[Advanced] Washington’s Orcas Island (1)

Eat naturally and play hard on this horseshoe-shaped island in the San Juans by Bryan J. Cantwell 　

If life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, right? But if life hands you nettles, and you’re on Orcas Island? You make pizza.

Elsewhere, nettles are one of nature’s nuisances, but on Orcas they’re an asset, and that speaks volumes about the down-to-earth vibe on this largest “rock” of the San Juan archipelago. Besides its rich growth of nettles, Orcas is distinguished for the pristine forests and lakes of Moran State Park, trail-laced mountains, and little farms pocketed among hills and dales from which black-faced lambs look up to watch cars pass every time a ferry arrives.

The people also seem a little different from the “big town” of Friday Harbor, the county seat that’s a 40-minute ferry ride away on San Juan Island.“I think we’re more eclectic here … more involved with culture and sustainability,” said [resident] Morgan Meadows.

Finding fault—missing the beauty

A longtime islander bemoaned that visitors “are smitten” when they first come, but if they move to Orcas, too many then find fault with things such as the rural public services without appreciating “every splendid thing, like the ridgelines and the valleys and the inviting glimpses of coves and little beaches that are magical, and the osprey by Cascade Lake, the oystercatchers along Crescent Beach or the ouzels in the streams at the state park.”

Orcas, shaped like a giant horseshoe cleaved almost in two by the waters of East Sound, feels more geographically diverse than other islands in the San Juans. It’s the only island with more than one official U.S. Post Office—in fact, it has four in Eastsound, Orcas village, Deer Harbor and even the tiny hamlet of Olga, where a “For Rent” sign fills the window of the only store.

Each village has its own personality...      

Notes & Vocabulary

nettle n.
/ˈnɛtl/
a tall plant that has leaves with hairs that sting you if you touch them

nuisance n.
/ˈnu:sns/
a person, thing, or situation that is annoying or that causes trouble or problems — usually singular

down-to-earth adj.
1 : informal and easy to talk to 2 : practical and sensible

vibe n.
informal : a feeling that someone or something gives you

archipelago n.
/ˌɑɚkəˈpɛləˌgoʊ/
a group of islands
pristine adj. looks like new
/ˈprɪˌsti:n/ 1 : in perfect condition : completely clean, fresh, neat, etc.
2 : not changed by people : left in its natural state

distinguished adj.
1 : known by many people because of some quality or achievement
2 : making someone seem important and worth respect

dale n.
old-fashioned: valley
1 : an area of low land between hills or mountains 2 : a low period, point, or level

eclectic adj.
/ɪˈklɛktɪk/
including things taken from many different sources

sustainability n.
sustainable adj.
1 : able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed
2 : involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources
3 : able to last or continue for a long time
bemoan v. [+ obj] : to say that you are unhappy about (something)

rural adj.
of or relating to the country and the people who live there instead of the city
splendid adj.
1 : very impressive and beautiful
2 somewhat old-fashioned : very good

glimpse v.
[+ obj] : to look at or see (something or someone) for a very short time
osprey n.
a large bird that eats fish



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