 100% boondocking-friendly to boot. Too good not to share on the blog and it means we can now brew fresh-ground espresso which, as all good coffee aficionados know, is far superior to the pre-ground sort. Honestly can’t believe we didn’t find out about this little grinder before.
The rainy weather also gives me a chance to bring you up to date on our time at Orcas Island. Believe it or not we’ve not (yet) explored the entire place. Despite being an Island there’s actually quite alot of space and things to see here. Orcas is the biggest of the San Juan Islands. The horseshoe-shaped 57 square miles are rural and hilly, and hide not only the highest point on the Islands (Mount Constitution 2409 ft, where we are), but also the 4th largest state park in Washington (Moran State Park) as well as at least 6 other parks and preserves. That’s not even mentioning the little ports, towns, cafes, historic buildings and such. It’s kind of crazy to think that so much can be packed into one space, but it actually works.
So far we’ve only really explored the “eastern arm” of the Island, but we’ve managed to discover a few gems (and a few hidden secrets) that I’ll share today.
Butt-Scuplting At Moran State Park
Given that “the beast” is parked right smack in the middle of 5,252-acre Moran State Park, most of our time here has been spent hiking from our hilltop preserve. There’s only 2 main trails from here (both downhill, not surprisingly -> our butts have been getting a MAJOR workout), but they connect to ~38 miles of interconnected trails from which you can side-track to hidden lakes, huge swimming/fishing holes and more. The mountain-top actually has it’s own little micro-climate and is typically ~10 degrees cooler than “downhill”, plus when it’s fogged-up on the Island our topside view is often completely clear. So on hot days we’ll hang & hike locally for most of the day with a scoot down to Mountain Lake for a swim avec doggie in the afternoon.
Our local secret? The strenuous hike to Twin Lakes means that almost no-one goes there, so if you’re looking to hang by a pretty lake with nary a person in sight then this is your spot. Just watch out for the newts 🙂
Note/ ALL of Moran State Park is dog-friendly. WA State Parks requires $10/day day-use fee or $30 annual pass. Mountain Lake & Cascade Lake are super-clear lakes which offer paddling, swimming and fishing (fishing license required and no motorized boats allowed). Twin Lakes & Summit Lake are more boggy and better suited to viewing/admiring. For trail map click HERE.
Soaking “Au Natural” At Doe Bay
If you follow the road southeast to where it doesn’t go any further you’ll end up in the cute little resort of Doe Bay. This 38-acre waterfront retreat has beach, trails, a really lovely cafe (which serves organic & locally-sourced foods), and a spa. However the local secret is not the excellent food but the {{drum roll}} hot springs & sauna which are errrmmm clothing optional. So if your goal is to soak au natural, simmer in your birthday suit, float nakkid as a baby fawn, fly free as an eagle, swim bare as a monkey’s bottom…well you get the gist…then this is your spot.
Note/ NO dogs allowed in the hot pools area, but the trails & beach at the resort are all paw-friendly. Plus Doe Bay Cafe has pooch-friendly outdoor seating.
Beach-Bumming At Obstruction Pass State Park
Arguably one of the prettiest beaches on the Island is on the very southern tip of the “eastern arm” at Obstruction Pass State Park. This 80-acre rustic park (with walk-in tent camping) has a lovely 1/2 mile hike down to ~1 mile of rocky, but pristine beachfront. We arrived early with doggie, just before two rowing boats with ~15 people, a bus-load of ~40 kids and a speedboat docked at the beach. Arghhhh!!! The rude interruption forced us to go searching for a more relaxing spot, and the local secret we uncovered was that there are 3-4 secluded coves just to the west of the main trail off unmarked spurs. Oh yes, alone at last! A super-neat park, but worth a little off-trail exploration to get a spot on your own.
Note/ ALL of Obstruction Pass State Park is dog-friendly. WA State Parks requires $10/day day-use fee or $30 annual pass.
Yumming On Seafood At Olga
The sleepy little town of Olga doesn’t seem like much in the passing, but hides an art cooperative (the building is currently being rebuilt), a historic store & post office (super cute) and the hidden gem of Buck Bay Shellfish Farm. This is the place where those “in the know” come to pick-up fresh oysters, clams and (in our case) salmon. The salmon was so-so, but everyone raves about the shellfish. They even have an onsite grill & picnic tables if you want to prepare and eat the stuff right there. Plus the free-range chickens (apparently you can nab fresh eggs on the week-end) and little organic veggie stand make for extra bonus points.
Note/ Buck Bay Shellfish offers dog-friendly outdoor seating. They just ask that you keep dogs on-leash for the sake of the free-range chickens.
And so we make it back to the scones (now eaten) and coffee. We’ve got plans for this evening (a brewery and dinner w/ RV buddies) plus another Island-hop tomorrow (weather permitting) with a few more butt-sculpting walks thrown in-between. Island living is tough, I tell ya…
Useful Links And Info
- Moran State Park – Link to park HERE with more info HERE and hiking/trail map HERE.
- Obstruction Pass State Park- Link to park HERE
- Doe Bay Resort – Link to resort HERE
- Olga – Link to town info HERE and Buck Bay Shellfish Farm HERE
Again…. Outstanding.. Thank you so much for allowing us to live life through your adventures…… Your picture of the Moon is breathtaking…..
Thanks! It was amazing to watch the moonrise from the mountain top that night. Quite special.
Nina
How about sharing that gluten free blueberry scones recipe?
Sounds yummy and I need gluten free!
Donna
Someday in the next few years we will do a trip up and over that
way…sounds great.
The scone recipe took a bit of fiddling to make work since I wanted to make my own gluten-free flour mix and I didn’t have the ingredients that most of the recipes on the web require. However both Paul and I agreed the scones turned out GREAT!
Gluten-Free Flour Mix:
I created my own mix of 40% almond flour with 60% rice flour/potato starch/arrowroot flour. The mix is by weight. So, if you use 100g of almond you add 150g of rice/potato/arrowroot. The basics of the mix came from this website:
http://glutenfreegirl.com/2012/07/how-to-make-a-gluten-free-all-purpose-flour-mix/
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of making your own mix you can buy gluten-free flour mixes at the store (e.g. Bob’s Red Mill makes a nice one).
Scone Recipe:
I basically used the following scone recipe except I used HALF the sugar and ~1/2 cup MORE of flour mix (it was too sticky without it). Plus I substituted milk for cream:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/BEST-EVER-GLUTEN-FREE-SCONES-50121233
The result was fabulous!!
Nina
Thanks! A few weeks ago I found gluten free girl and ordered up a bunch of flours that are now sitting on my table waiting for a spare moment to make some flour mix (cannot have oats and maybe brown rice) so I will whip up some mix and give these a try.
Orcas sounds like a fantastic place. I am definitely adding it to our list if places to visit. I would love to have the GF Blueberry Scone recipe if you are willing to share it. We are trying very hard in our house to go wheat free and sugar free. I continue to enjoy following you guys around, even though I rarely comment. I never miss a post!
Just added the scone recipe to the comment above. Wish I had taken some pics of them ‘coz they really ended up looking rather professional 🙂
Nina
If you’re going to go gluten free, you HAVE to get the “How Can It Be Gluten Free?” cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen. I’ve tried many of the recipes in it, such as brownies, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake, and all are awesomely yummy. Btw we live in Bellingham, Washington and we love your blog. We’ve traveled in our own Beast to many of the places you write about, and I love to read your take on familiar places. Thanks for writing such an entertaining and always informative blog!
Cheers for the tip. Here’s a link to the book in case others are interested:
How Can It Be Gluten Free?
The book gets great reviews. I’ll definitely be buying it.
Nina
Nina,
I get tired of seeing your beautiful photos and the tales of really cool locations(and lighthouses). I know the fulltime lifestyle is really boring you to death………..wanna trade??
Well, well…I’ll think about that one and get back to you 🙂
Nina
I keep a “campwishlist” file on my account, and it is becoming a Wheelingit blog archive! Thanks for the great blogs and wonderful pictures.
Always glad I can give others good tips on where to go. I get many of my own inspirations from other blogs, so I like to “pay back” the joy.
Nina
Sure sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I love the photo of the three of you:) Gorgeous view with the super moon! A framer!
It’s nice to (finally) get an updated pic of the three of us. Now, if only I could find a way to fit the cats in there….
Nina
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the $10/$30 Discover Pass fee is technically only for motorized vehicle parking. I believe you can hike, bike or boat into any Washington State Park for free!
That said, Discover Pass holders do get free Subway sandwich upgrades through 9/30. That alone could be worth the $30 🙂
You’re absolutely right. No pass required if you access the parks by non-motorized means (foot, horse, bicycle, etc.). If you drive into the parks you need the pass, but if you walk or bike in you don’t. Good point to make for those who may not know.
Also ONE pass is transferable between TWO vehicles. So, if you own two cars, you only need one pass. You simply write both plate numbers on the pass.
Nina
Also, you don’t need the pass if you are spending the night—any overnight camping fees also cover day use.
Correct. No pass required if you paid for camping.
Nina
Can you and Paul go up into the tower at night, or is it locked?
It’s always open so we can go up anytime day or night.
Nina
How many different lighthouse beacons can you see from up there at night? Must be dozens!
I love the moon shot pics and the Wheelingit pic. All are great, as always, but those three grabbed my eyes. Nice work!
And I’m glad to hear how much you’re enjoying the area.
Here’s to looking forward to the next time you crank up the bean grinder to sit down long enough to write up another new post while sipping the nectars of the grind. 🙂
We’ve already managed a few more days of bean grinding. More Island-hopping news coming soon 🙂
Nina
Awesome, I enjoy your blog and photos so much. Your blog is the first one I came across when I started dabbling with the idea of full timing. I have found a lot of wonderful, helpful info. Thank you 🙂
Happy you’re enjoying the blog and still following along. Maybe you’ll be on the road yourself one day.
Nina
What a spot to be in for the super moon. Very super shot of it, too!
Wish I had caught the moon a tad earlier, but I’m glad I got the pic. Pretty cool to see sea reflections.
Nina
Looks like such a fabulous spot. Glad it’s working out, since it was such an arduous trip to get there. Can you adjust the grind on your grinder? Would love one, but don’t know if we can find room for one more item in our little camper. Beautiful photos.
Yes! The grind is completely adjustable. It takes a bit of experimentation to get it perfect since there are no indicators on the grinder, but it can be changed to just about any size.
Nina
You are making me miss that part of our country! My daughter lives in Seattle, and we have spent many wonderful times exploring the whole NW. Daughter got married at the Orcas hotel….it was amazing!
We are full-timing, camphosting at a Colorado state park this summer, but definitely looking to spend another summer in WA! Thanks for the reminder(s) of how wonderful the islands are.
Susan
Orcas Hotel is super cute. I can only imagine how lovely the wedding was! Glad I could revive some good memories for ya. Hope your summer has been nice in CO..we’d like to get back there again.
Nina
After all that butt sculpting I might be tempted by the hot springs :-). Love the 3 pics at the little lake and of course the moon shot is spectacular. A whole new definition of “free range” for the chickens who run around the shellfish place :-)).
I know. I was pretty surprised when I saw the chickens running around the shellfish farm. Truly free range!
Nina
Love your adventures. We are also full timers and presently we are at Collier State Park in Oregon heading for your old alma mater at Fernley Nevada. Are you boondocking there?
We’re hosting at Orcas so we have a full hookup RV site at the top of the mountain. You can read about our job here:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2014/08/06/volunteer-hosting-at-mount-constitution-orcas-island-wa-what-do-we-do-here/
Nina
Hi there… seems like ages since we last communicated, but we do watch your blog and so enjoy hearing about your adventures! Not sure if you check our blog, but we are enjoying our hosting in western Wyoming… has been a great place to hang out for the summer! Will be in many of our boondocking spots from last year, and hope our paths will cross with you again. Look forward to visiting with you both down the road. Be well! D & T
Yup, I’ve been following along and hope to cross paths with you again this winter. We’ll be in many of our usual haunts too.
Nina
You are well on your way to scoping out the island. Moran State Park is beautiful. Stayed there years ago in the first RV I ever owned. Need to do it again.
Question – your current “post” is within Moran?
–Bob
Yup. We are the interpretive hosts up at the Summit Learning Center. Read all about it here:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2014/08/06/volunteer-hosting-at-mount-constitution-orcas-island-wa-what-do-we-do-here/
Nina
Looks like you’ve found a little slice of heaven on Orcas Island. Those kids would’ve had me running for the hills in search of some solitude. Coffee and scones – yum. Perhaps you’ll share the scone recipe. I’ve come to realize I have more food allergies than just dairy 🙁
Scone recipe already posted in the comments above. It has cream in it, so you might have to modify for no dairy, but it worked out great for us.
Nina
Thanks for the scone recipe. I love scones and this recipe sounds quite yummy. We are so envious of your island hopping. This looks like a fabulous adventure you two are on. Love the photo of all three of you and that Supermoon…superb!
The scone recipe is well worth trying. It turned out great & veeery English 🙂
Nina
Just gorgeous. Deas has been to Orcas but I haven’t – definitely putting it on “the list.” I loved reading the post about how you got the Beast up the hill to your camping spot. Of course, all I kept thinking about is now you have to drive it back down…I’m sure that will be another great story!
Downhill should be fine….low gear, engine brake and taking our time. We’ll let you know in about a week 🙂
Nina
Looks awesome! Definitely looks like I need to place this one on my “Nina Recommends” bucket list. What beast sized opportunities does the island offer non-volunteering campers? Will you be posting an island wide “site” review in a couple weeks?
There is ONE RV campground on the Island which can (supposedly) take any-sized rig. I’m hoping to go visit the place next week just to scope it out. Since we’re not staying there I won’t be doing a formal review, but if it looks decent I’ll be posting it as a link on the blog.
Nina
“Gluten free” is a necessity for me, and one thing I (really) miss is good beer. (And good bread!) You mention visiting breweries; curious as to how you work brews into a “GF” diet?
It’s a good question, and to be honest the breweries are a cheat. I find I don’t react to beer nearly the same way I react to say bread. So, the occasional brew seems to be OK. That said we HAVE found an excellent gluten-free beer Omission which we enjoy when we want a guilt-free brew. Highly recommend them:
http://omissionbeer.com/
Nina
Have tried Omission; didn’t work for me. Would like to try one of the GF brews from “Groundbreaker” (was “Harvester”) in Portland, OR, but their distribution area is not where I am! 🙁
(http://www.groundbreakerbrewing.com/