Washington islanders are off the clock

IT’S a wonder that anyone who lives here even owns a wristwatch. The first thing you notice about Orcasites -- the 4,500 residents of the largest of Washington’s San Juan Islands -- is their patience.

“Don’t ever worry about missing the boat to get here,” they say. “There will always be another one.”

So after the hour-or-so ferry ride from Anacortes, I found myself living like the populace: slower in pace (the speed limit peaks at 40 mph); respectful of the serenity of others (who live on placid-sounding streets like Yellow Brick Road and Jack and Jill Place); and without mind to the time.

The Washington State Ferry deposits cars right onto Orcas Road, the western segment of the Horseshoe Highway, which curves around to the eastern half of the island. To get my bearings, I drove the 15-mile two-lane road, starting on the island’s mostly rural west side, passing pastures, orchards and pottery studios.

After slowing through the Cape-Coddish village of Eastsound, I wound down the island’s eastern slope (where the highway is now called Olga Road). Here, the environs feel more mountainous than coastal, rising up to Mt. Constitution, the San Juans’ tallest point.

As it began to drizzle, I remembered a chamber of commerce line about how the San Juans get 240 days of sunshine a year -- half the rainfall of Seattle, my hometown. The odds had to be with me for the rest of the weekend.

The San Juans, reachable only by boat or plane, are four islands among an archipelago of 172 that dot the northwest corner of the U.S. along the Canadian border. Orcas Island, named for the orca whale that swims in these cool waters, is actually north of Victoria in British Columbia. In fact, I could see White Rock, B.C., from the Beach House on Orcas, the waterfront inn and home of Paula Redpath. A native of North Vancouver, Redpath and her husband have become true Orcasites.

“We built the house nine years ago to sell it,” she says, “and we’re still here.”

Thankfully, they kept on building too, adding a pair of overnight quarters for out-of-town guests. The larger Matia Island View Suite, where I stayed, is separate from the main house. A microwave, toaster oven and refrigerator came in handy, and the gas fireplace was especially welcome on the cool early-spring mornings when I was here. A deck offered panoramic views of the ever-changing tide. In the backyard, bald eagles congregate in a large pine tree.

Redpath turns visitors loose on the rest of the property too, including the expansive lawn, tennis court, fire pit, Adirondack chairs and more than 200 feet of rocky shoreline perfect for beachcombing.

She’s also well-versed in opportunities for kayaking, fishing and whale watching, and pointed me to the highlights in Eastsound, the island’s business district about two miles away. There, boutiques, art galleries, coffeehouses, inns and an assortment of eateries line laid-back Main Street and the adjoining blocks.

Townsfolk are proud of the self-reliance of their local businesses, such as independent Darvill’s Books, Orcas Homegrown Market, the Main Street Bakery that brews locally roasted coffee, and Chimayo restaurant, which offers made-from-scratch New Mexican cuisine.

For breakfast I chose Olga’s, a seven-table cafe tucked into Eastsound Square that has an elegant-kitsch look, with Chinese lanterns and tables inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Meals here (including lunch and the popular brunch) are presented as art, and heads turned with every ring of the chef’s bell to gawk at the granola topped with spiral-cut fruit or blintzes plump with farmer cheese and lemon. My tomato coulis -- basil-stewed tomatoes and red peppers topped with poached eggs resting on artichoke bottoms -- turned out to be a savory morning selection.

Using fresh, locally grown ingredients as they do at Olga’s is customary at many of the island’s restaurants. At nearby Rose’s, a new menu is created daily. My late afternoon dinner included crispy polenta topped with sweet red peppers, sprouting broccoli and corona beans as big as quarters, and a two-napkin sandwich brimming with roasted turkey and stinging nettle pesto.

Working it off

BEGGING for exercise after such a delectable meal, I stumbled into Wildlife Cycles, a bike rental shop between the two restaurants. Mountain bikes and performance cycles rent for $30 a day, but I settled for the hour rate ($10), pedaling through the village to Madrona Point, which pokes down into East Sound, the watery center of the horseshoe.

The park, owned by the Lummi Indian Nation, is shaded by the reddish-brown Pacific Madrona trees. Their low-hanging boughs veil views of the sound and 2,400-foot Mt. Constitution.

The sight of the peak lured me to Moran State Park the next morning. The 5,200-acre park covers the bulk of the eastern half of Orcas Island and is filled with old-growth forests, five mountain lakes and several flowing waterfalls. It was named for Robert Moran, a shipbuilder and one-time mayor of Seattle (1888-90) who donated most of the land starting in 1921.

I took the 3.9-mile loop that rings Mountain Lake, where kingfishers and osprey dipped into the glassy water to snack on trout. Western hemlock and Douglas firs shaded a well-groomed trail that offers slight elevation and loss. From the far side of the lake, Mt. Constitution’s summit was in full view.

To reach it, I shifted to the higher-elevated Cold Spring trail (1.3 miles each way), where black-tail deer grazed and a battlefield of downed trees was evidence of years of pounding northerly winds. The trail was narrower and steeper, but the stone observation tower at the zenith gave me 360-degree views of Vancouver Island and the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges.

My final afternoon I spent back on the west side of Orcas, where I made a requisite stop at the Kingfish Inn’s West Sound Cafe. The family-friendly diner serves burgers, sandwiches and Northwest fare such as halibut tacos, which I washed down with a tap-drawn pint of Snoqualmie Copperhead Pale Ale.

Deer Harbor, across West Sound from the cafe, is an old-world village with inn and cabins, a gift and coffee shop and a small market. There’s also a shipshape marina with kayak rentals and daily sailings in search of that magnificent orca from May 1 to Oct. 1.

Below Deer Harbor, beyond tiny Crane Island, the Washington State Ferry boats glided through the channel shuttling passengers among Shaw, Lopez and San Juan islands. Eventually one would arrive back at Orcas to liberate another group of visitors -- for a few days anyway -- from their wristwatches.

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Hop a plane, then a ferry

GETTING THERE:

Nonstop flights to Seattle are available on Alaska from Burbank, Ontario, Long Beach, Orange County and LAX. United and Northwest also fly nonstop from LAX, and American flies nonstop from Orange County. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $308.

From Seattle, drive 80 miles north on Interstate 5 to Anacortes, where the Washington State Ferries service provides several daily 60- to 80-minute runs to Orcas Island; (206) 464-6400, www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries. On summer weekends, Kenmore Air departs 10 times daily to the San Juan Islands from Seattle’s Lake Union (five flights each weekday); www.kenmoreair.com.

WHERE TO STAY:

The Beach House on Orcas, 64 Fox Cover Court; (360) 376-4679, www.rockisland.com/malpaula. Set on 230 feet of private waterfront near Eastsound. One-bedroom suite and smaller studio, $149-$245 per night; $99-$129 in off-season.

Madrona View House, near Moran State Park; (360) 378-3601, www.windermerevacationrentals.com. Log-cabin home on three private acres overlooking East Sound. Bedroom, loft and two bathrooms, large kitchen and dining area, wood stove and outdoor hot tub. Perfect for family. Weekly rates are $1,005-$1,340. Daily rates available in off-season.

WHERE TO EAT:

Olga’s, Eastsound Square; (360) 376-5862, www.olgasonorcas.com. Breakfast, lunch and a celebrated brunch menu. Prepared with the freshest local ingredients and presented as art. $10-$17.

Rose’s, 382 Prune Alley; (360) 376-4292. Cafe and adjoining bakery have a menu of exceptional local variety. $10-$22.

West Sound Cafe (at Kingfish Inn), 4362 Crow Valley Road; (360) 376-4440. Family-friendly all-day meals -- from waffles, burgers and salads to fresh fish specials -- served overlooking the marina. $7.50-$17.

WHERE TO GO:

Moran State Park, Olga Road on the island’s east side; (360) 902-8844, www.parks.wa.gov. Thirty miles of hiking trails crisscross the largest park in the San Juan Islands. Five freshwater lakes and Mt. Constitution (with its panoramic views) are chief calling points.

Deer Harbor Charters, Deer Harbor Marina; (800) 544-5758, www.deerharborcharters.com. Professionally guided and narrated excursions viewing orca whales, bald eagles, seals and sea lions from bio-diesel-fueled boats.

Wildlife Cycles, 350 N. Beach Road; (360) 376-4708, www.wildlifecycles.com. Mountain and road bikes for rent. Advice about the dozens of bicycle routes available on Orcas is free. Cost is $10 per hour; $30 per day.

TO LEARN MORE:

Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 252, Eastsound, WA 98245; (360) 376-2273, www.orcasislandchamber.com.

-- Scott Holter