An Orcas Island Waterfront Cottage

The moment we began walking down the many stairs to reach the Mariner's Dream Cottage, we were greeted with a spectacular view of the San Juan Islands. From inside the cottage, the windows and full deck provided front-row seating to watch the ferries come and go from Orcas Island while we relaxed with a fire and hot tea.

We started the morning in awe of the sunrise and the first ferry arrival. We then drove to the town of Eastsound at the enchanting coffee shop Olga Rising for the best breakfast sandwich and warm cider we've ever had and made our way to our hike in Moran State Park around Mountain Lake. This four-mile wander is leisurely in incline and engulfs you in the lush forests surrounding the lake. It held a special kind of magic here.
From there we drove to Obstruction Pass to watch the waves up close, hiking a .5 hike past the area campgrounds and through madrona trees and down a bluff. We closed the day with an outstanding dinner at the restaurant Matia, a gem that found its way onto the New York Times list for America's Best Restaurants of 2022. It has intimate seating, a cozy fireplace and lamb ragu to bring tears to your eyes.

The next day we visited the southern trail of Turtleback Mountain for an intermediate-level hike and marvelled at the panoramic views at the top, before grabbing a final breakfast sandwich at Olga Rising to enjoy on the Mariner's Dream Cottage deck before the ferry ride back to the mainland.