And only to think, these islands were nearly lost to us! Had it not been for the wise decision of William I. of Germany in 1871, the Union Jack instead of the beloved Stars and Stripes might today be floating over them. The two distinct camps on San Juan Island where the British "Red Coats" and the American "Blues" waited and watched from 1860 to 1872, are still protected as points of interest; the former near Roche Harbor, and the latter near Friday Harbor, the county seat.
The usual way to reach them is by steamer from Seattle, Bellingham or Anacortes. The boat stops at all the main towns including Friday Harbor, where the University Marine Station and two large salmon canneries are located; Roche Harbor, where one of the largest lime kilns is prospering; and Deer Harbor, West Sound, East Sound, Rosario, Olga, and Doebay, attractive as summer resorts.
Many people spend their summers among these isles. The tourist with limited time should, besides visiting the historic sites on San Juan, make a trip to Mount Constitution on Orcas Island. Two good wagon roads lead all the way to the top, the one from East Sound and the other from Olga. A pleasant day's outing is enjoyed by going up one way and returning by the other. Its altitude, 2,408 feet, is nothing compared with the peaks in the Cascades. Nevertheless, few places offer more comprehensive outlooks. On the descent it will be difficult for the "wise" to resist the temptation to pass through Rosario, the beautiful country estate belonging to Robert Moran, a retired Seattle ship builder, who has harnessed the water power from the lakes lying a few hundred feet above and equipped a modern mansion with all that man can desire or money and art can supply. Who would guess that a great pipe organ might be heard in this seemingly remote spot in the universe, bursting out in unexcelled magnificence, rendering the masterpieces of the great composers.
WHIDBY ISLAND.
Extending about fifty miles in front of Skagit and Snohomish counties, midway in the Sound where the views of the Cascades and the Olympics are unobstructed, is Whidby Island, the second largest island in the United States proper and sometimes called "The Long Island of Puget Sound." With Camano Island on the east and two other very small ones it constitutes an independent county. Having much water front and its western shore facing the straits where direct breezes from the ocean are felt, it draws many campers from the cities. There are no mountains to climb, although a number of eminences offer views of the distant landscape.
The largest improvement has been near the southern extremity and between Coupeville and the northern limits, where the world's record for wheat production per acre was made. A beautiful road decorated with rhododendrons leads from Fort Casey to Deception Pass separating it from Fidalgo Island on the north, which is connected with the mainland by a first class highway. Near Coupeville is Still Park, where summer Chautauquas are held and many campers congregate.
OTHER ISLANDS.
A few minutes' ride out of Seattle is Bainbridge Island, having forty miles of water front lined with summer homes or suitable for camping sites. Tributary to both Seattle and Tacoma are Vashon and Maury Islands, practically one, comprising some twenty-three thousand acres, which yield for these cities berries, fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and offer some of the most delightful sites for homes along their fifty miles of attractive shore line.
Fox, Anderson, and McNeils Islands are integral parts of the Bay Island country, a rich district tributary to Tacoma and offering unlimited opportunities for campers who are always welcomed by the hospitable ranchers. Hartstine Island maintains one of the largest vineyards in the west, yielding delicious grapes which find their way to distant eastern markets. Numerous smaller islands are scattered about the Sound and insure pleasant retreats for all that love the simple life.
