Dining - Activities - Photos
Orcas Island is one of the San Juan islands, tucked away between Washington State coastline and Canadian British Columbia. The Residences are located at Rosario Hillside within Rosario Resort*--a peaceful place with breathtaking views, looking out towards the Cascade Bay and Rosario Strait. All our rooms are a five-minute walk from Rosario mansion and waterfront.
Moran State Park's hiking trail system starts on the resort grounds, right outside The Residences' doors, and within 10 minutes leads to the beautiful Cascade Lake. Additionally, with only a short drive (or a beautiful hike), you can reach Mountain Lake, Cascade Waterfalls, Twin Lakes, Mt 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.
Moran State Park's hiking trail system starts on the resort grounds, right outside The Residences' doors, and within 10 minutes leads to the beautiful Cascade Lake. Additionally, with only a short drive (or a beautiful hike), you can reach Mountain Lake, Cascade Waterfalls, Twin Lakes, Mt 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.
Kingfish: After leaving the post of the head chef at Rosario, Chef Raymond Southern opened his own boutique hotel and restaurant in West Sound. It is one of the best dining experiences in the Northwest, as affirmed by a feature article in the Forbes magazine. Similarly to Ship Bay, Kingfish is a local’s favorite, and requires reservations far in advance. Even though this restaurant is on the other side of the island, it is very much worth the trip.
Buck Bay Shellfish Farm: that place has always been amazing with unbelievable choice of live oysters, fish, and more and an option to bring your own beverage, overlooking the water, but now... it received the former chef of the New Leaf Cafe, making this establishment possibly the second best place on the island!
Rosario Mansion Dining: Having a meal at Rosario is a great resort experience with spectacular views, just a short beautiful walk away from the condos.
Rosario Cascade Bar and Grill: a fun marina fish’s’ chips, ceviche, and burger experience in a gorgeous outdoor setting. The portions are large, and meals are reasonably priced. Drinks are delicious and generous. This may be the best dining option on Rosario grounds.
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!
Madrona Bar and Grill: a solid go-to lunch and dinner establishment with views. They usually overcook their meats, so remember to order one temperature down. The food and service there are always good, but given their downtown location, they tend to be overrun with tourists.
Catkin Cafe (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).
New Leaf Cafe: another favorite place to eat! You must try their brunch.
Brown Bear Bakery: excellent coffee shop with tasty home-made baked goods.
The Roots: excellent coffee shop with great selection of wine and pastries.
Barnacle: speak-easy bar that stays open late and is only open in the summer. The owner’s goal is to become the number-one speak-easy in America, and so far he is on track to achieve that mark.
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 Outerisland Excursions and Deer Harbor Charters. Also--even though the chances of a no-show are low--if you don't see any whales, both will take you on another trip for free.
Forest Ceramic Gallery: If you enjoy pottery and high-end artwork, this famous gallery in town - is a great place to visit. Everything is conceptualized and crafted on the island, and the Forest Ceramic owners invented several carving techniques, which have made them Internet and real-world sensations. Their artwork can be found in the homes of many celebrities around the world. They also feature original paintings, art books, and greeting cards created by local artists.
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 Outerisland Excursions and Deer Harbor Charters. Also--even though the chances of a no-show are low--if you don't see any whales, both will take you on another trip for free.
Forest Ceramic Gallery: If you enjoy pottery and high-end artwork, this famous gallery in town - is a great place to visit. Everything is conceptualized and crafted on the island, and the Forest Ceramic owners invented several carving techniques, which have made them Internet and real-world sensations. Their artwork can be found in the homes of many celebrities around the world. They also feature original paintings, art books, and greeting cards created by local artists.
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 us over the past few years.
We look forward to hosting you at one of the world's most beautiful places!
All images © 2014-2021 In the Harbor LLC. All rights reserved. Republication without permission or licensing strictly prohibited.
We look forward to hosting you at one of the world's most beautiful places!
All images © 2014-2021 In the Harbor LLC. All rights reserved. Republication without permission or licensing strictly prohibited.
