Floating home.

Yes, please.

HERE.

The most amazing vacation place is available, you know.

These photos are from a cloudy April stay two years ago... this time of year the place is sunny and bright. I swear.


We love THIS PLACE. It's a big property with two cabins (you can rent just one if it's all you need). I got an email today from the owners... they actually have availability in July, which is unusual for them.


Dear Homesteaders,

The summer season has started early here on Orcas Island. We haven't had a cloud in the sky for nearly five weeks now. While it's good for vacationers, the lack of rain seems to have kept the salmon in the outer waters with the Orcas whales until about two weeks ago. The farmers are irrigating their fields more than usual adding to the crush of spring planting and grass mowing.

My farm stand across the street has been open since early June offering organic salad greens,snow peas, herbs and flowers. I am farming another piece of land organically as well growing all the large vegetables and squash.
We've had a decent year at The Homestead so far but have a huge hole in our calendar starting July 12th. I would appreciate it if you enjoyed your stay at our property and could recommend it to your friends. The Seaside and Blackberry cabins are available July 12-23,26-31. Luckily, this is an unusual situation and has not happened before in our 15 years of doing business here. Our online calendar is up to date.

We would be very happy to have any of you back of course! Some of you stay with us year after year which is genuinely appreciated. Your comments and suggestions are also welcome.
I hope everyone is doing well, thank you for your patronage and hope we'll see you again soon!




If you live in Oregon, Washington, or British Columbia, it's totally worth your while to stay there. If you are coming from a distance, you can fly into Seattle and take a seaplane there and save the extra driving/ferry time to the islands. Although, I must say, the ferry ride is so amazing. If you haven't taken the ferry through the San Juan Islands, don't miss it. Seriously.

Orcas Island doesn't have any stoplights. None. Windy roads, amazing views, farms and alpacas and boats and starfish and amazing sunny days.

Even the smaller cabin sleeps 6 (you'll be packed in, but it's fun), so you can split the bill with friends.

You will have your own private dock with a kayak and a small fishing boat tied up for your use. This dock and the owner's big sailboat was recently featured in Coastal Living magazine.

You can learn more and book it HERE.

Their website doesn't do this place any justice, BTW. Trust me. It's fantastic. If you haven't booked a proper vacation for yourself yet this summer, consider this. It's heaven.

Second home.

Timely article since we were just talking about summer homes a few posts ago...

"Every weekend, starting in October, the couple drove two hours from their home in Brooklyn to the house, undertaking all of the necessary reconstruction themselves, except the re-roofing, which was done by a contractor. Both urbanites, neither had ever tackled a renovation before, but the project was thrilling to them.

HERE.

2 hours from Seattle on lovely Hood Canal and a mere $550 a month mortgage payment. 10 buckets of white paint, a few squishy couches, build a proper deck along the view side of the house, add some nice light fixtures inside, stain the floors dark or paint them white, tame the landscape, buy kayak, invite friends over. Voila. Instant vacation house.

Your dream house? Or vacation house?

First - welcome to the people clicking through from AT and yesterday's link from washingtonpost.com*. Nice to have you newcomers. Keep it up for another 29 days and you'll earn your chip.

Now, yesterday, I threw up a quickie post featuring that crazy stark place in the middle of nowhere. I didn't think it would get too much response, but actually a bunch of you loved it. Some hated it.

So I thought I would open it up to ask people... we think a lot here about what we would put inside our houses, but what is your actual dream home? Town or country? Apartment or house? What style?

Personally, I am obsessed lately with DIY pre-fab shelters like THIS or like THIS. I am dying to buy some land on Orcas Island here in Washington and park my little shack there and just hide away from it all. Of course, the no plumbing thing is tripping me up.

(And speaking of - - Cynthia Kling at Domino bought a $10k Shelter-Kit home, built it, and wrote and article about it. If anyone from Domino is reading, could you please nudge someone to (a) post that article and (b) ask her to write a follow up. Did she like it? Oh, and (c) can you post all her old articles? We love Ms. Kling. She's fun to read and re-read.)

So...what's your kind of dream home or vacation home? Send links or photos and I will post a round up. And of course, leave a comment. And if you HAVE your dream home or vacation home and are particularly proud and want to make me and thousands of other jealous, by all means, email photos and details and I will post the best.

*Thanks Terri.