April 27th through April 30, 2007
This was actually my first time in Seattle, the largest city in Washington. This Evergreen State is the 42nd State (1889). Home of the Mariners, Seahawks, Thunderbirds and the Seattle Storm. Being from 
Connecticut I’m just in awe in how many sport teams they have. They even have more volcanoes then Ct. has. Lets face it; you Washingtonians have a great state, and being known as the birthplace of grunge music is pretty cool too. I was only able to stay for a couple of hours though, but I was able to get a few Photos.
On to Orcas Island, which is why I came here after all. To take some photos for an Artist who’s painting the Island. Orcas Island is the largest island of the San Juan Islands in Puget sound & the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Orcas Island is also known as the Gem of the San Juan Islands. To get there you have to drive north of Seattle on Rout 5 to Anacortes where you can take the ferry. No Deja Vu here. Ferry Schedule. While traveling on Rt. 5, I noticed that the cars on the road had an
average age of about 15 years old, compared to the cars in Connecticut being about 5 years old on the average. Someone told me that Its because they never get snow all year, only in the mountains, which is pretty amazing. Washingtonians are more environmentally conscience too which I totally admire. The ferry ride is nice, pleasant and very scenic. Photos.
On the Island I was very lucky that this particular artist had some very nice friends who allowed me to stay with them at their house on Orcas Island for 4 days. This gave me some time to take some photos and also have a little time to enjoy this paradise island. There’s plenty to do on this island too. There’s Biking, hiking, camping, kayaking and site seeing to name a few things that you can do. I suggest getting one of those free visitors guide. Some of our activities included, anything goes ping-pong, midnight Frisbee, a Frisbee with imbedded LED lights, and cliff repelling. To start, the weather was great compared to the drizzly rain we left back on the main land. This made taking photos a lot easier, though I didn’t have the freedom and time to scope out the island to get those perfect shoots that I like to get. My favorite place to eat, besides the wonderful meals I 
was served where I was staying, was Roses Bakery Café. The best views were up on Mt. Constitution (2,409’). Being from the Constitution state I had a good feeling about this mountain. Photos. There’s also a 9-hole golf course on the Island, 2 par 3’s, 2 par 5’s and the rest par 4’s. Didn’t get the chance to play though. The rest of the island is just very pleasant and tranquil. There are about 4,000 permanent residents on the island too. That number is said to quadruple in the summer months, so be careful on the roads, they're narrow and they don't have a lot turnouts. Also remember to respect the island’s resident’s private properties and peace of mind. They are very nice people and I’m sure they would want to stay that way. Well instead of telling you about every little thing I did and saw I would rather just show you some more of my photographs. This way you will still
have the element of surprise and be able to make up your own adventure and be apart of the Orcas Island Dream. Oh and one more thing, when you visit the island don’t forget to visit the Crow Valley Pottery & Gallery in east sound. You just might see on of my photographs magnificently painted and hanging on a wall for you to purchase. I look forward to returning & visiting more of the San Juan’s and of course the rest of this magnificent state of Washington, till next time. Photos
San Juan Islands Guide Book
Washington State Links Orca Lab Whale Research
Oil Paintings of Orcas Island (Click on West Paintings)
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