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    Home » Travel » Pacific Northwest

    The Best Kept Secret on Orcas Island (San Juan Islands, WA)

    April 4, 2016 • Updated: January 25, 2022 • by Renée B. • This post may contain affiliate links.

    The Best Kept Secret on Orcas Island, San Juan County, Washington | The Good Hearted Woman #expereinceWA #travel #traveladventures #familytravel #travelusa #usatravel #washington #travelwashington #washingtontravel #orcasisland #sanjuanislands #orcas #seattle #pacificnorthwest #camping #washington #pnw

    The quiet, remote, revitalizing peace of Orcas Island in the springtime may just be one of the island's best kept secrets. (My guess is that there are plenty of uber-mysterious, Goonie-esque, islander-only secrets too, but let's just save that for the novel, shall we?)

    Valley view across Orcas Island from Ship Peak on Turtle Mountain. Green fields, evergreen trees, Puget Sound in distance. White, puffy clouds overhead.

    It was the middle of the summer the previous time we visited the San Juan islands, and as you might expect, every business was bustling, the farmer’s markets were in full swing, and tourists were everywhere.

    While we enjoyed our summer stay on the island enough to want to return, it was our visit this spring that made us want to stay forever (maybe, someday).

    Early spring is an extension of the winter slow season on Orcas ("the Rock" in local lingo), and so much of the time, we felt as though we had the whole island to ourselves.

    Exterior central area for guests; two red double adirondak chairs sitting on a green lawn, surrounded by large trees.

    During our time on Orcas Island, we stayed at the Deer Harbor Inn. Once we had settled into our room in the lodge, we set out to explore.

    A Short Trip Around Orcas Island

    Even in the off-season, there are so many things to see and do on the island that we had no trouble filling our days. We were excited to return to some of our favorite spots from our previous visit to Orcas, and the first stop on our itinerary was Orcas Island Pottery.

    Collage: Clay half-pots with angled bottoms, mounted on exterior wooden wall; clay berry bowls displayed on wodden table, clay ladybug plant picks in green garden.

    Following our stop at Orcas Island Pottery, we continued on to Eastsound, the largest of the four hamlets on the Orcas Island.

    Shopping & Tourist Stops

    Eastsound is home to a wide variety of charming shops, specialty boutiques, and restaurants. It is also where you can find such things as a bank, pharmacy, grocery stores and public library.

    I especially enjoyed our visit to Jillery, a favorite shop for locals and visitors alike. Jillery offers an eclectic mix of artisan-made jewelry, art, and personal, home, and garden accessories.

    Collage of Jillery, Eastsound: Hand-carved table utensils; silk scarves on wooden rack with tags;

    Everyone who knows me knows I have a weakness for long, beautiful earrings (plus I have a thing for mermaids) so it’s no surprise that I fell in love with this mermaid earring holder!

    Brass mermaid lounging with her head in her hands, tail raised. Tail has many holes in which a variety of dangling fused glass earrings are hanging.

    Orcas Island Sweets & Treats

    No visit to Eastsound is complete without a stop at Katherine Taylor Chocolates. There you will find island-made artisan chocolates, drinking chocolate, Stumptown Espesso, ice cream, and even a soda fountain!

    Chocolates in display case at Katherine Taylor Chocolates, Orcas Island

    There are so many beautiful sights to see on Orcas Island that you really do need to take an old-fashioned drive in the country. You never know who you might run into!

    Two jersey cows looking out through pasture fencing.

    We met these beautiful ladies in while driving in the countryside, and stopped to chat for a few minutes. They're pretty great listeners.

    Traveling to the east side of the island, you will find the picturesque hamlet of Olga, and the Orcas Island Artworks, a cooperative gallery.

    Orcas Island Artworks Gallery Co-op

    Artworks, which shares space with the Catkin Café (with its all-scratch kitchen!), and the James Hardman Gallery, is housed in a strawberry barreling plant that dates back to 1938.

    Wooden sign in front of Orcas Island Artworks & Catkin Cafe with cafe in the background.

    The lovingly restored landmark now showcases an extensive collection of work by Orcas Island artists and craftspeople, the Artworks Gallery offers paintings, prints, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, glass, wood, fiber and wearable arts, as well as other locally made items and gifts.

    Wide interior of Orcas Island Artworks, with a large variety of pottery, fabric arts, and paintings displayed.

    Artworks is owned and operated by the artists themselves, which gives visitors the unique opportunity to meet one or more of them on any given day. The day we visited, we were fortunate to meet raku artist and potter Osa Caudill.

    A variety of raku pottery by Osa Caudill at the Orcas Island Artworks.

    The Moran Mansion Museum

    One final stop that we must share: The beautiful Moran Mansion Museum, located on the second floor of the Rosario Resort & Spa. Open daily and free of charge for public viewing, a visit to the Moran Mansion at Rosario is stepping back in time.

    Collage: Front exterior Moran Mansion Museum at Rosario; three-story white, vaguely military-meets mission style building.

    This beautiful tribute to the Arts & Crafts movement of the early 20th century was built Seattle Shipbuilder and Mayor Robert Moran.

    The mansion features original photographs from the late 1800's and early 1900's, original furnishings and fixtures, and an extensive display of the ships built by the Moran Brothers Company in Seattle.

    Music room with grand piano on display in Moran Mansion Museum Music Room.

    The centerpiece of the Moran mansion is the Music Room, which features a two-story 1913 Aeolian pipe organ, a 1900 Steinway grand piano, a Belgian stain-glass window picturing the harbor at Antwerp, and two mezzanine libraries overlooking a Tiffany chandelier.

    By the way, if you are lucky enough to be there at 4pm on Saturday afternoon, you will be treated to both music and historical narrative in the Music Room.

    Stained glass octagonal sky light in Moran Mansion Museum Music Room.

    More Orcas Island Travel

    PLEASE NOTE: This post was originally written Spring 2016. Some of the businesses mentioned here may be temporarily or permanently closed due to the COVID pandemic, so be sure to call ahead first!

    • Spring Getaway to Orcas Island
    • Unpretentious Elegance: New Leaf Café
    • Orcas Island Pottery - Earth & Fire, Inspired
    • Deer Harbor Inn & Restaurant

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

    More Pacific Northwest Travel, Hikes, Food & Events

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    • Camassia Nature Preserve: Wildflowers & Family-friendly Hiking
    • Meridian at Headlands (Pacific City, Oregon)
    • Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa (Pacific City, Oregon)
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    About Renée B.

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

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    1. Sara says

      April 18, 2021 at 6:05 am

      Hi. What's the secret though? Title says best kept secret on Orcas Island but article only talks about local well known on the beaten path places.

      Reply
      • Renée says

        April 18, 2021 at 9:40 am

        Entry title: "The quiet, remote, revitalizing peace of Orcas Island in the springtime may just be one of the island’s best kept secrets.

        Reply
    2. Paul Huber says

      April 13, 2021 at 8:23 am

      Great article, but several of the businesses that you mentioned are now closed because of the pandemic. Please research, and update. BTW I’m a full-time resident. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Renée says

        April 13, 2021 at 10:21 am

        Thank you for the update, Paul. This post is a few years old. I'll add a Covid-disclaimer. ?

        Reply
    3. Osa Caudill says

      April 17, 2016 at 3:47 pm

      Thank you !!!!
      It was great meeting you at The Artworks. Both your writing and photography does our amazing island proud.
      June holds our wacky Solstice Parade (one year had "tea ladies" with their sychronized lawn mower formations).
      The month of August holds both our Artist's Studio Tour and our amazing Chamber Music festival.
      Every month holds gifts of beauty.
      ~Osa Caudill
      Our webpage added a link to your article.

      Reply
    4. Monica Louie says

      April 11, 2016 at 11:31 am

      You had me at chocolate! What a fun day! Can't wait to hear more about your stay!

      Reply
    5. Deb says

      April 08, 2016 at 5:26 pm

      Great article! My husband and I fell in love with Orcas about 25 years ago when we visited the islands on a family vacation with our kids. Last September we purchased a home in Deer Harbor and will be retiring there later this year. It's truly a magical place with delightful people. We have already made lots of friends in our future home community.

      I find that people either know of it and love it, or have never heard of it. In a couple of weeks we will be taking our friends up with us and it will be our first "spring visit". Looking forward to it.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        April 08, 2016 at 9:14 pm

        Thank you, Deb! I checked you Etsy page, and I tried to pick a favorite but failed - they are all beautiful! (I've just started back to painting myself, and even got myself a couple of fistfuls of brand new Daniel Smith tubes. Best paint I've ever owned - I'm so excited!)

        Reply
    6. Lauren says

      April 05, 2016 at 12:20 pm

      Love this! When I was little my family took a camping trip up the Oregon coast to Orcas Island (from Nevada). It was an awesome trip and I loved Orcas Island. I have been thinking about it a lot the last couple years. I really want to go back!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        April 05, 2016 at 1:01 pm

        You definitely should. Great new memories are there waiting to be made.

        Reply
    7. Lesha says

      April 05, 2016 at 7:45 am

      Thanks for sharing...love Orcas and has been several years since we have visited there. Your photos brought back great memories!

      Reply
    8. Jenni says

      April 04, 2016 at 9:23 pm

      I feel silly for not even knowing that this place existed! It is gorgeous and SO close! Beautiful post!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        April 04, 2016 at 9:27 pm

        You're not alone, Jenni. I'm always getting surprised by local travel posts. I've lived here forever and there are still places in my own backyard I've never heard of!

        Reply
    9. Brettni Brumfield says

      April 04, 2016 at 4:48 pm

      Love the photos from the pottery shop. =)

      Reply
    10. Mary says

      April 04, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      Wow, looks beautiful, and peaceful! I've never been out that way but my husband has stayed in the San Juan Islands a few times and I'm always super jealous! We're trying to plan a few semi-close trips for our family this summer and fall, so I'm pinning this one so I don't forget about it.

      Reply
    11. Pech says

      April 04, 2016 at 12:23 pm

      Great post - it's like a full day itinerary in case going up there, there is a miserable rainy day where we want to be more indoors! The windows of the Moran Mansion are incredible.

      Reply
    12. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      April 04, 2016 at 10:50 am

      I don't know much about Orcas Island, but now I definitely want to go after reading this post Renée!

      Reply
    13. Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says

      April 04, 2016 at 10:46 am

      My husband and I have been dream-planning a trip here for years and years. I've always wanted to go, but it's helpful to know spring might be a better time than summer! It looks like you had an unforgettable trip.

      Reply

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