Orcas Island in the News

Orcas Island and the San Juan Islands have received some great honors and media coverage through the years.  

Special Honors

• 2016 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards: #2 of World’s Friendliest Islands
• 2015 Conde Nast Traveler, Best U.S. Islands for Family Vacations: Readers’ Choice Awards
• 2015 Travel + Leisure, Best Islands in the Continental U.S.
• 2015 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards: #9 of Ten Best Islands in the U.S.
• Lonely Planet: # 3 of Top 10 U.S. Destinations for 2013
• A newly-designated National Monument (1,000 acres)

2017

• Ville Magazine includes Orcas Island in their “Tastiest Trips in the Pacific Northwest” article. July, 2017.
• Peter Greenberg  Family-Friendly Adventures in Washington’s San Juan Islands, August 16
• Coastal Living  Perfect Weekend in the San Juan Islands, Washington, August
• Departures, What’s New in the San Juan Islands, July 28Sea,  A Century Old and New Again, July 12
• Eater Seattle, For Restaurants in the San Juan Islands, a Beautiful Setting Brings Serious Challenges July 6
• Coastal Living, “Island Confidential: Orcas Island” July/August
• The New York Times, Summer Vacation, Minus the Traffic: 5 Alternatives to Popular Trips, June 23
• National Geographic 100 Best Destinations: Around the World in Four Seasons,  “Summer Family Fun”
• KNKX, How Sentinel Island in the San Juans Came to be Owned by a Newlywed Couple 100 Years Ago, June 17
• Food & Wine, Best New Chef Jay Blackinton’s Path from Veganism to Game Hunting, June 15
• Rodale’s Organic Life,  10 Amazing Organic Farms that Double as Family-Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, June 13
• The Seattle Times, Worth the Trip: Spy San Juan Whales and Sample What’s New, April 17
• Time, Why the West Coast is the Epicenter for Food in America, April 4
• Dallas Morning News, Get Back to Nature and Find Your Inner Artist on Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest, April 3
• Sunset, “Inside Seattle,” April
• Adventures NW, “Spring in the San Juans,” Spring
• Northwest Travel & Life, “Secret Getaways to Jumpstart Spring,” March/April
• Seattle Met, Nick Coffey will Open Ursa Minor on Lopez Island, February 16
• Portrait Magazine, San Juan Islands Escape, February 15
• Mapquest Travel:  6 U.S. Travel Destinations Inspired by Oscar Nominees, February 9
• TravelChannel.com, 5 Affordable Romantic Getaways
• The New York Times, Grass-fed Beef, Sold One Cow at a Time, January 17
• San Francisco Chronicle, Strolling through Obama’s National Monument Legacy, January 9
  

  2016

• Bloomberg.com, The Five Places That Stole My Heart in 2016, December 30
• Lonely Planet, Welcome to the San Juan Islands, December
• Islands, 10 Amazing U.S. Islands Close to Home, November 15
• Good Housekeeping, A 91-year-old Woman Died After an Incredible Year-Long Road Trip Adventure, October 3
• SeattleRefined.com, Savor the San Juans: A Fall Feast for the Senses, September 23
• Wall Street Journal, Beach Getaways in the Fall – When the Crowds are Gone, September 15
• Departures, Destination on the Rise: San Juan Islands, Washington, September 15
• Seattle Weekly, At Hogstone’s Wood Oven Chef Jay Blackinton Does Farm-to-Table Right, August 17
• Star Tribune, Camping in National Parks with a Touch of Luxe, August 12
• Sunset, “Departing Seattle,” September
• National Geographic, Woo-woo; Whale Magic?, August 31
• Idaho Statesman via New York Times, Four Ways to Camp with a Touch of Luxe in the National Parks, August 16
• The New York Post, The 15 Best Honeymoon Destinations in the U.S., August 16
• Conde Nast Traveler, America almost lost the San Juan Islands over a pig and some potatoes, August 8
• Conde Nast Traveler, Why Washington’s Orcas Island should be your next family getaway, August 2
• Ozy.com, The most isolated islands in America, August 5
• AFAR Magazine, “Why the San Juan Islands is one of the best summer getaways,” July 14
• Sip Northwest, Adventures Await in Washington’s Orcas and San Juan Islands, July
• PureWow.com, “The Best Vacation Spots in Every U.S. State”, June 16
• New York Times, “The Long and Shore of It: The Country’s Most Intruiguing Islands,”May 18
• Travel+Leisure, “Best Romantic Summer Getaways,” May
• 5Ways.com, “Slow-Rolling the San Juans,” May
• MatadorNetwork.com, “The 12 Best Places to Check out Wildlife without the Crowds,” April 28
• Thrillist.com, “Unsung U.S. Islands You Should Visit This Summer,” April
• Seattle Met, “5 Oysters You’ll Meet in Washington,” March
• Islands magazine, “National Parks by Season – 100th Anniversary,” February
• AllRecipes.com, “The Pig War Martini Comes with a History Lesson,” January 4
• FoxNews.com, “America’s best archipelagos,” January 18
• Where to Retire, “8 Tax-Friendly Towns,” January/February
  

  2015

  Seattle Times, “Another Mount Constitution? Islanders unite to preserve San Juan ridge for views, trails,” November 18

• Seattle Times, “The San Juans winter secrets safe with year-rounders,” December 9
  Coastal Living, “Best Dog Friendly Vacations on the West Coast,” November 12

  LA Times, “Five great places to see killer whales in the wild,” November 11

  Martha Stewart Weddings, “7 Honeymoon-Worthy Islands That Don’t Require a Passport,” November

  Virgin-Atlantic.com, “Beyond Seattle: Autumn in the San Juan Islands,” October 19

  Travel 50 & Beyond, “Wine on the Water,” Fall

  Yahoo Travel, “Forget Camping, My Toddler Loves Glamping,” September 22

  Bloomberg Businessweek, “Seven Destinations for Early-Fall Vacations,” September 16

  A Luxury Travel Blog, “5 Things to do in Friday Harbor, WA,” September 11

  Edible Seattle, “Girl Meets Dirt,” September/October

  Edible Seattle, “”It Takes an Island,” September/October

  Seattle Times, “Glampsite of the Week: Nesting in a tent on Lopez Island,” August 11

  Seattle, “11 Perfect Getaways Near Seattle,” August

  Huffington Post, “13 Stunning U.S. National Monuments You Didn’t Know you Needed to See,” July 27

  Expedia.com, “Summer in the San Juans,” July 23

  USAToday10Best.com, “10Best Island Escapes You Can Drive To,” June 26

  King5.com, “Orcas Island offers fine food, festivals and high-flying fun,” June 24

  National Geographic, “Lopez Island by Bike,” June 22

  Thrillist.com, “The 10 best bars & Restaurants in the San Juan Islands,” June 16

  OneGreenPlanet.com, “Never Leave Your Pets Behind Again! 6 Pet-Friendly Destinations for Animal Lovers,” May 18

  Yahoo! Travel, “The Ideal Island for Each Month of the Year,” May 4

  Examiner.com, “The pursuit of happiness on the San Juan Islands,” April 27

  Examiner.com, “The pursuit of happiness on the San Juan Islands” (slideshow), April 27

  Memphis Daily News, “Nature is on Stage in the San Juan Islands,” April 21

  Daily Telegraph, “Whale Watching at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island,” April 19

  Boston Globe, “Six wheels, three islands: A bike tour of the San Juans,” April 18

  MSN.com, “5 Essential All-American Vacations,” April 10

  Northwest Travel, “San Juan Islands Museum of Art,” April 2015

  Travel +Leisure, “Northwest Passage,” April 2015

  Travel 50 & Beyond, “8 Island Cruises for Nature Lovers,” Spring 2015

  Travel + Leisure, “Washington’s San Juan Islands: An Ideal Tour,” March 17

  Fodor’sTravel.com, “World’s Most Unique Dining Experiences,” March 2015

  Every Day with Rachel Ray, “Hit the Food Isles,” March 2015

  Sail, “5 Terrific Summer Charters,” March 2015

  The Seattle Times, “5 Favorite Hikes on San Juan Island,” March 2015

  The Wall Street Journal, “Top Spots for Luxury Getaway Homes,” March 2015

  Vancouver Sun, “San Juan Islands’ towns evoke a simpler time,” March 17

  FrontiersMedia.com, “8 Reasons Why You’ll Fall in Love in the San Juan Islands,”February 24

  Sip Northwest, “Savor the Local Liquid Arts of the San Juan Islands,” Winter

  Seattle Times, “One-month anniversary: Reservations are new on the San Juan ferry runs,” February 5

  2015 Yahoo Travel, “The World’s 14 Most Beautiful Unspoiled Islands”

  2015 Yahoo Travel, “10 Most Popular U.S. Islands for Summer Vacation”

  2014

  USAToday.com Travel, “Bareboating 101: Set a course for sailing adventure,” December 19

  10Best.com, “10 Best Scenic Flights in the United States,” December 4

  Business Insider, “50 Trips Everyone Should Take in the U.S.,” November 19

  The Oregonian: “San Juan Islands keep visitors enthralled with natural beauty, island lifestyle,” September 22

  Seattle Times: “5 autumn hikes in the San Juans and Gulf Islands,” October 1

  King5 Evening Magazine, Visiting the Scenic San Juans/Friday Harbor

  King5 Evening Magazine, Visiting San Juan Island

  King5 Evening Magazine, Visiting Orcas Island

  King5 Evening Magazine, Visiting Lopez Island

  Frugal Traveler, Seth Kugel: “In the Northwest, 3 Trips, Planned by Others,” September 26

  HuffingtonPost.com, “7 Small Islands That Should Be on Your Radar,” September 26

  OregonLive.com, “San Juans are the go-to island vacation for NW residents,”September 2

  USAToday.com, “Washington’s San Juan Islands,” August 21

  USAToday.com, “Secret seaside escapes for a final summer fling,” August 21

  WallStreetCheatSheet.com, “Forget the Passport: 7 Best U.S. Islands to Visit,” August 20

  Forbes Travel, “Four Unforgettable Epicurean Adventures To Try,” August 14

  Country Living, “All-American Islands,”  August

  Departures, “The Wilds of Orcas,” July/Aug 2014

  The Seattle Times, “Farm-to-Table: Where to eat local on Orcas Island,” July 20

  MySanAntonio.com, “Islands of Orcas of Eagles,” June 27

  Puget Sound Business Journal, “San Juan Island rated tops in nation for Fourth of July celebrations,” June 26

  Luxury Travel, “5 Destinations Every American Should Visit,” June 20

  BusinessInsider.com, “10 Great Cities for Weekend Getaways,” June 20

  The Seattle Times, “Washington Weekends: Pig War and more on San Juan Island,”May 17

  Fodors.com, “America’s Top 10 State Parks,” April 22

  USAToday.com, “Sip by the sea at island wineries,” April 28

  Popular Photography, “Pacific Oasis: See the camera-ready San Juan Islands,” April

  Examiner.com, “Top 5 awe-inspiring wildlife species to see in Washington’s Salish Sea,”March 25

  The Chicago Tribune, “San Juan Islands offer peaceful beauty,” March 18

  Sunset, “Top 8 ferry trips: Anacortes to Shaw Island, WA,” March

  Sunset, “42 Perfect Summer Trips,” March

  NW Travel, “Family Time Travel: Exploring Historic Forts,” March/April

  AAA Highroads, “San Juan Island: A Beacon in the Pacific Northwest,” March/April

  Cruising World, “Convoy in the Pacific Northwest,” March

  InBusiness, “San Juan Islands: Where Life Moves a Little Slower,” March

  CBS News, “What are the best island getaways in the continental U.S.?,” March 3

  Coastal Living, “Whale Watching: The Guide,” March

  ABC News, “TripAdvisor’s 10 Best Islands in the U.S.,” February 19

  Redbook, “Best Travel Finds of 2014,”  February

  Bon Appetit, “Oysterland: A Journey to the Heart of Bivalve Country,” February

  AAA Via, “Where the Whales Are,” January/February

  Coastal Living, “Best Coastal Bike Trails,”  January

  Smithsonian, “The True Inner Beauty of Fishes,”  January

  CNN.com, “50 states, 50 spots for 2014,” January 2

  Sunset, “Top 10 life-list adventures,” January

  Gayot.com, “Top 10 National Parks,” January

  2013 

  Sunset,  “14 Natural Treasures in the West,”  November

  CBC.com, “Curious humpback encounter dazzles whale watchers,” November 27

  Michelin Guide, Mustsees Pacific Northwest featuring National Parks, October 2013

  Sip Northwest, “Savor the San Juans,” October

  The Seattle Times, “Chartering a boat in the San Juans is easier than you might think,”September 4

  The Seattle Times, “Moran State Park is an island treasure,” August 24

  Men’s Journal,  “San Juan Island Hopping,” September

  BusinessInsider.com, “10 Great American Escapes for Labor Day Weekend,” August 28

  USA Today, “10 scenic boat trips that won’t sink your budget,” August 22

  HuffingtonPost.com, “Glamp Like a Champ: 5 Awesome Spots,” August

  Sunset, “Top 20 beach hotels,” August

  BootsnAll.com, “Tastiest Eco-Friendly Restaurants Around the World,” July 18

  Sunset, “Top 21 island escapes,” July 16

  Travel + Leisure, “America’s Best Little Beach Towns,” July

  New Day Northwest, KING5.com, “Escape to the San Juan Islands,” June 27

  Today Show, NBC, “5 Beautiful Places Every American Should Visit,” June 26

  The Seattle Times, “Making salt from the Salish Sea,”  June 21

  Sunset, “42 Perfect Summer Trips,” June

  TravelNerd.com, “School’s Out!: Top Family-Friendly Beach Towns,” June 11

  Canadian Yachting, “Dockside in the San Juans,” June

  Alaska Airlines, “San Juan Islands Getaways,” June

  Seattle, “Best Camping Spots in Washington: Roughing It,” June

  Sunset,“Top 45 hikes in the West,” June

  Northwest Travel, “Shoreline Whale Watching,” June

  Edible Seattle, “Gas bladders and enlightenment – a weekend at seaweed camp,” May/June

  Travel+Leisure, “20 Easy Weekend Getaways,” May

  The Seattle Times blog, “May is a month of history events in the San Juans – with a new small cruise ship to take you there,” April 30

  Sunset, “The West’s Best Camping,” May

  Seattle Metropolitan, “Whale Watching in the San Juans,” May

  The Seattle Times, “Best places to visit and hike the new San Juans monument,” April 19

  Northwest Travel, “Orca Spotting in the Salish Sea,” April 17

  International Business Times, “10 vacation destinations that will be extra hot for summer 2013,”  April 12

  FoxNews.com, “Top 8 affordable island getaways,” March 29

  National Geographic, “Obama Declares National Monuments to Preserve Pieces of U.S. Heritage,” March 26

  OffbeatTravel.com, “San Juan Island: Washington State’s island destination,” March 7

  Seattle Times, “Europe-bound outdoors writer recalls his Top 10 Northwest adventures,” March 10

  OutdoorsNW.com, “Best Northwest Getaways” February 26

  TravelChannel.com, “Top whale watching destinations”  February 19

  The Seattle Times, “Have a whale of a Valentine’s Day at Friday Harbor Museum” February 12

  FoxNews.com, “The world’s top ten bike rides” February 12

  Sierra.com, “10 Places to Explore in 2013: Haro Strait—U.S./Canada Border”

  The Seattle Times, “Goodies for traveling and worth traveling to get,” January 15

  Spokesman Review, “Winter’s slow pace ideal for an escape to the San Juan Islands,”January 13

  Seattle Times, “Around the Northwest, great places to say “I do,”” January 6