Thank you for your ________________ deposit toward the ______________ rental on Orcas Island.
We have enclosed your copy of the Reservation Application and Rental Agreement" signed by us.

BALANCE DUE:  Balances are due and payable fourteen (14) days prior to arrival.   Balances may be paid in check, money orders or cash, but not by credit cards.

CHECK-IN:  Check-in is 3:00pm or later.
Keys will not be available until then.
If your balance due is paid fourteen days prior to arrival we will provide an envelope with your name on it containing house directions and keys.  The envelope will be taped to our office door. (Please refer to the topic - Keys - below.)  We recommend you make every effort to arrive before dark, as Orcas has few street lights and directions to your house will be given based upon street signs, landmarks, & colors.

DIRECTIONS:  Our office is located 9 1/2 miles north of the ferry landing in the town of Eastsound at 291 North Beach Road.  When you turn right into the town of Eastsound, look for the tan and white two-story building. Turn left, (away from this building).  This street is North Beach Road and our office is a large blue/green building on your left across from Bilbo's Mexican Restaurant.

DRIVING:  If you are driving from Seattle, allow approximately three hours drive to the ferry terminal in Anacortes, WA. off Highway 20 west.  June through September be at the ferry terminal and in line a minimum of one hour ahead of departure time.

FERRY:  Enclosed is a ferry schedule to help you determine your arrival on Orcas.  If your reservation is for a period beyond the expiration date of the enclosed ferry schedule, please send a self addressed stamped envelope requesting a new ferry schedule when they are published or check www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/index.cfm

FIRES:  Keep the following number with you while renting your Orcas vacation home.  Burn Ban = 
1-800-323-BURN. Call and ask for the northwest region operator for information on the San Juan Islands, or enter the code SANJ # for the San Juan County.  If your home provides a beach where you want a beach barbecue, call the Burn Ban number first.  If there is a burn ban on in this area and you burn illegally, you may be fined.  If you have a beach fire, do not burn above the line of ordinary high tide!  Driftwood and dried grasses ignite easily.  Protect Orcas from forest fires!

FLYING:  Kenmore Air offers fabulous scenic flights from Seattle to Orcas,  1-800-543-9595.
Or take NW Seaplanes/San Juan Airlines from Seattle’s Boeing Field to Orcas, 1-800-690-0086.   If you are flying to the San Juan Islands, secure a rental car before making your plane reservations as Orcas only has a few rental vehicles.  Try San Juan Airlines at 360-376-4176 or 376-RENT.

INTERNET ACCESS:  Most of our vacation rentals have telephones which are restricted to local access.  If you want to send or receive email during your stay, contact orcasonline.com at 360-376-6411.  They will set you up with a local access number for $15.00 per week so that you may use your own computer at the rental.  Cell phone coverage is sporadic.   911 calls on your cell phone must be made to 378-4141.

KEYS: You will be provided keys to your rental upon check-in. If your balance due was paid prior to your arrival an envelope with your name on it will be taped to our office door and will contain a copy of your rental agreement and directions to your house and keys.

LEAVING: 
Your departure time is no later than 11:00 am.  Keys must be returned to our real estate office drop slot (to the left of our office door) upon your check out.  Do not leave keys inside the rental.

MENUS: Each vacation rental has a four page “menu” (usually located on the kitchen counter).  Please take time to read it thoroughly as it will aquaint you with each house’s rules: no smoking, water conservation, septic tanks, telephone service information, rules for quiet time and neighborhood respect, refuse removal and more.  Thank you.

MONEY:  While visiting Orcas Island bring plenty of cash, traveler's checks, credit cards or ATM cards because our local banks do not cash out of town/non-member bank checks.

RED TIDE:  If you plan on harvesting shellfish from your home's private beach (if it provides one - do not trespass), or from a public beach call Red Tide Hotline first to see if San Juan County is under a Red Tide warning.  If so, do not eat the shellfish as they may cause PSP/Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. CALL :  1-800-562-5632. San Juan Co.
                                               
TRASH:  You are responsible to remove your refuse and recyclables during your stay.  If you participate in our island-way-of-life, you can save money by taking your trash to our dump/recycling center when it is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am-4pm.  We suggest you take trips to the dump as it saves time on your busy departure day.  The dump currently charges minimum $6.00 per bag.   If our crews remove trash/recyclables upon your departure you will be charged $8.00 per container.  A container of trash is defined as any size garbage bag (32-45 gal.) that can be removed, tied, and carried to the dump leaving the empty trash/garbage cans behind at the rental.

WHAT TO BRING:  You are to provide your own paper, plastic and soap products during your stay.  This includes bath soap, hand soap, laundry soap, dish soap, toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags etc.

If you intend to enter Canada, bring your child’s birth certificate and a passport for adults.

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ACTIVITIES:  Folks ask, "What is there to do on Orcas island?"  Our answer is dependent upon what you look for in a vacation.  We don't have big shopping malls or extensive night life.  We do have many quaint artisan shops located all around Orcas Island.  We do have a theater/community building that hosts plays, lectures, movies, dances and musical events.  Perhaps you could take in a performance at Orcas Center, The Grange or
The Livingroom during your visit.  We also have a movie theater and several stores rent video tapes and VCR players.  We do have two museums - Eastsound Historical Museum and the old Crow Valley School House Museum.

Orcas has a nine-hole golf course where the public may play a hilly and challenging course.  Clubs and carts are available to rent.  Tennis courts and the Orcas Skateboard Park are available at Buck Park in Eastsound.  Playground equipment is available at Buck Park and Moran State Park.

The hardy can scuba dive, snorkel, bottom fish and salmon troll, sail with skippered charters, take a whale watch or nature cruise, rent a kayak or go crabbing.  If you bring your own boat you can launch at Bartwood Lodge on the north shore, Olga county ramp at Obstruction Pass, by sling at West Sound Marina, Lieber Haven Resort or on buoys at Rosario Resort - all with advance reservations.

Nothing beats a walk on the trails of Moran State Park.  There is an assortment of trails with different difficulty levels.  You can see waterfalls, lakes and  fish for trout and bass.  Don't miss the summit of Mt. Constitution!  A great walk is also available at Obstruction Pass Trailhead Park and Turtleback Mt. Preserve.  There are several end-of-the-road public beach accesses where you may stroll on the beach.  An easy hike is on Madrona Point in Eastsound.  After a day of hiking perhaps you would enjoy a massage from the Healing Arts Center, Rosario Resort or Orcas Spa.  Please make appointments.  Adults & children alike can enjoy a day at the Eastsound Fun House.

FOOD:  Orcas is known as the restaurant island.  You don't have to cook in your vacation rental unless that is your choice.  You can dine out on Mexican, American, Italian, seafood, Oriental, gourmet, vegetarian, burgers or pizza.

Island Market in Eastsound and The Orcas Store at the ferry landing will offer you a large selection of foods including a bakery, deli, and large meat and seafood market. The Orcas Homegrown Market specializes in herbal, vegetarian/organic and locally grown fare. There is also a Saturday morning Farmer’s Market in Eastsound.  Eastsound has several bakeries and wine shops, too.  In addition, the Village Stop, West Sound Store, Country Corner will provide nearly all the groceries and condiments you will need during your stay.  A Laundromat is at the Country Corner.

MEDICAL:  We hope you do not need dental or medical assistance while here, but in case you do we have medical doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors and natural healing doctors as well as dentists and optometrists.

WEATHER:  It should never rain on anyone's vacation, (but it sometimes does).  It is a good idea to bring rain gear.  Our weather May to early October is typically sunny with daily highs in the 70's F.  Evenings can be quite cool and jackets may be necessary.  Locals dress very casually.  Jeans are common attire.  Suits and dresses are rarely seen.  You may wish to follow our practices and relax your wardrobe while here.

Most importantly, one should sloooooooooooow down when here!  We're not in a terrible hurry so you should allow yourself to soak in the gorgeous scenery and perhaps visit the other ferry-serviced islands, too.  We look forward to your visit and know you will have fun.

Updated 01/08

Karen and Ken Speck       

Cherie L. Lindholm Real Estate

P.O. Box 66

Property Managers/Owners/Brokers

Eastsound, WA. 98245 (360)376-2204