Lopez Island, WA

Morning fog disguises the island from afar, but as the ferry approaches, the terrain transforms into emerald evergreens and a verdant landscape. Maneuvering between aged pilings, the boat docks, and a harbor seal escort disappears beneath the water in the tiny cove as passengers disembark. On foot, riding bicycles, driving cars and pickups, they weave uphill along the fir-lined road leading away from the dock. They have reached their destination, Lopez Island, Wash. (pop. 2,200).

Of the 743 islands in Washington state’s San Juan County, 40 are inhabited and Lopez is known as the friendliest—all 29.5 square miles of it. Nancy McCoy, director and curator of the Lopez Island Historical Museum, in part attributes the chummy atmosphere to sheer numbers. In this case, the lack of them.

“With the small population, people are aware of each other’s needs,” says McCoy, who sees a genuine blending of varying economic levels and age groups on Lopez.

Less tourist-driven than San Juan or Orcas islands, the uncomplicated serenity of Lopez is a bicyclist’s paradise. Traffic is light, the country roads gentle, and the scenery captivating. Kayakers enjoy the island’s ridged shoreline, while along the west shore, tiny Lopez Village hosts a sprinkling of small shops and cafes, including Edenwild Inn—a charming Victorian-style bed & breakfast. Farmland runs along the island’s peaceful roadways, with rows of baled hay neatly lined in fields. Rabbits munch clover in driveways, and sheep are herded down the middle of streets.

Local drivers wave to passing cars in a long-held island tradition of hospitality. From a lively full-handed howdy, to a single index finger casually raised from the steering wheel, the gestures are a welcoming salute to local folks and visitors alike.

“I like coming here to practice the wave,” says an occasional visitor to Lopez. “I become one of them and yet remain anonymous.”

While the origin of the waving tradition is unclear, some residents say it dates back to the horse-and-buggy days, when the few people inhabiting the isle used waving to neighbors as a signal that they were alive and well. No matter the beginning, islanders have incorporated “the wave” into the order of things on Lopez.

Lopez Island, whose resident profile runs from engineers to artists with an age range that encompasses young and old, is a tightly woven community. Brent Charnley, owner of Lopez Island Vineyards, remembers boyhood summers in the San Juans.

“Lopez was the opposite of the outside world,” says Charnley. “It was very close knit and people helped each other. That sense of community brought me back.” The success of the winery is enhanced by village participation. Fifty islanders are shareholders in the enterprise. “Lopez is friendly, with a sense of tolerance and acceptance of differences,” Charnley continues. “Cooperation rather than competition is the norm.”

In early fall, the vineyard hosts a neighborhood grape-picking party and potluck dinner. A day of working together culminates in a shared, tasty, homemade meal.

The warm tradition of waving, as well as the congeniality of the islanders, clearly supports Lopez’s “friendly isle” claim, but the absence of neon and noise fosters a deeper experience. Radiant sunsets across Fisherman Bay or the thundering sea colliding with the jagged southern cliffs inspire an appreciative awe and reverence. There is a notion here of waking to simplicity, of connecting with the uncomplicated majesty of nature.

Elizabeth Eberhardt, owner of Isabel’s Espresso, has lived on the island for 13 years. “I came to visit a friend and had that ‘gut feel’ that I’d found my home,” she says. “If you’re tuned in to the feeling of contentment, this is it.”

Carole Marshall is a freelance writer from Port Townsend, Wash.

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