— from Barbara Marrett, San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau —
Travel + Leisure magazine has announced its 2016 World’s Best Awards, ranking the San Juan Islands #5 on its list of The Best Islands in the Continental U.S. The ranking complements Travel + Leisure’s endorsement earlier in the year voting the San Juan Islands as #2 of “World’s Friendliest Islands.”
Here’s what Travel + Leisure had to say in its announcement: “In the Salish Sea, just a short ferry ride from the Washington State mainland, travelers have discovered the San Juan Islands, a counterculture stronghold. Creative designers and sculptors, foragers who double as innkeepers and chefs, and nature enthusiasts have made the tight-knit communities scattered across 172 islands welcoming and exciting destinations.”
The rankings for the first five of the Best Continental U.S. Islands (in order) are: Hilton Head, South Carolina; Kiawah Island, South Carolina; Mount Desert Island, Maine; Nantucket, Massachusetts; San Juan Islands, Washington State. The San Juan Islands have consistently been honored as one of top 5 islands for 15 out of the last 16 years. https://tandl.me/29xkvT7
The rankings for the first five of the Top Overall World Islands (in order) are: Palawan, Philippines: Boracay, Philippines: Ishia, Italy: Waiheke Island, New Zealand and Santorini, Greece.
World’s Best rankings are the outcome of Travel + Leisure’s 21st World’s Best survey of readers’ favorites and described as “an essential index of the places you want to go.” The World’s Best Awards list is also the cover story of the magazine’s August issue, available on newsstands later this month.
Criteria for judging islands included natural attractions, beaches, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people/friendliness, and overall value (survey Methodology). To see what the San Juan Islands offer in these categories and to get helpful travel tips and find out about specials on lodging and activities go to the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau: www.VisitSanJuans.com.
Travel + Leisure has the world’s largest audience of any travel magazine. Its annual survey is a chance to see what resonates with readers as authentic, quality, long-lasting experiences.
The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau is a non-profit, economic development agency contracted for responsible tourism management and competitive marketing of the San Juan Islands as a year-round travel destination. Visitor spending directly benefits businesses and residents on Lopez, Orcas, Shaw and San Juan Islands.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
Why is this considered ”good news”? It changes forever what is unique and desirable for the normal population of a wonderful location. The almighty dollar might seem golden but the results of gross overpopulation by the outer world and it’s negative aspects and behaviors is not. Having lived in several off mainstream places that were announced to the ‘world at large’ as the next wondrous marvel by a showy magazine promo, the results of which were anything but wonderful, makes me cringe. I love it here and have for 10 years now full time. Yes it has it’s limitations but it’s just those factors that keep it’s unique character alive and well.
Right on Judy! I could not have expressed it better. I have lived here for 34 years and the changes that have occurred are staggering. And not for the better!
Ask yourself: did you have these feelings before you moved to Orcas and “ruined it” by increasing the population, making changes to it’s pristine character and increasing the environmental burden the land must bear, or was it somehow imperfect until your arrival?
Judy, if Orcas has been on the list for 15 of the last 16 years how does making the list again this year “changes forever what is unique and desirable for the normal population of a wonderful location?”
Steve, do you really think there have been no improvements on Orcas in 34 years? Not better roads, electric, internet, grocery stores, mail delivery, ferry access, health care access? If you really want to be on a place that was like Orcas 34 years ago there are lots of more remote, isolated, and “backwards” islands right around Orcas and you could easily move.
Leif, there are actually lots of uninhabited islands for sale so if you want a frontier of your own, it really is available and even in the PNW.
While we are looking at retiring there and have found people very friendly and inviting, there is a clear undercurrent reflected in these comments and in other prior postings on similar topics of people on Orcas hating the outside world and despising any new blood coming to be part of a community. Remember, that’s what people thought about you before you arrived with another vehicle (or two)…
Or, if you can just keep enough new people from coming on, with the aging population (perhaps the oldest avergae in the State) the island life will collapse. Check out Smith Island, MD or Tangier Island, VA as examples of how a community can kill itself off by being unfriendly. It’s pretty easy and fast:
1) Deter people and then the aging takes over.
2) School funding can’t be supported so fewer young people move on.
3) Lack of schools increases attrition.
4) Grocery store closes because it can’t “afford” to stay open.
5)Government can’t afford services as the tax base is insufficient.
In less than 5 years many islands have seen population drops of 30-40% with this kind of plan. Be careful what you wish for.
But, Orcas can’t be perfect yet because we haven’t moved there yet. But as soon as we do, we can join you in the plan to keep anyone else from coming…
Or, we could all work together to be inviting while continuing to be good stewards of our world.
Things change, that is the one thing we can predict, all we have is now, and then at some point we die. That is the bad news, and that is the good news. What we do for one another and for those who come after is vital. At a deep level home is home, if your meant to be here the land will let you know.
Then it is up to you how you will participate the choice is yours. Food is expensive, utilities go up every year, the ferries are a hassle, the locals are rude,and TAXES SUCK !!!! and then there is the schools and the health system as well and that is the good news?!!!! However there is a bigger picture let us be aware of that and proceed forward lending a hand when you can.
that is all I know for now, again at a deep level we have the answer all we need do: listen.
thanks
scott gianola
I forgot the fastest/easiest way to stop things on the islands. Triple or quadruple the cost of the ferry and/or stop any subsidies for the ferry. Also, reducing the frequency of the ferry rapidly reduces tourism due to inconvenience and limits the numbers of visitors to how many boats are allowed to land/day. That works quite well in the Galapagos and has worked equally well on many US islands. People will stop coming and residents will decide to move if it costs 30-50/person/trip and an extra 100 for a car…
Neil, well put. I’m here, now raise the drawbridge.
Neil, you’re a brave soul for taking on this heated subject. I hope you do retire here, it is a welcoming community despite the campaign to raise the drawbridge. Time marches on, sometimes sadly, and it’s important to understand the drawbacks of stagnant populations.
Phrases from literature come to mind – “no man is an island” and “islands in the stream.” We interdepend on so much and so many. The web of connections is rich, complex, and often invisible. Every action or inaction has pros and cons that are increasingly difficult to assess, understand the side-effects of, plan for, and pursue. (for example; need for affordable housing meets need for income from vacation rentals)
Reading an article this morning on Alvin Toffler, the author of “Future Shock,” which introduced the notion of the pace of change making us sick. A line in the article stood out: “Of course, the future doesn’t stop coming just because you stop planning for it.”
Yes, the future keeps coming at us. Yet planning for it is no small thing. In Rebecca Costa’s book – “The Watchman’s Rattle” – Costa talks about how the pace of change coupled with the exponentially increasing complexity of the world makes it difficult to “see” what is happening and understand what to do. We become overwhelmed, perhaps paralyzed, or worse, we start making stuff up and in so doing, become vulnerable to demagoguery.
Like a garden, we have a choice about what we grow. What I struggle with, in the garden that is our islands, is, before choice, how to understand what problems we are trying to solve, “see” the options and side-effects clearly, and formulate actions that can progress, with careful watching, to make sure the choices we make meld well with the future that keeps lapping at our shores.
There are a number of people on the island that have made it but really don’t want anyone else to share in the experience. There is a anti-tourist anti-growth group that are vocal here. Don’t tell anyone that we have a beautiful island. Don’t encourage any more visitors. Don’t let people rent out their properties to tourists. Restrict where people can build. Give the locals priority on the ferry.
What happens if this group are more successful in putting a moat around the island?
Neil says it well. Thank you Neil for making the comments you have.
People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character. – Mr. Emerson
Sandy, it has nothing to do with having “Made it”, people who have resided here for many years are acutely aware that it is *Impossible* to accommodate everyone who wants to live or visit the islands without completely destroying everything that makes the islands what they are:
https://theorcasonian.com/indian-island-reveals-deadly-results-holiday-weekend-visitors/
The Islands are more than just a commodity to be bought and sold.
Every picturesque and appealing spot eventually faces the challenges of maintaining identity in the face of discovery.
I watched Camden, Maine, “the prettiest town on the coast”, by it’s own immodest logo, become a snaked through collection of ice cream and tee shirt shops.
While I am not a traffic expert, I am a veteran of seeing small towns succumb to all the things mentioned in letters above.
I think we need to seriously consider a revised Eastsound traffic flow from July 4th to Labor Day that provides for N. Beach Rd. to be a pedestrian corridor from 9-4p.m.
Cars incoming from the ferry are directed to the Fire Station and there is a Chamber of Commerce booth there as well as a shuttle that makes a first stop at Rose’s corner and circles around with stops at Brown Bear, Enzo’s etc.
Yes, it would be a slight inconvenience for locals, or maybe not, considering the present frustrations with parking and waiting for conga lines of darting daytrippers in the crosswalks .
Just some thoughts to consider because it is true,” the future doesn’t stop coming just because you stop planning for it.”
Wow! Lots of opinions! And Mr. Kaye, clearly you are a tourist business, but please consider there are two sides to the question. Personally I remember way back when we watched the whales from the land and it never occurred to us to following them everywhere they went so that we could make money from them. I sincerely believe they were healthier then and I also believe they were here first and don’t owe us a thing! I often wonder where we got all these “rights” to turn everything into money…? I didn’t move here for the whales or the eagles or the trees or the waterviews. I moved here because I knew people who lived here cared about one another. They truly cared and they took care of each other through winter storms, power outages, emergencies, and even old age! I see that going away and it breaks my heart. I don’t know that we can ever get it back unless we fight for it. So, Mr. Kaye, when you say that 34 years ago Orcas was a backwards Island….I disagree completely. I will take a great neighbor who cares about me and the other neighbors over fancy sidewalks, better roads, better electric, internet, fancier grocery stores, and better ferry access, even more medical any day! Thank you! Merry
I thank everyone for thoughtful replies. Merry, I have no idea why you think I’m a tourist business-far from it! My wife and I are both physicians and if we move there would be bringing some potentially helpful knowledge/experience with us, with the intention of being part of a community. And we have lived on a very small island with one ferry/day so we know what it’s like. It is actually the Orcas community and people there that we find most attractive and not the scenery. I never said Orcas was backward 34 years ago. I was simply pointing out that it has changed since then and that some of the changes actually are for the better (IMHO.) I’m sure some I would think are for the worse as well.
However, all communities and especially islands are like living organs in our bodies. They need arterial blood supplies. For the island, that is the ferry. If you want the organ to stop growing, stop feeding it by cutting off the blood supply, or on Orcas, reduce ferry service or make it prohibitively expensive…
I prefer the planning approach by caring stewards, an approach that Orcas usually employs, but without a drawbridge being an option…
Thanks to all who have posted such thoughtful comments.
Merry, I’m no “tourist business.” My wife and I are both physicians and would bring with us knowledge/experience to share as our contribution to the community. It is actually the people/community that draw us to Orcas not the scenery. We want to be a part of a bigger “family.” But, we see that family as welcoming and not isolating. Our research shows most of the island’s residents were not born there and once too were immigrants.
My comments about Orcas being “backwards” was not an insult. I used quotation marks around the word and the context was to show that there have been changes and not all of them, at lest in my opinion, are not negative. We have lived on an Island that banned cars for decades. But, finally the residents voted to change the law for their own convenience and not for the tourists. Do you really want to just ride horses or walk? It’s a long distance from the ferry landing to Eastsound and even further to Olga or Doe Bay. Most people don’t want to give up electricity or running water just because it’s part of “change.”
We too want to be in a place where people care about each other, and yet are still welcoming to new people who also might have something to offer or even just find comfort. We met a wise young man on Orcas running the brewery, who explained to us that everyone who moves on brings their own currency in the form of talents and experience to share. He’s a new resident but clearly is giving back to his home town!
Communities and especially islands, are like the organs in our bodies. They need an arterial blood supply to grow and thrive. Cut the blood supply and they will atrophy or die. For Orcas, the primary blood supply is the ferry. By controlling the ferry (frequency and price) you will control the lifeblood of the island.
We firmly believe that the wisdom and compassion we have experienced from people on our 4 visits there can easily steward the island through the next 100 years and that it can be done without a “drawbridge” mentality. There are different views as to what and how the island should look and function in the future. Compromise and consensus will be necessary. Perhaps Susan and I will get to be part of that process. If so, we’ll continue to champion the cause for being welcoming and friendly.
Since it is impossible to accommodate all of the people that want to live on the island or even visit perhaps we should establish some limits. Just decrying all of the negative aspects of this invasion is not very useful. To be meaningful we need to actually implement policies that will effect the change we want. Or more accurately, prohibit the changes we don’t welcome. So with a bit of sarcasm here are some suggested rules we might consider.
* No one is permitted to move to the island unless someone else moves off first.
* The number of visitors to the island is limited to no more than 1,000 per month. If more want to visit, then a review committee will determine who may come based on essays describing the applicants commitment to the environment. The number of visitors will be reviewed annually and may be modified, if needed, to further reduce the negative influence.
* Family and friends of year round residents are exempted from the visitor limit. Those who only live on the island during the summer months may only have family and friends visits during the winter months. If they want to be at the same place at the same time, they will either need to do that off island or choose to live on island full time.
* No vacation lodging permits will be granted by the county unless the owner provides an equal number of year round beds available for rent at “affordable” prices to locals. The definition of affordable will be set by what the renter can afford to pay.
* A gate will be placed to limit access to Indian Island where only locals will be permitted.
* The fireworks barge will be replaced by a floating lantern show.
* No new businesses will be permitted as the love of money is a corrosive influence on the community.
I wonder what happens when the discussion is “flipped” to the notion that many of us travel to places near and far in order to experience the culture, history, and people of another part of this planet on which we live. Consider the breadth of diversity that the cultures of the world offer and it becomes more apparent why it is important to expand our horizons, meet new people and create friendships that can last a lifetime. It is the travel to new places that broadens our awareness and educates us to the oneness we all share as citizens of planet Earth.
A friend has had the opportunity to travel to Botswana, India, Nepal and is now in Cambodia, experiencing that diversity. My grandchildren have traveled to Italy, London, Mexico and Puerto Rico to enrich their appreciation of those varied cultures and history.
It is interesting to note that, in a free society such as ours, we are able to travel and enjoy those cultural diversities within our own Country without question or restriction. Recently, three separate couples with whom I “grew up” traveled to Orcas to visit because of the travel magazines that introduced them to the San Juans. We renewed our friendships and my wife and I are planning travel East to return those visits.
I have lived on Orcas for nearly 42 years and have never regretted moving here from suburban Philadelphia. I have always felt welcome here. John Willis, a native islander has never said to me that I have overstayed that welcome. It is interesting to note that the population of Orcas is more than double what it was in the ’70s. Orcas island has changed very much in the past four decades, most of it for the better. I have met, and enjoyed the friendships of many new neighbors that have come here from places like Philadelphia. Should I suggest that they are not welcome because I was here first? I think not.
Consider the eagle, flying lazy circles in the sky, looking down at all of us, wondering when those humans are going to leave so that “his” island will be the same as it once was.
Be thankful, and grateful that you are here. Welcome those who would join us. And grow from the experience of sharing the Islands with new friends, whether or not they might like to live here, too !
Neil-
Excellent synopsis. There is a very distinct relationship between the primary economic drivers in our community. Those economic drivers are what allow the numerous and various subsections of life in the islands to be as diverse as they are. No one wants to see Disney Land move in, but we must recognize that tourism and transient living structures are a critical part of what keeps things running.
I’ve been a guest for 16 years. I’m told i can apply for my local citizenship card in another 20!
I concur with Ed. Nicely stated.
At times I feel like a hypocrite as I sell property/homes and manage long term and short term rentals. In my 31 years here, I’ve lost the joy I used to feel driving to or from work and NEVER passing a car. That does not happen anymore. I miss not having houses on either side of me and not having to listen to someone’s barking dogs several lots away. It definitely was quieter and less congested years ago. But Ed is right. Someone said the same thing before I added my family’s presence.
Yet, I still feel joy in helping someone buy their own piece of the rock, or rent their first house, or help someone who has lost their house in the mortgage crisis or through health expenses – find a rental, or the visitor stay in a lovely, private home.
So, while I feel NO need for Eastsound street lights, or trees removed and roads widened, I also know that we can’t and shouldn’t stop managed progress – for we all started somewhere once.
Let’s just be good neighbors.
Yeah, let’s keep the roads narrow so the bicycling will be discouraged and people will drive their cars instead! And let’s keep streetlights off Prune Alley so that the evening revelers at the Barnacle Bar will be afraid to walk along the street for fear of being run over. Hmmmm…