I awake early to the campground sounds, for which my tent offers little insulation.  It’s not like the Winnie where I can close the windows and sleep in.  It’s not yet 7:00am, and the neighbors have already started breakfast.  I have no cell signal in the campground, which makes me even more restless, so I pull out my paper brochures and begin to do research for my next destination, Orcas Island.

I check the ferry schedule and notice my options are 8:30am or 11:35am, so I jump into my clothes in a whirlwind, collapse the tent poles, and shove the tent into the Tracker.  If I hurry, I just may make the early ferry.   It is a gorgeous day, clear as a bell, without the ubiquitous fog that typically lingers in the San Juans, holding back the sunshine.

I was too late for the early ferry out of San Juan yesterday, so I arrive an hour early with time to spare, only to be told to go away and come back 15 minutes before departure.    Once again, by the sheer luck of the draw, I end up on the front row, sitting behind the wheel of the Tracker, feeling like I am navigating across the calm waters toward the harbor.

It is a gorgeous crossing, as we skirt the “arms” of Orcas, shaped like an upside down horseshoe.    As we approach the ferry dock, it is immediately apparent that Orcas looks very different than San Juan Island.  Much taller hills, and deep green forests.

Again, I don’t stop at the harbor town, because I am the first one off the ferry.   If I stop, I will be stuck in the exiting traffic.  I have the top down on the Tracker, so I fly up and over the hilltops on the narrow “Scenic Byway.”   I instantly get a “vibe” that I really love this place!  It reminds me a bit of the mountains and deep evergreens on the British Virgin Islands, so I put some Marley on the ipod to add to the mood.  “I wanna love you…every day and every night.  Is this love… is this love… is this love… is this love that I’m feelin?”

Deer Harbor

Sooner than I anticipate, I am rolling into the little town of Eastsound, nestled right on the bay in the crook of the fjord that makes up the horseshoe-shape.  The little main street is bustling on a Sunday morning.   I notice lots of café’s with outdoor seating, artist studios, shop displays with brilliant flowers, and soulful singing coming from the main street church, so I decide to stop.   I see a Kayak Outfitter and drop in to ask about sea kayaking trips, as the San Juan Islands are the sea kayaker’s “mecca.”  But as so often happens, I have to make a choice.  I don’t want to miss the Mount Constitution Interpretive Center, as there are a couple of friends there I want to see.  😉   So I decide to forgo the kayaking for another day.

I stop at the New Leaf Café’ for breakfast, and have the best Eggs Benedict I have ever tasted, made with their in-house smoked salmon.  A stately-looking older man from a nearby table comes over and introduces himself.   He has lived on the island for 33 years, and invites me to his “private art gallery.”   Hhhmmmm….  I graciously decline, and as he is leaving, he says “Keep Orcas Island a secret, okay?”  So it’s just between us.  😉

Beautiful little church and labyrinth in Eastsound, backs up to the bay.

Moran State Park is the “primo” campground on Orcas Island.  It books up weeks in advance.  I didn’t have the luxury of advance booking, so I just kept the availability map up on my screen, hitting the “refresh” icon throughout the work day.   Imagine the adrenalin coursing through my veins when one campsite opens up….a race to grab the space with one hand and my credit card with the other before someone else does!   I pay more for this one night of camping ($35) than I am paying to park the Winnie in a marina!  By the time the reservation fee and non-resident fee are added in, Washington State Parks are some of the most expensive I have visited.

Too bad photo doesn’t show beautiful Cascade Lake thru the trees.

I pitch the tent on what is a welcomed level tent pad overlooking beautiful Cascade Lake, one of five fresh water mountain lakes in the 5,000 acre Moran State Park.   As soon as my nest is feathered in my tent, I take off to hike the 3-mile Cascade Loop Trail.

Tree root looks like a sculpture.

Note concentric circles in water…someone just jumped in!

I want to make it to the top of Mount Constitution, the highest point on the San Juan Islands, at elevation 2,409 feet by 4:30pm.  Nina and Paul from Wheelingit fame are volunteer hosting at the Interpretive Center, so I want to make the drive to the top while they are still “on duty.”   I marvel at how on earth they got “The Beast” (their 41 ft Class A) up this mountain, as the Tracker struggles to make the climb.

View from the road, midway up Mount Constitution.

Observation Tower atop Mount Constitution, built by the CCC in 1935.

View of surrounding islands from Mount Constitution.

We visit for a while, then agree to meet back in Eastsound for dinner at The Madrona Bar and Grill (named for the beautiful red-barked Madrona tree prevalent on the islands,) right on the waterfront.   We share Fish & Chips, a bottle of wine and lively conversation on the deck, cantilevered out over the bay as the sun starts to drop behind the mountains of the “western arm.”   There is a local bluegrass band playing in the park nearby, so we stop to have a listen, while picking wild blackberries for dessert.

Nina and Paul on Madrone’s back deck.

By now, the sun is down, so I head back to my sleeping bag in Moran State Park and set the alarm for an early wake-up call.  I have taken the day off from work, because Super Lighthouse Sleuth Nina has a special day planned tomorrow, and I am invited to tag along!