Our award in hand and battle scars fresh, we continue on with the good, clean fight for Orcas Island’s best lodging and accommodations against this week’s opponent: The Orcas Hotel! Oh yeah, just the idea of this battle has got us all jazzed up, ripping, raring and revving our engines, and whatever other expressions there may be for ‘tense and excited’.

There’s no such thing as a clean victory. These former battles provide the proof (#1, #2, #3). In the end, however, everyone must admit that just being on Orcas Island itself, somewhere, at some point in time, is all the victory one needs. I mean, how many islands can say they have their own healing energy vortex?“Tons!” you answer? Well, yes, but I guarantee Orcas Island’s vortex is happier!

All right, enough with the happy, energy healing talk–on to some vicious best lodging battle!

Round 1: Location, Location, Location…..Fight!

You may need to toggle the zoom buttons for clear view of both locations.

View Orcas Ohana vs Orcas Hotel Location in a larger map

The Advantages of Orcas Ohana? Close proximity to Eastsound. Central location of island providing convenient driving access to both sides of the horseshoe. Nestled sense of private lodging and personal independence. Beautiful overlooking view of bay.

The Advantages of Orcas Hotel? Closest proximity to ferry dock, which provides convenient access to the ferry when you need it (good especially for traveling about to other nearby islands that have ferry access!). Clean hotel feel with good food and coffee provided–also has a bar. Easy access to many kinds of rentals.

Hmm, what do you think about this one? It all depends on what kind of Orcas Island vacation you’re looking to create, right? Orcas Ohana gives you the full-island experience while Orcas Hotel gives you transportation convenience and a good touristy touch. We shall just go ahead and call this a win for Orcas Ohana because we are uncertain. That’s how competition goes!

Round 2: Do you accept Dog Hair as money?

To start off, let’s link us up some price and availability charts for both places!

Orcas Ohana’s Rates and Reservations Page

Orcas Hotel Example Rates and Availability

Looks like Orcas Hotel (in June) has rooms from $89 to $219 and Orcas Ohana (in June) is $339 (or just $369 with pets!). Orcas Hotel offers rooms at those prices and Orcas Ohana offers an entire house! What a great choice to have!

And the winner? If you have a dog, then it’s Orcas Ohana (fido-friendly)! If you’re just looking to crash for a night, perhaps with a loved one, then it’s Orcas Hotel. No one wins and yet everyone does!

Final Round: General Awesomeness

Orcas Ohana is closer to the vortex. Enough has been said.

The award-winning Orcas Island Best Lodging Battle series continues! And yes, we give ourselves awards every once in awhile for arbitrary things. (mother told us we deserve awards, so if the world doesn’t give ‘em to us, we have to make our own! That’s just plain logical!)

To see why we’re winning awards from ourselves, check out Battle #1 (Orcas vs Doe Bay) and Battle #2 (Orcas vs Outlook). Both were epic, legendary, awe-inspiring and other adjectives, so we strongly recommend you check ‘em out to see why we think Orcas Ohana is a winner.

Anyhow—on to the battle!

Round 1: Location, Location, Location…..Fight!

You may need to toggle the zoom buttons for clear view of both locations.

View Orcas Ohana Vs The Rosario Resort in a larger map
Orcas Ohana had an admittedly difficult battle with Outlook last week since both locations were nearly side-by-side. But this week presents a whole new challenge: for though Rosario is located outside of Eastsound and farther than Ohana from the ferry dock, it sits right on the bay with a marina and beautiful viewpoints all about. It may not have as convenient or centrally-located a position as Orcas Ohana, but like Doe Bay, Rosario has a serene feeling of natural solitude and relaxing communal living.

In summation: Rosario has beauty and Marina while Orcas has beauty and Eastsound. Do you like boats or do you like convenience?

And so the Round 1 Winner is: Orcas Island! There’s no escaping the beauty of this entire place!

Round 2: Pricing….I checked my pockets–no holes.

Some accommodation and pricing examples from Rosario here.

Some of the same here from Orcas Ohana.

As you can see, we’ve run into the same comparison-debacle as with Battle #1 (Ohana vs Doe Bay): Rosario has a variety of different kinds of rooms and lodging with a variety of prices, while Ohana has limited choices (but with the possibility of pets!). So if you need more flexibility on the prices due to the different number of people you are traveling with, Rosario may be a better fit–unless of course you have a large traveling group, in which Orcas Ohana may work out better for your pockets. Also, if you’re traveling with a dog, we are unsure whether Rosario accommodates the lovely creatures, while we are very, very sure that Orcas Ohana does (check out our fido-friendliness here!).

Round 2 Winner: Really? Orcas Island, again? What are the odds!?

 Final Round: General Awesomeness

Rosario Resort has a beautiful wedding venue location.

Orcas Ohana is a great place for proposals. 

You can dock your boat right in the Rosario Marina.

Orcas Ohana has a photo scavenger hunt that will revolutionize the way you enjoy vacations.

Rosario Resort has a rich history with Orcas Island.

Orcas Ohana is newer and thus creating a newer, richer history with Orcas Island.

Rosario Resort has something called the Master Plan.

The owner of Orcas Ohana is a strong proponent of Blind Sasquatching.

And so the overall winner is…..to be continued?

Earn 5 or 10% OFF your 2nd stay (and have a great time doing it!)

As mentioned in a previous entry, we have put together a special photo scavenger hunt for any and all of our awesome Orcas Island guests! The game is simple and easy-to-do, but as we can attest from our scavenger hunt weekend, it’s loads of fun. Casually looking and finding objects and places of interest, talking to the locals and exploring new areas truly added another layer of excitement to the vacation. We weren’t just enjoying the moment of being there and doing particular activities; we were elevating our senses to a whole new level: our eyes peeled for any target, whether vulture or butterfly, our noses whiffing for any scent, whether breakfast burrito or rose petal and our hands groping for any safe bit of nature, whether while sasquatching or nightcrowing.

Official Contest Rules

50+ points = 5% off your next booking; 100+ points = 10%; the 2nd stay must be booked within a year of receipt; non-redeemable, no cash value.

With every photo we ask that you or one of your party be present somewhere in the picture excluding the Critters and Creatures Category. Capturing a photo of the Creatures is hard enough without a person trying to stand and pose with them .

So without further ado, we present to you….

The Orcas Ohana Scavenger Hunt List:

The more difficult it is to find/do/see/photograph, the more points you can earn! And we strongly suggest printing off this list to carry with you as you vacation around the island. It can guide you to many wondrous adventures!

Critters and Creatures Category: [General Difficulty Level: 5 of 5]

• A Bald Eagle (10 pts)
• Any Kind of Whale except Orcas Whale (10 pts)
• Orcas Whale (15 pts)
• Any Kind of Seal (5 pts)
• Any Bearded Local (2 pts per local)
• A Red Fox (10 pts)
• Horse (5pts)
• Goat (3pts)
• Blacktail deer (10 pts)–these are everywhere! Be careful when driving
• Any Bird on this List (excluding the aforementioned Bald Eagle) (1 pt)
• Island Marble Butterfly (extremely rare apparently) 10 pts
• Pacific Chorus Frog (5 pts)
• Townsends Vole (10 pts)
• North American River Otter (15 pts)
• Rabbit (8 pts)
• These purple starfish (7 pts)
• Garter Snake (3 pts) (liability disclaimer: ensure it’s a garter snake before approaching)
• Northern Alligator Lizard (15 pts) (they are sneaky and they bite!)

Pretty Plant Category: [General difficulty level: 3 of 5]

• Wildflowers (3 pts per flower type): Take this guide with you to capture them all for a Bonus 10 pts!
• Big Leaf Maple (2 pts)
• Pacific Madrone (3 pts)
• Red Alder (tree) (2 pts)
• Garry Oak (tree) (2 pts)
• Stinging Nettle (3 pts)
• Orange Honeysuckle (3 pts)
• Nootka Rose (3 pts)
• Oregon Grape (Tall/Low) (3 pts)
• White Moss Bed (5 pts)
• Skunk Weed (2 pts)

Poignant Places Category: [General Difficulty Level: 2 of 5]

3 Points except when marked otherwise

• Saturday Farmers Market
• Outlook Inn
• Cascade Falls
• Mt Constitution’s Lookout Tower
• Turtleback Mountain
• Turtleback Farm Inn
• Buck Bay Shellfish Farm
• Doe Bay Resort General Store
• Inn at Ship Bay
• Any Surrounding Island of Orcas (Matia, Turn, Sucia, etc) (7 pts each)
• Obstruction Pass State Park
• Orcas Island Vineyards
• Sea View Theater
• Any Orcas Island Church (2 pts each)
• Orcas Center
• Orcas Island Historical Museum
• Orkila Garden
• Camp Orkila
• Island Hoppin’ Brewery
• The Eastsound Labyrinth
• Any Organic Farm
• Eastsound Outdoor Ampitheatre (2 pts if empty, 5 pts if someone is dancing on stage–either you or a performer)
• Deer Harbor Park
• Eastsound Waterfront Park
• Westsound
• Beach Crescent
• Buckhorn
• Cormorant Bay
• North Beach
• The Secret Garden
• Agave Tequila Bar
• Secret Peace Grotto next to Ohana
• Warren Miller Skate Park
• Odd Fellows Hall
• The Moss Bed Secret Grotto
• The Mysterious, Abandoned Well

Active Activities Category: [General Difficulty Level: 4 of 5]

All the following activities are 5 points!

• Riding Mopeds
• Whale Watching Tours
• Kayaking
• Standup Paddling
• Music Festivals
• The Ferry Ride
• Massage + Spa Relaxing
• Boating
• Scuba Diving
• Cycling
• Geocaching
• Yoga Class
• Dancing in the Forest or the Ohana Back Deck
• Sasquatching (perhaps this activity needs further explanation)
• Nightcrowing (this one also)
• Ziplining
• Gaga Ball
• Playing H-O-R-S-E

the Orcas Island Artifacts category: [general difficulty level: 4 of 5]

• Sacajawea (3 pts)
• Song of Separation (2 pts)
• Dali Lama (5 pts)
• Secret Magic Glass (10 pts)
• Orca Whale Carving (2 pts)
• Any Orcas Island Sign (2 pts)
• Any Different Orcas Island Speed Sign (1 pt each)
• Any Totem Pole Carving (2 pts)
• The Lounging Lizard (5 pts)
• The Old Stove (3 pts)
• The Parsley in the Tree (3 pts)
• Any Red Hydrant (1 pt each)
• Big Peace Sign (3 pts)

Here is a handy PDF of the Scavenger List for your printing-out pleasure: Orcas Ohana Photo Scavenger Hunt List

If you find anything else during your hunt that you think you should be added to any of these categories, let us know and we’ll be sure to include it with the possibility of giving you bonus discovery points! If you have any questions about this contest, its rules or reasons, feel free to contact us for more details.

Looking to stay at our awesome vacation rental this year? Check out our rates and reservations page here or browse the home page herefor more reasons on why Orcas Ohana is your play to stay for that San Juan Islands trip!

Orcas Island has some speed sticklers all about--be sure to take note of these!

There are many public hoops scattered about Orcas--we found this one nearby!

They've found their next thingy!

So this weekend we’ll be taking our annual manager’s jaunt to the Orcas Ohana Vacation Rental in preparation for the busy summer stay season. And this year we’ve decided to put together a special bargain/challenge for all of our temporary tenants: a Photo Scavenger Hunt!

As you may know, Orcas island and the surrounding areas provide a lot of unique places, plants and creatures, and so the challenge will be to capture yourself enjoying these local goodies. We haven’t decided on what is a reasonable amount of photo-treasures just yet,, but that’s why this weekend we’re going to get out and enjoy ourselves to the max (!) and see what we can find.

*Disclaimer: Official Contest Rules have not yet been decided, but we are thinking that 100 Points will be the ultimate goal for a rebate on your Orcas Ohana stay. Rebate to be decided.

A List of our Potential Treasure Challenges

We’ll start with the most obvious choices in the Critters Category:

• A Bald Eagle (10 pts)
• Any Kind of Whale (10 pts + 2x for Orcas Whale)
• Any Kind of Seal (5 pts)
• Any Bearded Local (2 pts per local)
• A Red Fox (10 pts)
• Blacktail deer (10 pts)
• Any Bird on this List (excluding the aforementioned Bald Eagle) (1 pt)
• Island Marble Butterfly (extremely rare apparently) 10 pts
• Pacific Chorus Frog (5 pts)
• Townsends Vole (10 pts)
• North American River Otter (15 pts)
• Rabbit (8 pts)
• These purple starfish (7 pts)
• Garter Snake (3 pts) (disclaimer: make sure you know it’s a garter snake before approaching)
• Northern Alligator Lizard (15 pts) (they are sneaky and they bite!)

And now the Plant Category:

• Wildflowers (3 pts per flower type): Take this guide with you to capture them all for a Bonus 10 pts!
• Big Leaf Maple (tree) 2 pts
• Pacific Madrone (tree) 3 pts
• Red Alder (tree) 2 pts
• Garry Oak (tree) 2 pts
• Stinging Nettle 3 pts
• Orange Honeysuckle 3pts
• Nootka Rose 3 pts
• Oregon Grape (Tall/Low) 3pts

And finally the Place Category (4 pts each):

• Saturday Farmers Market
• Outlook Inn
• Cascade Falls
• Mt Constitution’s Lookout Tower
• Turtleback Mountain
• Turtleback Farm Inn
• Buck Bay Shellfish Farm
• Doe Bay Resort General Store
• Inn at Ship Bay
• Any Surrounding Island of Orcas (Matia, Turn, Sucia, etc)
• Obstruction Pass State Park
• Orcas Island Vineyards
• Sea View Theater
• Any Orcas Island Church
• Orcas Center
• Orcas Island Historical Museum
• More Places to Come…..

But wait! We forgot the all-important: ACTIVITIES CATEGORY (all 5 pts)!

• Riding Mopeds
• Whale Watching Tours
• Kayaking
• Standup Paddling
• Music Festivals
• The Ferry Ride
• Massage + Spa Relaxing
• Boating
• Scuba Diving
• Cycling
• Geocaching
• Yoga Class
• Dancing in the Forest
• More to come….

So this is our temporary list–this weekend we’ll be adding/subtracting what we can. Most of the wildlife and plants come from a San Juan Islands source and are perhaps limited only to the mainland. But we’ll see, won’t we! Happy Preliminary Hunting to us!

We found this little bit of article on Sunset Magazine talking briefly about Orcas Island as a “Gourmet Getaway”. Check it out:

Local legend Emily Reid and her roadside stand. Photo courtesy of Thomas J. Story

Rent your own little cabin by the water and savor the farm-fresh bounty with home-cooked meals ― recipes included. As foodie tourism goes, Orcas, the jewel of Washington’s San Juan islands, is one of the West’s most enchanting options. Settlers have farmed the island since the 1870s, but only recently have they begun to organize themselves for visitors ― setting up on-site produce stands, perma-culture classes, even an informal petting zoo.

Irene Edwards, Sunset Magazine Travel

If this prominent piece of promotion doesn’t sell the idea of fine eating on Orcas Island, then perhaps a few of our previous blog entries are in order! Check this one out about all the great gourmeting you could be doing around Orcas Island and this one about the freshness of the Farmer’s Market.

And for a more comprehensive look at all your Orcas Island dining options, please refer to the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce’s official register on this site here.

Also, if you don’t like eating out, but you like staying in beautiful, comfortable vacation homes with breathably-open kitchen spaces then check out our Orcas Ohana Vacation Rental page to start planning your Pacific Northwest vacation today!

There’s nothing like thawing out, unplugging your eyes, uplifting your buttocks and getting back into the gnarly nature of your favorite San Juan Island Getaway: Orcas Ohana! Rebirth, purity, life and growth, these are the sensation of spring! But can they be had in an office? No! Can they be felt in a crowded city street? No way! The sun is rising in your soul and your heart becomes dewy once more, can you rejuvenate yourself with a simple trip to the spa or gym? Maybe! But that’s not the point!

Well, what is the point? This is a lot of fine talk about Spring–a lot of fancy rhetoric spewing from a lofty pedestal of pedantry–but where are all the practical points of Spring on Orcas Island? Where can a pragmatic man or woman physically create that sense of renewal and rebirth and rejuvenation and reflection and redistribution or recycling? Good questions all around, yes, good questions indeed–questions that can really only be answered with the fantastic firepower of….

“FUN ACTIVITIES TO TRY IN SPRING ON ORCAS ISLAND!!!!!” presented by your favorite San Island Getaway (Orcas Ohana!)

If you’re one of our 2 faithful readers (myself and my brother–although he’s been slacking as of late) then you may already be aware of all the great activities Orcas Island has to offer all the adventurous, getaway travelers out there. There have been so many classic, unforgettable blog entries like this one or this one–and don’t forget this one–that have detailed the exquisite art of enjoying one’s self on Orcas Island, but just in case you missed them, here is a quick bullet list of all the wonderful things you could be doing outdoors, or at least outside of the house, at Orcas Ohana.

Here is a quick reminder of what you could be doing this Spring:

• Hiking
  

  Melty dewy yummy....

• Standup Paddling
• Whale Watching
• Kayaking
• Cycling
• Moped Riding
• Camping
• Crabbing
• Boating
• Scuba Diving
• Farmer’s Marketing
• Getting Rubbed Down
• Island Hopping
• Quirk Exploring
• Sasquatching
• Dinnering
• Getting Married
• Drinking with Friendly Sailors
• Attending Outdoor Concerts
• Identifying, Classifying and Cataloging Wildlife Specimens
• Solving a made-up mystery
• Watching a Sunset of East Sound
• Visiting Museums and Collecting Artifacts
• Hanging out in some parking lots
• Swimming in the Sea
• Cave exploring
• Talking to Eagles
• Running with your Dog
• Running with your Cat
• Reading this blog entry

The possibilities are endless! So come on up for your San Juan Island Getaway at Orcas Ohana and explore all of these wonderful Spring opportunities!

And just for your information, according to the Internet:

Easter has deep roots in the mythic past. Long before it was imported into the Christian tradition, the Spring festival honored the goddess Eostre or Eastre. The name is pronounced Easter. She was the ancient Anglo Saxon goddess of the dawn and the Vernal Equinox. Her name venerates the sun rising in the east. Easter Sunday sunrise services continue the sun-worship aspect of the holiday. The equinox is when the days begin growing into the long sunlight that will be Summer. This increase of daylight makes crops possible, hence the theme of fertility.

We’ve mentioned before the great quirkiness of our favorite Orcas Island town (that’s Eastsound, of course–down with Olga Village!). Perhaps ‘great quirkiness’ is a bit of an exaggeration; it’s really more of a subtle group of peaceful oddities. However you want to describe it, in the end, you may be wanting, before your visit to Orcas Island, to get connected with local island news. Eastsound has all sort of lovely events, particularly in the warmer summer months, it might be helpful to get yourself informed of the happenings before you attempt to temporarily integrate with the locals.

The Islands’ Sounder :: The Latest and Greatest on Orcas Island

The Islands’ Sounder is going to be your main source for the best, most informative Eastsound news, but it’s important to use your skills of discernment to find the right pieces of news related to your stay. Here are some examples of what we could glean:

• The Eagles are at War: An injured eagle was found with his arch nemesis, talons locked and boulder squeezed. The eagle, with the help of Wolf Hollow (animal rescue), has returned to flight and fight. On your visit, keep your eyes and ears peeled for the war-scarred fighter now known to the Orcas Ohana community as “the Phoenix from the Battle Between the Boulders” (or PBBB for short).
• The Echoes of Discrimination: Even taken by the most innocent of hearts, this is surely a controversial piece of news. The Islanders are given first crack at reserving local campgrounds for their leisurely pleasure while the Outsiders are left with their camping scraps. Terms like “Outsiders” and “discrimination” may be hyperbolic in this situation, but they need to be said because that’s how news about news works. Watch out for this egregious use of Island segregation rights (again, greatly exaggerated, but necessary nonetheless)
• Polar Bear Plunge: We don’t want to read too much into this article for fear of building up dangerous stereotypes and blacking out from information overload–so we’ll just use conjecture from the title and the picture to fill in this event’s details. This could be a quaint annual ritual in which people en masse jump into an icy cold body of water: a way of cleansing and revitalizing themselves for the year to come. Or it could be an entire town’s cult quest for polar bear skins in a rite of passage ceremony which states that one must return to dry land with a polar bear skin or remain in the icy depths until the spring sun comes. We’ll let the people decide which one be the truth: that’s democracy!

Stay tuned for more important news given secondhand from your favorite Orcas Island Vacation Rental: Orcas Ohana (located a short walk from downtown Eastsound with a fantastic view of East Sound Bay!)

 

Not an Orcas Island lighthouse, but still, so much symbolism!

Okay all you Orcas Island Vacation Rental seekers out there, we’re coming at you this week with some major resolutions sure to make you say, “Oh yeah, I like that one–I want that for myself!” As we know Resolutions are at their best when they are really general and universal (err or maybe it’s the other way around?). “I want to get healthy!–I want peace on Earth!–I want to recycle more!” A good resolution should be like these, truly admirable and achievable by us all. If anyone wants to get healthy, they may monitor their diet and get more exercise. If someone wants to recycle more, they can put things in different boxes on their curbs. If someone wants peace on Earth then they can hide in a box in their bedrooms and shut all the blinds forever–instant and long lasting peace!

So with the idea of sharing goals in mind, we’re coming at y’all with our Orcas Ohana New Year’s Resolutions!

1. Island Camping/Exploring: When you stay on Orcas Island in your nice Ohana vacation rental you may be tempted to stay inside all day to enjoy the luxurious, relaxing environment it provides (jacuzzi hot tub, oh yeeeaah!)–and while there is nothing wrong with this strategy whatsoever, we are feeling a bit more adventurous this year–so, as wily veterans of Orcas Island, we have made the resolution to push ourselves a bit further this year and explore all the surrounding islands to discover what magic, mayhem or mysteries they may have to offer. For more info on the surrounding islands and their secrets, please feel free to peruse our collection of Island Notes (like this one on Matia Island!)
2. Finding and Identifying Local Wildlife: This is going to be an eventual challenge to all of our Orcas Ohana visitors out there: it involves getting out around the wild areas of Orcas Island and the surrounding sea in search of as many of the local wildlife and fauna as possible. The Bald Eagle, the Orca Whale or the ever-elusive Northwestern Alligator Lizard are all out there waiting for us. Who will be the first explorer to capture them all (in a picture of course)!? Stay tuned because this will involve rebate moneys!
3. Attending One Quirky Island Event: The town of Eastsound is well-known for its quirkiness and perhaps this is a quality best understood through participation. This year, during our own stay out at the best Orcas Island Vacation Rental, we promise ourselves to attend at least one outdoor concert or one vortex committee hearing or one impromptu Northwestern Alligator Lizard dance at the local pub. We may do all of these things, and that’s even better, but if we can do just one, we feel our level of Stay Satisfaction shall increase immensely.

For more info on the San Juan Islands or our lovely Orcas Island Vacation Rental, please free to skim through our other blog entries for anything and everything you ever did or didn’t want to know about your potential stay with us !

Come to Turn Island and be mystified by us!

Wildlife Refuge

We’ve been all over the google map here lately discussing the various nature mysteries and hotspots of the San Juan Islands, and today shall be no different: Turn Island coming at ya! Together with Matia Island, Turn Island is one of the two human-friendliest marine refuges within the San Juan Islands living sphere!

It has 35 acres of marine-camping park grounds with over 16,000 feet of shoreline. Just think of all the brooding or ponderous walks you can take along the shore with that many feet! There are 12 campsites with 3 buoys and designated human areas! Just think of how much fun you already have with 1 buoy and multiply that by 3! It’s all three times the fun! And like all the other islands we’ve mentioned in this magnificent tour, Turn Island is only accessible to the public by boat. So add it to your island camping tour line and get ready for what’s coming up next….

The Magic, Mayhem and Mystery of Turn Island!

• The Magic: For all you birdwatchers or nature enthusiasts out there, Turn Island is rich in owl deposits. And with many owl deposits, there are sure to be their makers flying and cooing somewhere above! Take some time to lounge and look for these powerful, shy creatures of the night–for if you’re lucky to get one in your sights you can have the staring contest of a lifetime! Now that’s magic!
• The Mayhem: Now I know what you may be thinking “Shouldn’t owls be considered more mayhem than magic? They wreak psychological havoc on the world!” And I would like to counter that you’re exactly right, but that there is simply something more mayhem-ish on Turn Island. Something that rivals all of the mayhem within the San Juan Islands. Something that the people of Orcas Island dare not even mention over a glass of brew at the local pub.
• The Mystery: If you have a chance, search for some info on Turn Island. You’ll get some stuff for certain: pages like this one that talk about the basic characteristics of the place or this one which is just an official parks page. Unlike the other islands on our list here, the Turn Island mystery comes not from the information given, but rather the lack of anything interesting at all. By all outside standards it seems to be simply a nice, natural place, full of some trees and wholesome activities. If all of this doesn’t spell ‘mystery’ to you, then I’m not sure that you’re sure what mystery is–and surely that’s the greatest mystery of all!

What? Is this true? Has Orcas Ohana turned away its famed and lucrative career in the vacation rental home business and started on a new life of exploratory scientific work and expeditions? Not at all? A beautiful home overlooking Orcas Island’s East Sound could never uproot itself and go on treks to Jones Island State Park? So many questions! And the answers so difficult! So many mysteries!

And we know that’s what the world wants: magic, mysteries and mayhem (or as they call it in the real estate biz: the M Trifecta)! So without further ado….

Here’s all the info on Orcas Island’s neighbor Jones Island and its M Trifecta!

• Let’s start with some MAGIC! Jones Island State Park is not without its human visitors (there’s a dock and space for 21 campsites, though no resident population) and each human visitor is granted with one local black-tail deer as a companion during their stay. Well, maybe not granted, but the black-tail population here is not afraid of humans and will approach you for handouts. Feeding wildlife is strictly forbidden of course by the Washington State Park system, but someone at some time must have been giving them food, which means if the whole thing goes to the courts you will have some kind of legal precedent working in your favor. (Just got an update from the studio…yes…uh huh…ok….so no, that’s not the way any legal system in the world works, sorry)

• Now for some MAYHEM! Opposite the friendly deer creatures lies the army of pestering island raccoon, the mortal enemy of the deer and every rabies-fearing human out there. No one knows who started the war between the deer and the raccoon, but we do know the results–warfare and fur-shed over human leftovers for years uncounted. There is also an invading mercenary group of prickly pear cactus which has yet to choose sides, but is doing its fair share of mayhem nonetheless.

• And finally the MYSTERY! Jones Island got its name from a Captain Jacob Jones of the United States Navy, who, while Master Commandant of the sloop-of-war Wasp, captured the British brig Frolic on October 18, 1812. First off, the War of 1812 is a mystery in itself–how many of us learn about the War of 1812 in schools? (another update from the studio….everyone? Oh fine) Well then, the real mystery of this what happened with the British brig Frolic after it was captured. Some say that the crew of the Frolic were ordered onto the Jones Island beach and their vessel was stripped and destroyed before their eyes. Then, as some say, that British crew was left stranded on Jones Island and forced to survive off the local fauna whilst crafting homes in the trees of the deep forests. Some say now that the British descendants still live in those forests, moving from tree to tree, staying in the shadows to protect their adopted home. And finally some say that it is the British that control the black-tail deer and that they use the domesticated animals to spy on the oblivious campers. Some say!
  

  British spy!