Dining - Activities - Photos
Orcas Island is one of the San Juan islands, tucked away between Washington State coastline and Canadian British Columbia. Rosario Resort--a peaceful place with breathtaking views--sits on a hillside looking out towards the Rosario Strait. All the rooms are a five-minute walk from Rosario mansion and waterfront.
There is a hiking trail that starts on the resort grounds literally just outside the condos' doors and within 10 minutes leads to beautiful Cascade Lake. Additionally, with only a short drive (or a beautiful hike), you can get to Mountain Lake, Cascade Waterfalls, Twin Lakes, Mount Constitution, and more. The hiking on the island is amazing! The town of Eastsound is about 10 minutes away from Rosario by vehicle, Deer Harbor is 30 minutes away, and Turtleback Mountain trailhead is 25 minutes away. If you want to venture off the island, a short ferry ride to San Juan Island would let you experience a lavender farm, winery, and a historic military fort. If you spend another hour on the ferry, you can go two centuries back in time in Victoria, British Columbia.
There is a hiking trail that starts on the resort grounds literally just outside the condos' doors and within 10 minutes leads to beautiful Cascade Lake. Additionally, with only a short drive (or a beautiful hike), you can get to Mountain Lake, Cascade Waterfalls, Twin Lakes, Mount Constitution, and more. The hiking on the island is amazing! The town of Eastsound is about 10 minutes away from Rosario by vehicle, Deer Harbor is 30 minutes away, and Turtleback Mountain trailhead is 25 minutes away. If you want to venture off the island, a short ferry ride to San Juan Island would let you experience a lavender farm, winery, and a historic military fort. If you spend another hour on the ferry, you can go two centuries back in time in Victoria, British Columbia.
DINING:
Ship Bay Inn: the best place on the island to eat! Chef Geddes is internationally profiled, and his food, most of which is raised on his farm or taken out of the ocean the morning of (or 15 minutes prior to being served), will blow you away. All of the ingredients are local from Orcas, Lopez, or San Juan Island. This restaurant makes it into one of the Top-10 in America.
New Leaf Cafe: another favorite place to eat - the chef is from Paris, son of a French generational chef. You must try their French onion soup.
Rosario Mansion Dining: great food, views, and ambience a short walk from the condos. Rosario dining has dramatically changed in the past two years under the leadership of new Chef Raymond, whose pedigree includes Ritz Carlton in St Martin. The locally caught and grown food has become truly excellent and rivals the Ship Bay and the New Leaf.
Rosario Bar Lounge: relaxing evening experience with Thursday and Saturday live music, historic ambience and generous drinks.
Mijitas: authentic Mexican restaurant featuring home-made family recipes.
The Island Skillet: classic American breakfast or diner-style meals. All food is served with fresh and local ingredients. The portions are very large!
Catskins (former Olga Cafe): the best organic foodie breakfast and lunch served daily 9 AM - 3 PM. The restaurant and gallery burnt down a few years ago, but has finally rebuilt and reopened. All their food is local and everything in the art shop is made on the island by local artists (including Microsoft execs-turn-scarf-weavers and Amazon investors-turn-wood-carvers).
Brown Bear: excellent coffee shop with tasty home-made baked goods.
Enzos: excellent coffee shop that specializes in crepes.
Barnacle: speak-easy bar that stays open late and is only open in the summer.
ACTIVITIES:
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival: every April the city of Mount Vernon and the surrounding area hold an annual tulip festival (a number-one spring activity according to the National Geographic). Mount Vernon is conveniently located on your way to the Anacortes ferry. The local tulip farms produce the majority of the world's tulips. Spend an hour there and you won't forget the beautiful experience (see the photos below)!
Piano Show at Rosario Mansion: Christopher Peacock's live piano and organ show isn't just a concert but also an exciting dive into the island's and Rosario's history, accompanied by hundreds of historic photos spanning over a century. He plays daily in the summer and only on Saturdays during the off-season. After his one-hour show you'll have a new appreciation for the island, Seattle, and Washington state.
Whale watching: enjoyable with any vendor; they all use the same whale-spotting intel and have similar boats. The boats leave from Deer Harbor (a beautiful 25-minute drive). We've had great luck with Deer Harbor Charters. Also--even though the chances of a no-show are low--if you don't see any whales, they will take you on another trip for free.
Orcas Island Pottery: thousands of locally-crafted and painted pottery items in a beautiful location with breathtaking views (and even a real tree house!).
Hiking/Exploring: a hike around Mountain Lake is a must (4.5 miles). One mile into the hike there is a rope swing that you can swing off of and go for a swim (there are small islands within the lake). Another great swim or hike is around Cascade Lake. You can jump off the lagoon bridge or the cliffs or simply enjoy lying on the beach. Cascade Falls is an easy one-mile trek and definitely worthwhile. If you want to view one of the world's best sunsets, Mount Constitution is an absolute must! Drive to the top to see volcanoes, islands and the North Cascades. Stop midway up the mountain to see The Olympics and the western views. Mount Constitution is a top sunset view according to many travel magazines. Another phenomenal hike is a trip to the top of Turtleback Mountain, which is is one of the largest undeveloped places in the county and an achievement of 2006 private conservation effort.
Kayaking: available both out of Deer Harbor and Rosario and makes for a great afternoon activity. Do not attempt kayaking between the islands on your own without a professional guide - it is dangerous due to extremely strong currents.
Massage/Spa: Rosario, Healing Arts Center, or Massage by the Sea. Rosario is definitely the best overall experience.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival: every April the city of Mount Vernon and the surrounding area hold an annual tulip festival (a number-one spring activity according to the National Geographic). Mount Vernon is conveniently located on your way to the Anacortes ferry. The local tulip farms produce the majority of the world's tulips. Spend an hour there and you won't forget the beautiful experience (see the photos below)!
Piano Show at Rosario Mansion: Christopher Peacock's live piano and organ show isn't just a concert but also an exciting dive into the island's and Rosario's history, accompanied by hundreds of historic photos spanning over a century. He plays daily in the summer and only on Saturdays during the off-season. After his one-hour show you'll have a new appreciation for the island, Seattle, and Washington state.
Whale watching: enjoyable with any vendor; they all use the same whale-spotting intel and have similar boats. The boats leave from Deer Harbor (a beautiful 25-minute drive). We've had great luck with Deer Harbor Charters. Also--even though the chances of a no-show are low--if you don't see any whales, they will take you on another trip for free.
Orcas Island Pottery: thousands of locally-crafted and painted pottery items in a beautiful location with breathtaking views (and even a real tree house!).
Hiking/Exploring: a hike around Mountain Lake is a must (4.5 miles). One mile into the hike there is a rope swing that you can swing off of and go for a swim (there are small islands within the lake). Another great swim or hike is around Cascade Lake. You can jump off the lagoon bridge or the cliffs or simply enjoy lying on the beach. Cascade Falls is an easy one-mile trek and definitely worthwhile. If you want to view one of the world's best sunsets, Mount Constitution is an absolute must! Drive to the top to see volcanoes, islands and the North Cascades. Stop midway up the mountain to see The Olympics and the western views. Mount Constitution is a top sunset view according to many travel magazines. Another phenomenal hike is a trip to the top of Turtleback Mountain, which is is one of the largest undeveloped places in the county and an achievement of 2006 private conservation effort.
Kayaking: available both out of Deer Harbor and Rosario and makes for a great afternoon activity. Do not attempt kayaking between the islands on your own without a professional guide - it is dangerous due to extremely strong currents.
Massage/Spa: Rosario, Healing Arts Center, or Massage by the Sea. Rosario is definitely the best overall experience.
All of the photos are taken by me over the past couple years. I look forward to hosting you at one of the world's most beautiful places!
