The San Juan Islands Author:JoAnn Roe The 172 San Juan Islands of Washington State are the uppermost remains of a mountain range that once separated the fifty miles between Vancouver Island and mainland Washington. From a fifty-year resident s viewpoint, The San Juan Islands: Into the 21st Century examines this remote yet oft-visited northwest corner of Washington State. The author ... more »tells of farming lavender rather than wheat and alpacas rather than cattle; of interisland boats and barges that still fight stormy seas and riptide; of the development of reliable medical care only during the 1950s; of the emphasis today on sensible land management, the orca whales that are native to the area, and the former and current identity of these island people. JoAnn Roe explores both the history and the present day life of this unique and alluring region.« less