I stayed 4 days in the Garden Cabin which sits behind the more expensive and more recently remodeled Waterfront Cabin. It's old but clean and well furnished and the best value on the island. (Admittedly you can stay cheaper at the hostel at Doe Bay but all you get there is a bed and shared bathroom.)

The owner, Carol Jo is very nice and very helpful. She told me the cabins were built in the 30's and later moved to her backyard. The Waterfront cabin was recently renovated but the Garden Cabin is still on her to-do list. In the meantime it's very comfortable and very reasonable on an island where most accomodations are double the price.

Cabin has a nice living area with kitchen on the back wall. Kitchen has a full sized stove with oven, microwave, coffee pot, coffee grinder and small fridge. Pots, pans, dishes, glasses, tableware are furnished. There is a small table with two chairs. Living area has a nice sofa and an armchair and coffee table. Small TV with VCR player. (About 10 movies included.) TV is only for playing video tapes. Radio with CD/Tape player with box of tapes and CDs. Assorted board games and playing cards.

Bedroom has large queen size bed, dresser and large closet. Very comfortable bed with lots of covers and pillows. Antique looking furniture. It's sort of like sleeping over at grandma's.

Bathroom is small but adequate (just a shower, sink, toilet). Towels are clean, thick and soft.

I called at the last minute and was lucky to get in. She wasn't going to be home when I got there so she left the cabin open with the key on the table and said I could pay her the next morning. Only takes cash or checks so be prepared. She usually requests you send her a check for the first night to hold your reservation.

Blackberry Beach is located in the village of Olga. Olga has a post office, a dock, a handful of houses and sometimes a small store. It's very quiet and pretty much on a dead end road so very peaceful. Only noise you might hear is the sea plane which lands and takes off from nearby Rosario and that's only once or twice a day. During the summer the passenger ferry from Bellingham uses the Olga dock so you might see a few people then but most of the time you feel you are the only one there. Good place to stay if you want to hike in Moran State Park which is only about 5 minutes away.

From the ferry landing it's probably a 35-40 minute drive. You have to drive past Eastsound through Moran State Park. (After passing through the park the road makes a sharp left at Cafe Olga but you go straight into Olga. Turn left at the post office and it's on the right about the second or third house.)