SAN JUAN ISLANDS ... sea stars clung to rocky ledges below the waterline and small fish swam in the clear water. When most people think island vacation, they probably picture tropical beaches ...

On the San Juan Islands off northwest Washington State, land meets sea along rocky outcrops, and views stretch to Canada. Weather and water command the field, and the pace of life bends to meet them.

SAN JUAN COUNTY, Wash. — Photos snapped near San Juan Island show a swimming black-tail deer crossing paths with a Bigg's orca. A naturalist, Sam Murphy with Island Adventures Whale Watching and ...