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San Juan day 1
Bellingham - Anacortes - Orcas island
It was a drizzly day when we hugged Elaine and turned our back on the stunning lake views to catch the half past ten ferry to Orcas Island. The forecast on the internet had predicted gloomy conditions for the next few days so we were half tempted to take her up on her offer of staying for a few more days, but decided to be true Brits and not let the rain stop our adventures.
We were running late after our lengthy good-byes and mix up at the garage when we went to refuel on petrol and doughnuts. We rumbled down the I5 as quickly as possible reaching the Anacortes ferry terminal with twenty minutes to spare.
Thankfully it was a quiet Monday morning so the queues weren't anywhere near the size they must reach in the summer and we sailed straight through the ticket booth with time on our hands while we waited for the ferry to arrive.
The clouds remained draped over the mainland as we wove in-between the islands stopping to load and unload the lucky inhabitants and visitors. By the time we reached Orcas the sun was bouncing off the waves created by the docking ferry.
I had scanned the water during our hour long crossing for signs of porpoises or orca whales but as with the bears we were a bit early in the season.
We explored half the island before we stopped for lunch in Eastsound, the main town on the island, which was a charmingly undeveloped artistic community with cosy healthy cafes.
Our lunch was a homemade affair of hot butternut squash soup and ham rolls which we slurped and scoffed in the RV, whilst watching the waves break on the pebbled shores of the Puget sound, once again scanning for marine life. Orcas had been spotted in the bay just a few days earlier.
We walked the shores and collected shells before heading off to explore the rest of the island and find our pitch for the night at Doe Bay.
The bay was very quiet with just a few other guests in the Yurts and cottages, so we had a choice of sites for our RV. We couldn't resist a mossy green clearing in the woods, unfortunately it didn't have an electricity hook up, but with stunning sea views, a sauna and hot tubs available to use we didn't expect to be in the RV very much.
We had time to test out the spa facilities (clothing optional) before dinner. All were outdoors and both the sauna and three hot pools overlooked 'Otter cove' and provided stunning views in a peaceful and lush environment.
We were hoping to spend lunch in the small but highly rated café the next day for our wedding anniversary, however it was due to close midweek, so we decided to indulge that night.
The café prides itself on being totally organic, using ingredients from their own garden and from other island producers. I indulged with a taster plate of the local cheeses as a starter and scallops which were cooked to perfection with fresh spinach, fern heads and pea shoots for my main course. All this was washed down with some local island wine and raspberry liqueur.
A midnight stroll by the seas edge ended the day perfectly.
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