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Old 02-11-2009, 04:35 PM
 
1,664 posts, read 3,957,318 times
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IS it a nice place to build a vacation cabin? I don't want to sit in the drizzle and fog all summer!
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Old 02-11-2009, 05:08 PM
 
Location: Cosmic Consciousness
3,871 posts, read 17,103,892 times
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Hi. Orcas is a wonderful place to build a vacation cabin, if there's any land available and if anyone wants to sell their land and if you can afford it.

About the climate, I guess you haven't read much infor yet about the climate of western Washington! Summer is not what would give you drizzle and fog. Some resources:

City-Data.com -- just click at the upper left-hand corner of any C-D forum page. If you choose the town of Friday Harbor, there's your reference point.

WA State statistics -- no town on Orcas is listed, so choose Olga, a town on the next-door island:
Washington

The Great Technicolor Rainfall Map Of Washington, from the National Atlas. The legend tells you by color how much rain falls annually.
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printab...precip_wa3.pdf

Have fun!
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Old 02-11-2009, 05:25 PM
 
1,664 posts, read 3,957,318 times
Reputation: 1879
Quote:
Originally Posted by allforcats View Post
Hi. Orcas is a wonderful place to build a vacation cabin, if there's any land available and if anyone wants to sell their land and if you can afford it.

About the climate, I guess you haven't read much infor yet about the climate of western Washington! Summer is not what would give you drizzle and fog. Some resources:

City-Data.com -- just click at the upper left-hand corner of any C-D forum page. If you choose the town of Friday Harbor, there's your reference point.

WA State statistics -- no town on Orcas is listed, so choose Olga, a town on the next-door island:
Washington

The Great Technicolor Rainfall Map Of Washington, from the National Atlas. The legend tells you by color how much rain falls annually.
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printab...precip_wa3.pdf

Have fun!
Thnak you for the information. I have trouble reading the charts and I always think it is better to chat with a local person tha has the direct experience.
Thanks again for the information!
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Old 02-11-2009, 11:50 PM
 
9,618 posts, read 27,342,201 times
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Orcas is in the "rain shadow", which means it gets much less rain than Seattle, something like 15-20 inches per year. Summer is sunny, but like a lot of western Washington it has a lot of cloudy days the remainder of the year. Orcas is gorgeous.
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Old 08-26-2010, 07:27 PM
 
Location: Seattle, Washington
3,721 posts, read 7,826,181 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by allforcats View Post
WA State statistics -- no town on Orcas is listed, so choose Olga, a town on the next-door island
Olga is in fact one of several communities on Orcas Island. Others include:

Deer Harbor, West Sound, Orcas Village, Eastsound (the largest town on the island and the center of commerce on Orcas Island, also on the center of the island itself, located on the isthmus connecting the western side of the island to the eastern side), Rosario, Olga, and Deer Harbor. Did I miss any?

Anyway, Orcas Island is a VERY BEAUTIFUL place and would be excellent for a vacation house if not a place to live year-round, if you can afford it! The San Juan Islands are expensive! The cheapest cost of living anywhere in San Juan County is probably Waldron Island, but they have no power, no stores, and a very small year-round population.

When up there don't miss the summit of Mt. Constitution. Spectacular views from up there!


PS: Edit to add that, from the times I've been up there, Orcas seems to have different areas of micro climate. For example I've seen overcast skies in Eastsound, and then a few miles to the south in Olga, clear sunny skies. I've heard that Deer Harbor has the least amount of annual rainfall on the island, but perhaps someone who has lived there can confirm or deny this?
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Old 03-29-2011, 09:38 PM
 
198 posts, read 400,194 times
Reputation: 242
Is Orcas getting overdeveloped? There is so much bare land for sale there. I have been going for years and see that there is now sadly high density style homes creeping into Eastsound. What gives? I thought there where water limitations? Is that just limitations for each lot; or for the entire island? I am wondering if it is going to be suburbia if people keep building there!
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Old 03-29-2011, 11:05 PM
 
625 posts, read 1,390,013 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mclaurin View Post
Is Orcas getting overdeveloped? There is so much bare land for sale there. I have been going for years and see that there is now sadly high density style homes creeping into Eastsound. What gives? I thought there where water limitations? Is that just limitations for each lot; or for the entire island? I am wondering if it is going to be suburbia if people keep building there!
I spent a great vacation on Orcas and Lopez islands some years ago - both beautiful in their own way! I recently read San Juan County's comprehensive plan because I was curious about efforts to preserve ag lands. The comprehensive plan shows which areas are within the growth boundaries of towns like Eastsound. I think the purpose of allowing high(er)-density housing in these areas is to allow the towns to accommodate people while maintaining the rural character of the islands. In my experience, suburbia results not from high(er) density housing in the right places, but from allowing lower density to be built across the countryside ... some of the quaintest small towns on the east coast and especially in Europe are relatively higher density than our suburbs ...
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Old 03-30-2011, 01:30 PM
 
3,695 posts, read 11,372,565 times
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Why not just buy a vacation cabin instead of using up scarce open land and contributing to the suburbanization of a rural area?
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Old 12-30-2013, 05:41 PM
 
2 posts, read 7,969 times
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Anyone have information about moving horses to the island?
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