Orcas Island Waterfront Vacation Home W/ Private Beach Amazing views

From the deck and picture windows of the house, you will see porpoises and seals and a view of the water and surrounding islands that is always breathtaking. There is a bald eagle's nest that you can see from house, and the eagles are often seen in the trees in the yard or flying by. The little Pea Pod Islands just in front of the house are full of seals, which often swim right near the house and slap the water. The remote, quiet location of the house is why we chose it, and it did not disappoint. The house itself was comfortable and had everything we needed to cook delicious meals - especially from Buck's Bay Farm just down the road. Moran State Park is full of amazing hiking trails and old growth forests, and Shearwater Kayaking runs a great kayak tour from Doe Bay that explores the waters and islands just in front of the house. This house is great if you are looking for a remote location from which you can immerse yourself in the beauty of amazing Orcas Island.

Our family fell in love with this charming home! We are so grateful to be able to spend the week here. Melinda, Thank you for making our stay so easy. A piece of Heaven!!

We will be back:)

We saw all kinds of wildlife and loved staying on the island. There was so much to do or not do.

The rooms in the house were very large and the kitchen had everything we needed for making meals. We had a great stay.

Taking the garbage to dump on the way out called for a little creativity and the house is at the far end of the island. But those things did not detour us from a great vacation.

Pros:

-Incredible view of the water and surrounding islands

-Beach access (although tricky)

-House stayed cool inside

-Absolutely quiet (except for neighbor's dog who stood and barked at us whenever we would get in our car)

-Resident eagle nearby

-Felt very private and secluded

Cons:

-If you are 5'11" or over, you will not be able to stand upright in either shower.

-To get to the beach is tricky, (overgrowth needs to be cut back) and the beach is only reachable when the tide is out.

-After traveling all day, we wanted to rest. When we pulled back the coverlet on our bed, the bed was bare. We had to rummage around to find clean sheets and then make the bed ourselves.

-We knew before we came that there is no garbage pick up, and we would have to pack it all out, but it is a hassle.

-The "To Do" list for cleanup is REALLY long. It states that a cleaning crew will come in for 2 hours once you leave, but if they have to stay longer you will be charged. So the list states you should take care of it. It rivals any spring cleaning checklist. As someone who was looking to get AWAY from household chores and just relax, it was added stress. Besides, the house certainly wasn't spotless when we arrived—front windows were so smeary they impacted the view, shower drain was clogged with hair, there was a centipede in our son's bed. We were washing towels, wiping down surfaces, sweeping, vacuuming, piling smelly garbage/recycle into our car.....the exact opposite of what we should be doing while on vacation. Would have much preferred to spend that time at the beach.

-I would suggest not requiring people to do any cleaning, and offer garbage pickup, even if if means increasing the price. We've stayed in many VRBO homes, and never had to do major housework. Because of all of that, we won't be back.

My friend and I stayed at this property for three nights and had a wonderful time. The house was spacious and clean and the views from the yard were lovely. The kitchen was well appointed. We went hiking in the day at the nearby state park and in the evenings we came "home," made dinner, and relaxed. The location was remote, which we loved. We saw lots of birds and animals, but no people at all. Yet we were 30 minutes from a grocery store and 15 minutes from hiking. For us, it was perfect. It's a beautiful island for a getaway and a beautiful property in which to get away.