Orcas Island

From the top of Mount Constitution, which at 2,400 feet is the highest point in the San Juan Islands, Orcas and almost all the islands of San Juan County can be seen. East Sound, carved by glaciers in the last major Ice Age, is the biggest fjord in the lower 48 states and would not look out of place in Norway or Alaska.
 
Moran State Park was established in 1921 by shipbuilder, Robert Moran. Mt. Constitution is within this 5,252 acre park and at the top, is a 52-foot stone observation tower patterned after 12th century watch-towers of Russia’s Caucasus Mountains.  Rosario Resort was at the time, the private mansion for Robert Moran and his family.
 
Orcas Island is now home to more than 4,500 islanders who celebrate the rural character of the largest island in the chain. With 5,369 parcels of land on Orcas, just 22% or 1,163 are waterfront and only 61% of the total parcels are improved.
 
The friendly village of Eastsound is in the center of the island, with schools, stores and a new senior center.
 
Before irrigation was introduced east of the Cascade Mountains, Orcas, San Juan and Lopez Islands made up the prime apple and pear-growing region in the state of Washington. Many properties still have remnants of the old orchards, but today most fruit is consumed locally or sold at island farmer’s markets.