Grab you're backpack; we're headed out the door for an inexpensive adventure to Orcas Island - the largest of the San Juan Islands, located in the wester part of Washington State. This trip was like a hybrid between backpacking Europe and going to Maui; only it's a $12.50 ferry ride! Once on any of the islands - ferry travel is free between the islands and back to the mainland - and since we're arriving on foot and plan on hiking and hitching around the island our travel expenses can't get any lower!
Our journey begins by getting dropped off at the ferry terminal in Anacortes, WA. We had planned on going to San Juan Island but it was a two hour wait and the ferry to Orcas Island was boarding so we paid our fees and jumped aboard. As a sailor, there is no better way to visit a new place than to pull into port! Arriving on the island at the ferry terminal is like traveling back in time when we didn't have all the security at the airports - warm embraces between friends and family and everyone is glad to see each other and I'm sure most feel fortunate to have made it back to the beautiful island they call home.
We crossed the street and took our packs off and enjoyed a few cups of coffee at the Orcas Hotel & Cafe and studied the map to get our bearings. We got focused and decided making a sign with our destination on it would increase our odds hitchhiking - and it worked like a charm! Within 5 minutes a lady stopped and waived us over. She owned the 420 Studio on the island and was a very informative tour guide on our 10 minute drive to Moran State Park, a 5,252 acre park with five fresh water lakes and over 30 miles of hiking trails. We were dropped off at the main beach of Cascade Lake and it was bustling with people enjoying the sun, swimming, and grilling on the BBQs. We set up our hammocks, threw on our swim suits, turned up the music, and jumped in the water. It was such a nice summer day and we knew we were where we were meant to be!
We eventually got an itch to start exploring and found a trail that went around Cascade Lake. We hiked for a few miles enjoying the view from the cliffs above the lake and found a perfect spot to call home for the night.
When hammocking you don't need a nice tent site so we figure why pay for one. Our strategy has been to hike down a trail until you find a grand view with trees that are appropriately spaced and setup around sunset. As the saying goes - it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission - but we trek lightly and are well intentioned and always try and leave an area nicer than we found it.
We flipped our cardboard sign over and inscribed our next destination 'Olga'. We didn't know it at the time but this sign would become quite the souvenir of the trip because by the time we left it was capable of getting us to all of the popular spots on the island: East Sound, Doe Bay, Moran State Park, and the Ferry... It worked so well that we joked about selling them to tourist as they arrived off the ferry. Thumbing a ride on islands has been great in our experience - and on Orcas island we never waited any longer than 5 or 10 minutes. It became so easy that at one point we decided we could use the exercise and backpacked to our next destination... and after four miles we were discussing if we should hitch the rest of the way as a truck was zooming by and Justin half heartily threw a thumb up the last second and the truck squealed to a stop before his thumb made it all the way up... Our backpacks are the equivalent of lifting the hood of a vehicle... it's easy to see our intentions and it can be fun testing different strategies of what works and what doesn't when it comes to hitching a ride. Justin jokes that you've reached the pinnacle of hitchhiking if you can get a limousine to stop.
We stayed three nights and spent a combined total of $100. We feel fortunate to have had the time to explore such a remarkable place and we plan on returning to the San Juans for a thorough exploration of San Juan, Lopez, Blakely, and maybe a few other islands as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment