San Juan Summary

Sunday was our last day for the island portion of our trip. We tried to find a church but the only one listed was back at Friday Harbor on the other island and the ferry schedule just did not fit.  We decided to take advantage of SUNSHINE and go to the top of Mt. Constitution and take some panoramic pictures of the surrounding islands and ocean.

The mountain peak was part of Moran State Park which requires an interesting story to explain. In 1909 a successful ship builder and fromer mayor of Seattle Robert Moran had been told by his Dr he was very ill and would likely die soon.  Robert moved his family to Orcas Island and proceeded to build a huge mansion and other buildings on 7,000 acres he bought thinking he would spend his last days surrounded by the beauty there.  He had some of his ship wrights moved out to the island to do the work.  It was an amazing undertaking and the building still stands today as part of a resort.  On Saturday we attended a program there with a man playing the fabulous grand piano and a pipe organ Robert had installed in his music room. He also showed slides from Moran's collection of old Seattle and island life at that time.  Miraculously Robert's health improved once he was away from the stress and work of the city and he lived another 40 years or so to age 86 on Orcas Island.  He donated 5,600 acres of his ground and helped build the road up Mt. Constitution so the State could make this lovely state park.

Once we got to the top we were back in the clouds but the view was still beautiful.  On the way down we stopped and hiked through the rain forest back to a couple of pretty little waterfalls.

Just a note - I am not mad in this picture - I am just studying the camera to see the light to tell me when to smile - you can see I missed it!

We stopped and did some beach gathering and Dad found a piece of beach glass which is just as it sounds - a piece of broken glass that has been tumbled by the tide in with all the rocks until it is sort of polished.  We took it one of the jewelry stores on the island and the girl there wire wrapped it into a pendant with some crystal beads and I have a wonderful momento of our time on the San Juans.  Dad was very romatical and said "as long as the ocean is wet our love will last".  So that was very fun.

Monday morning we were in line at 6:15am at the ferry dock to get the ferry leaving at 7:15am to return to the mainland. 

We got to Anacortes and stopped at Walmart for some grocery shopping and then proceeded to the border of Canada.  With only about a half an hour wait we sailed right through even though an RV oufit that looked just like ours two people ahead of us was pulled over into the search spot.  It must have been Dad's smoozing ability that won the lady over and she let us through.