Tag Archives: Deb Garland

Center Island – Oysters Anyone?

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Deb Garland

“You have a cabin?” I asked our remedial reading assistant in the school district where I taught grades K-5. She replied, “On Center Island in Lopez Sound.” Being the informed sailor I am, I needed to consult one of our … Continue reading →

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Bell Island – A Fairy-Tale Paradise

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Deb Garland

Curiosity is my middle name. A few years ago, Bell Island, an approximately four-acre island in Wasp Passage sprouted a new timber-framed “castle” on its south shore. Its appearance prompted me to imagine what it’d be like to live on … Continue reading →

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Johns Island – Home of Camp Nor’wester

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Deb Garland

We sped across Spieden Channel from Roche Harbor in our inflatable, eager to hike the trail to Turn Point Lighthouse on Stuart Island. Warm sunshine and calm wind beckoned us across the smooth water. Above the roar of the Suzuki … Continue reading →

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Spieden Island or Safari Island?

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Deb Garland

Exotic big game animals and birds in the American San Juan Islands of Washington State? Visitors passing Spieden Island on a Washington State ferry on their way to Sidney, British Columbia, Canada from Anacortes or travelling by private boat are … Continue reading →

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Yellow Island – A Sea of Flowers

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Deb Garland

An artist’s dream! Two friends and I signed up for a watercolor painting workshop held in the spring on Orcas Island. Each morning, our instructor taught us a specific technique before leading us on a fieldtrip to practice our new … Continue reading →

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Blind Island – Hiding in Plain Sight

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Deb Garland

Why would anyone name an island, visible from the sea on all sides, Blind Island? I don’t have an answer. But as a mariner, I always enter Blind Bay with my eyes open!

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Finding Frost Island

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Deb Garland

Evening stars shone brighter with every stroke of the oars as we circumnavigated the 70-acre island after sunset. Rowing around Frost Island in a 9-foot dinghy in the middle of winter is possible, if the wind and waves are calm. … Continue reading →

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Tiny Pearl Island

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Deb Garland

Celebrating my husband’s birthday at Roche Harbor last week gave me a perfect opportunity to capture a few photos of a cement truck being ferried across one of the most popular summer anchorages in the San Juan Islands to Pearl … Continue reading →

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Matia Island’s Hermit

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Deb Garland

Anchorage at beautiful Matia Island is enjoyable, yet it depends on favorable weather in Rolfe Cove. In 1792, Spanish explorer, Francisco de Eliza, accurately named the island Matia, meaning “no protection.” Exposed to northwest and west wind, waves can build and … Continue reading →

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