Location: Orcas, Orcas Island, San Juan Islands, Washington State, USA
Accommodations: House, 3 Bedrooms, 1 Bath (Sleeps 6)
The Quinn Cottage
An Orcas Island Waterfront Retreat
The Quinn Cottage is a lovely waterfront home nestled on a wooded acre of land looking across Harney Channel to Shaw Island. The famous and beloved San Juan Island ferries and a continual parade of pleasure boats sail by the cottage’s view throughout the day.
The cottage is just two miles from the Orcas Island ferry landing and its quaint village, which has a well-stocked country market, numerous shops, small eateries and coffee shops, the Victorian era Orcas Hotel with its gourmet restaurant, movie rentals, whale watching excursion boats, and kayak rentals. Killebrew Lake, a little-used Department of Forestry lake and wetlands area, is only one mile away. It is fun for exploration and possible warm-water swimming.
An abundance of wildlife can be enjoyed from this pretty seaside retreat: deer, rabbits, raccoons, otters, mink, seals, bald eagles, heron, and an endless variety of other sea, shore, and land birds. At low tide the rocks at the water’s edge offer hours of exploration for oysters, starfish, crab, small fish, octopus, jelly fish, and other sea creatures.
At night the sound of water lapping against the rocks and beach lulls visitors to sleep.
This light, airy, newly remodeled home has an open living room, dining room, and kitchen with vaulted ceilings, skylights, and floor to ceiling windows opening onto a large wrap-around main deck. The panoramic view from this "great room" is stunning. It is also completely furnished with all the details of a cozy family cottage.
The main level has two bedrooms, one with a queen bed and one with a trundle bed (to be used as either two twins or one king), as well as a cute, colorful bathroom with shower. The lower level is another large bedroom/playroom with a king bed and bunk beds. It is accessible by exterior stairs and its own private exterior entry. The water view is beautiful from this room's large windows. It is not a separate rental unit and will not be occupied by a second party.
All bedrooms have lovely pillows and spreads, cozy comforters, and high quality bedding and linens. The entire home has many European Bed and Breakfast touches and amenities.
Wood is supplied for the charming wood-burning stove in the living room. In addition every room in the home has its own baseboard heater and separate thermostat for year-round comfort.
The open, sunny kitchen is fully equipped for cooking, dining, and entertaining with lovely dishes, table ware, and linens. Even the gourmet cook will find the necessary appliances, cookware, bake ware, and utensils for any special meal or recipe.
The pantry/laundry room has a washer and dryer, cleaning and laundry supplies, picnic ware, beach towels, and ample storage space. The refrigerator has nice freezer space. Many cooking essentials are available for use by the rental guest, including spices, herbs, coffee, tea, sugar and oils, and much more.
The large glassed-in upper deck has Adirondack chairs and side tables, a large covered dining table, a charcoal barbeque, and a picnic table with an umbrella. The lower deck has Steamship lounges, rustic wooden chairs and tables, another picnic table with benches, and a double hammock.
Both decks are lovely spots for reading, relaxing, dining, and the constant viewing of water and wildlife. The landscaped areas immediately surrounding the house have whimsical pieces of “exterior art” and a full herb garden for guests' use. The acre of land beyond the house is covered with mossy knolls and sunny fields, creating a cushion of peace for the cottage. No road noise can be heard from this serene spot.
Other amenities of this inviting home include wireless Broadband (high speed) internet, family puzzles and games, a library of adult and children’s books and movies, magazines, a CD and a DVD player, an Ipod dock and speakers, and maps and information for the island visitor.
Orcas Island itself offers an endless array of activities and adventures, including hiking, sea kayaking, lake and ocean fishing, boating, whale watching, canoeing, shopping, beachcombing, biking, and diving, as well as day trips by ferry to other islands and Victoria, British Columbia.
The island has numerous artists’ colonies that welcome visitors to take classes, view artists at work, and purchase wares. Moran State Park has miles of hiking trails and three lakes to explore, with water warm enough for swimming during the summer.
Park rangers and docents offer walks and talks on a great variety of topics. The island has many local fairs and celebrations, open-air music concerts, quality live theatre, flea markets, garage sales, and farmers’ markets.
Eastsound, the main village on the island, and a 15 to 20-minute drive from the Quinn Cottage through pastoral farmlands and beautiful mountain vistas, is a charming town with many restaurants and specialty shops as well as a major super market.
A stay at the Quinn cottage leaves all visitors with lasting memories of adventure, escape, and rejuvenation. One of the Quinn Cottage vacationers said it this way: “As I sat on the cottage deck on the last day of our week’s stay, watching the sun slowly set over the shimmering water in front of me, I got a lump in my throat knowing that I had to leave this amazing place. I could see why the Quinns have been coming here for more than twenty-five years and still can’t wait to return. I knew that I would return as well.”
We invite you to visit this special island and stay in our own magic spot, the Quinn Cottage. Please check our website calendar for available dates. We look forward to getting your request by email. Even though we have more available beds, our rental license permits six rental guests. Please also feel free to request by email additional photos as well as more excerpts from the Quinn Cottage guest book.
No Smoking, No Pets, Children ages 5 and older only
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer
- Dryer
- Linens Provided: Guests will find pillow top mattresses, luxurious linens, and lovely bath and kitchen towels at this seaside cottage.
- Off Street Parking: The cottage and driveways are well secluded from any road traffic.
- Parking for RV/Boat/Trailer: The acre of property has easy pull-in and parking for cars, boats, or trailers.
- Wood Stove
- Beds
- King Bed: This bed is on the lower level of the cottage and has a beautiful view of the water.
- Queen Bed: This bed is in a bedroom on the main level of the cottage.
- Twin/Single Bed: The second bedroom on the main level of the cottage has a trundle bed that offers two twins or a king bed when combined.
- Bunk Bed: The lower level of the cottage has bunk beds.
- Entertainment
- TV (No Cable/Satellite): Both levels of the cottage have televisions for DVD and VHS viewing.
- DVD
- VCR
- Video Library: The cottage has a good collection of adult and family DVD's and video cassettes. In addition, two miles from the cottage is a store with movie rentals.
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen: The cottage kitchen has beautiful, high quality appliances, including a diswasher and garbage disposal.
- Cooking Utensils Provided: The kitchen is fully equipped with everything to make even the gourmet cook happy. Lovely table linesn, dishes, and serving pieces are provided to make a beautiful meal complete.
- Refrigerator: The side-by-side refrigerator/freezer has ample space for a family's needs. The pantry has many herbs, spices, flour, sugar, oils, and other staples for guests to use.
- Dishwasher: The Bosch dishwasher cleans with almost no rinsing.
- Microwave
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill: A charcoal grill is positioned just off the main deck so that barbequing can be done in the middle of the activity.
- Deck/Patio: One large glassed-in wooden deck surrounds the main level of the cottage and has dining tables, umbrellas, and adirondack chairs. A lower deck on the water's edge has a gas chiminea, chairs, and tables. The garden area also has two picnic tables with benches. The garden has an herb garden for the adventurous cook's use.
- View/Location
- Oceanfront: An easily managed set of wide, sturdy stairs leads down to fabulous tide pools below the cottage at the water's edge.
- Communications
- Telephone: The cottage telephone can be used for all local calls and all incoming calls. Rental guests need a long distance calling card for those calls.
- Broadband Internet
- WiFi (Wireless Internet)
- Other Amenities
- The main living space, or "great room," has three sides of floor to ceiling windows that look out to the water view, the boats and ferries, ocean wildlife, and any activity on the cottage deck. Skylights look up to the trees and sky. Many guests call the cottage a "tree house on the water's edge."
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Minimum Age Limit for Renters
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Golf
- Tennis
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Boating
- Shelling
- Swimming
- Snorkeling/Diving
- Windsurfing
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Fitness Center/Gym
- Health/Beauty Spa
- Racquetball
- Basketball Court
- Antiquing
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Horseback Riding
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
July & Aug: $1750/week (Sat-Sat)
June & Sept: $1650/week or $260/night/3-night min.(rate is less for 2 occupants)
Other seasons: $1350/week; $240/night/(rate is less for 2 occupants)
Holiday weekends: $260/night (rate is less for 2 occupants)
$160 charge for cleaning and laundry per rental period (less for 2 occ)
Note: some charges are reduced for a rental party of 2 occupants.
Rental license for six people. No children under 5 years old.
9.7% State of Washington tax applies to all fees
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Owner's Profile
Owner Description
Year Purchased: 2004
We have been vacationing on Orcas Island with our five children since 1979, traveling from San Diego to the San Juans for numerous years in a motorhome. After the first trip the children would not consider missing a summer Orcas visit. For many years we rented a barn on the island, storing our summer toys (boats, kayaks, berry pie-making gear), looking forward to trips of fishing, crabbing, hiking, lake swimming, and berry-picking. As Orcas Island more and more became "home" to our children, they cried as we left it each trip, motivating us to find our own place on the island. So after many years of drooling over island property, we finally purchased our own piece of "the rock" in 2005, making our dream of a Quinn Cottage a reality. Now our six (so far!) grandchildren join in the trips, adding more fun, adventures, and memories about Orcas. We know that Orcas Island and our Quinn Cottage will continue to be a huge part of our family culture for years to come.
We invite you to visit and experience the magic yourself.
Jeff and Mary Quinn
The Unique Benefits of this House
It is difficult to express the wonder, peace, and privacy found at our Quinn Cottage. The magic of the warm, sunny southern exposure, with the sunrise and sunset across water and islands, as well as the romantic parade of ferries and boats, is a never-ending delight. The number of land and bird species that can be watched from the huge cottage windows and wraparound deck is awesome. The off-season change of landscape colors and wildlife, viewed from the interior living space with a cozy fire, makes the best escape imaginable.
Remembering our own experiences of years of renting summer homes on Orcas, we have been determined to make the Quinn Cottage an inviting, well-equipped, and charming place for our cottage rental guests to stay. Nothing pleases us more than to share our magic spot with others, so from the lovely furnishings to the spotless condition of the home, rental guests can tell immediately that they have made the perfect choice for their getaway. We love reading the glowing entries in our cottage guest book as well as receiving the grateful emails after guests' visits. We invite you to become one of our next cottage rental guests so you can also enjoy this very special place. Jeff and Mary Quinn
Property Photos
- Main Deck - View of Bay and Harney Channel to Shaw Island - Orcas Island Vacation Rental
- Dining Room - View across Harney Channel to Lopez and Shaw Islands - Orcas Island Vacation Rental
- Main Deck view of morning with Ferry Passing to Shaw Island - Orcas Island Vacation Rental
- Living Room with Bay and Channel Views
- King Size Bed in Lower Level Bedroom
- Lower Deck with ferry passing from Lopez Island to Orcas
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #55482
There have been 4114 visitors to this page since the counter was last reset in 2009.
This listing was first published here in 2005.
Date last modified - November 13, 2009
