Visiting Camp Orkila On Orcas Island With Sandi and Jon

We had a great time at Camp Orkila. I had gone to the camp when I was a boy growing up in Seattle. I loved that camp and can honestly say it shaped my life and had a huge impact on the adult I became. Camp can teach you many things about camaraderie, cooperation, responsibility and conscience. Camp Orkila did all those things, but it additionally implanted in me an appreciation of nature and sense of protection and responsibility for our enviroment.

We happened to be at Camp Orkila on the day they were cutting the ribbon for the new health center. It was very impressive and exciting. They have a unit where they can "quarantine" infectious campers and two other units for treatment of campers. They also have facilities for campers with kidney disease, and they have a special session at the end of the season for campers with these special needs. A wonderful, cheery and well run facility with such an enthusiastic, warm and capable staff. I felt proud to be an alumni and part of Orkila's history! We had lunch and spent the day there. We strolled the beautiful and rustic grounds, of course visited the gift store and made many new friends. Thank you Camp Orkila for hosting us and giving us that great Orkila welcome!

Tomorrow on to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island! We will be sad to say good bye to Orcas Island, but excited to go whale watching on San Juan Island.

Touring Orcas Island With Sandi and Jon #2

So on we continued to Moran State Park. There we purchased a "Discovery Pass" to tour the park.  While at the campground getting our pass we followed a couple of trails and found the above example of how the roots of the fir tree grows. The surface roots layer themselves and form a "foot" to support the tree, sending out one main "tap" root to collect moisture. Made a nice backdrop for a photo opportunity, don't you think?
Moran State Park is actually a 5,252-acre camping park with five freshwater lakes and over 30 miles of hiking trails. Atop the 2,409-foot-high Mt. Constitution, the highest point on the San Juan Islands, is a stone observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. The tower offers amazing panoramic views of the surrounding islands and the Cascade Mountains. We climbed the stone steps of the tower and with the fair weather we were experiencing took a moment to catch our breath and captured a great view of the islands!

View from the tower atop Mt. Constitution

Then on we went to Doe Bay, an interesting and relaxing waterfront resort on over thirty-eight acres on Orcas Island. Amongst other things they feature a general store, cabins, yurts, hot tubs and a sauna! We poked around, sat in adirondack chairs by the bay and just relaxed and enjoyed the view.

Then back to our cozy cottage "Sweet Cedar" on East Sound to unwind and get ready for our last day on Orcas Island-we'll spend it on Camp Orkila, my boyhood camp. Can't wait to show Sandi and Jon and Karen!

Touring Orcas Island with Sandi and Jon #1

We started our day driving out to the the old Rosario Mansion (now a resort and spa) in East Sound, Orcas Island. Over one hundred years ago Seattle Shipbuilder Robert Moran built the Rosario Mansion with arts and crafts ideals in mind - time spent with family, a respect for nature and a return to hand craftsmanship lost in the industrial revolution. One hundred years later, Rosario Resort & Spa still retains this charm and has beautiful views, lovely gardens and manicured paths thoughout to enjoy it all.

The hanging baskets of petunias were gorgeous at the entrance of the mansion!

Sandi and Jon liked trying out the leather rocking chair in the lobby of the resort-quite comfy!

The view was amazing from the windows of the main dining room!

Sandi and Jon are standing in front of the HUGE pipe organ, and the piano is a Steinway.   There are concerts every afternoon at 4 PM

I had Sandi and Jon pose amidst the abundant lavender planted on the grounds-I had to take my photo in a hurry because the bees were enjoying the lavender as well! Then we were off to The Olga Cafe & Art Gallery for some lunch and browsing.......

Sandi and Jon in front of the beautiful flower boxes at The Olga Cafe & Gallery while Karen and I have lunch

Update: After we left Orcas Island we were so saddened to hear that The Olga Cafe & Gallery had a devastating fire. A major portion of the gallery and cafe had been destroyed. We loved the cafe and all of the artwork there. We hope they are able to rebuild and resume business as soon as possible.

The fire at The Olga Cafe & Gallery, just a couple of days after we had visited there

Sandi and Jon's Honeymoon to the San Juan Islands

Here we go on our honeymoon adventure to the San Juan Islands!

Now I know this seems rather unusual, but recently Sandi and Jon asked Karen and me ('RocNRev' Michael Taylor) to accompany them on their honeymoon to the San Juan Islands in Washington! They knew I had gone to summer camp at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island as a boy and thought it might be fun to have us show them around the island and also document their honeymoon. How could we resist such an invitation? Our next few posts will be detailing the honeymoon trip of Sandi and Jon.

We all flew from LAX to  Bellingham, Washington. We spent our first night there and then took the ferry to Orcas Island to begin our adventure.  Hope you will join us!

Then next day we were out bright and early! We drove to Anacortes, Washington where we got in line to take the ferry over to Orcas Island. After a short wait we drove on board the ferry and were on our way!

Aboard the ferry we enjoyed looking out the windows inside and watched the other boats go by, as well as other ferries.
(Below) Then we moved outside and enjoyed the fresh air and ocean breezes! What a beautiful day, and how exciting to see our first glimpse of the islands. Sandi and Jon could hardly wait to get to Orcas Island and start exploring! I had lots to show them.....

Then we moved outside and enjoyed the fresh air and ocean breezes! What a beautiful day, and how exciting to see our first glimpse of the islands. Sandi and Jon could hardly wait to get to Orcas Island and start exploring! I had lots to show them.....

First stop, East Sound. The flowers were so incredibly beautiful. Sandi and Jon loved being in the "middle" of them. We had some lunch, strolled around downtown and then headed toward our cottage in the midst of pine and madrona trees.

 Sandi and Jon were delighted with their accommodations and were ready to hit the hay, we had a big day of sightseeing planned the next day, and after all it was their honeymoon!

Sweet Cedar Cottage, a cozy and delightful place to stay on Orcas Island-complete with redwood deck and BBQ! Not to mention a nice walk to Crescent Beach to see the sunset......

5 Rustic Wedding Ideas You Haven't Seen Before

With all the "rustic" wedding venues in our area on the Central Coast of California, here are some great and creative tips you might want to incorporate. I recently officiated and DJ-ed at the Cayucos Barn (http://cayucoscreekbarn.com) a terrific and charming venue in Cayucos, California and a great place to have a "rustic" wedding.

Article By Martha Stewart on Yahoo Shine!

Move over mason jars! Here's a fresh take on an old-timey wedding theme. 

Photo: Johnny Miller	Cowbell Seating Display A sure way to break the ice? Have guests pick up sheep and cow bells along with their escort cards. It's a call to supper, table assignment, and favor in one. Plus, it will make the seat-finding process sound like a game of musical chairs.
Photo: Sarah Maingot	Monogrammed Blanket A monogram-embroidered blanket would be equally at home around your shoulders once night falls or on the grass at a wedding picnic. Better yet, you'll treasure it for years to come. Commission the needlework or DIY it.
Photo: Johnny Miller	Caramel Favors There's something luxurious about giving these oversize handcrafted (and seriously delicious) salted-caramel bars as favors. Wrap the wax-covered treats in newsprint, add a ribbon, then finish with stick-on wax seals.
Photo: Sarah Maingot	Hitching Posts Spread your big news in a small-town way, with this cross between a frontier poster and a modern concert flyer. These 23-by-28-inch black-and-white broadside designs were printed on newsprint that's so inexpensive, you can cover a whole lot of territory. Plaster them around town to lead guests to your location, or line a wall at your reception to create a graphic photo-booth backdrop.
Photo: Sarah Maingot	Wheat Chandelier Indoors or out, a glowing tablescape like this one pulls all the rustic pieces together. It looks polished, but it's actually quite resourceful: The harvest-theme chandeliers are wheat-covered wire baskets, and the vases holding clouds of pretty wildflowers are recycled metal cans spray-painted a glossy white. For an instant, on-point tablecloth, lay out a length of raw-edged leather. Get the Wheat Chandelier How-To