Orcas Today: Thursday, December 25th
Merry Christmas from all of us at Orcas Online!
Merry Christmas from all of us at Orcas Online!

7 miles. 900 feet elevation gain and loss The Mount Pickett Service Road and Trail runs through Moran State Park’s Natural Area Preserve which is one of the oldest undeveloped areas in the San Juan Islands. The parking at the Cascade Falls trailhead is the quickest route to the Service Road that leads towards Mount Pickett. An alternative starting point is the picnic shelter and parking at Mountain Lake; follow the trail to the southern end of the lake and continue east-southeast to the Mount Pickett trail. In addition to the undisturbed natural beauty of the area, Mount Pickett is also one of the most remote hiking locations on Orcas Island. Featuring a Natural Area Preserve; the densely wooded trail takes hikers away from roadways and campsites into the rustic woodland beauty that the Pacific Northwest is known for. Pack and prep for a challenge; Orcas Islanders use this trail as a test for their hiking and climbing endurance.

I am an American. Those four little words should tell you everything you need to know about how much I love burgers. Okay, not everything, but I hope you get the idea. There’s nothing quite like it: Meat, Toppings, Condiments, Crispy Toasted Bread, mix and match to your liking (yes, I realize I also just described a normal sandwich, but follow me on this one), and chow down! That being said, I do also realize that not all burgers are created equal: a gourmet burger is not a good comparison to a cookout burger, and while I do enjoy both (very much so), when you decide to up the ante and treat yourself to a restaurant, you expect something a bit more on the decadent side. And, I am pleased to report, that (at least) the food given to me by Orcas Hotel Café did not disappoint! Orcas Hotel has a long history of different chefs and restaurant names gracing its doors, but in the new world of Survive the Pandemic (take that however you will) they have opted for a simpler design: small café, small menu, daily specials, lunch, and dinner; no frills, basically. Their entire ordering process for dinner is online so my esteemed colleague and I had to change up our usual rules, and I took his recommendation for the Cheeseburger with Fries while he went with the Burmese Chicken Curry Special (read Simon’s review of Orcas Hotel Café here). Now, my overly simplified palate may suggest that I got the raw…