A couple of weeks ago I received a call from a person interested in selling his lot on Eliza Island. His Family had owned this waterfront lot on Eliza Island for years. Prior to that phone call, my experience with Eliza Island was a result of Jack Miller of Lummi Island inviting me to go with him on a plane ride over the San Juans. The ride in & of itself was quite an experience. Prior to taking off from Jack’s air strip on Lummi Island you always had to chase his cows off the strip & into the woods, hoping that by the time you got in the plane & were about half way down the runway, the cows didn’t make it back. I won’t tell you what we did to get the cows off the airstrip when we landed but that was a pretty hair raising experience as well. At any rate, Jack 1st introduced me to Eliza Island with a series of touch & gos that ended when it was obvious that the local residence obviously felt that we should go someplace else to practice this particular event. Beyond that Eliza Island was a place that we would pass by on our way to our property in Sunrise Cove on Lummi Island or fish around the Island for Blackmouth in the Fall & Winter.

To get some background, I went to Wikipedia where I found one smaill paragraph of information. I learned that Eliza Island lies to the South of Lummi Island, Eliza Island has a land area 141.1 acres & that in the 2000 census there was a population of 10 people. Armed with that bit of information, I started to fill in the blanks. I found out the name & number of the cartaker. In calling however a full time resident, Joy whose e-mail address includes “IslandGirl” in the address answered the phone. From the second Joy answer the phone, I know that I was connected to the right person. For the next 20 minutes I was connected not only to a “Walking Wikepedia of Eliza Island” but as it turned out one of the most gracious ladies Lylene & I have met in a long time. In closing, Joy asked me if we were planning a trip to Eliza Island & if so, to let her know when we were planning arrive & she would meet us at the dock in her “6 wheeled Gator”.

From that 20 minute phone conversation, I learned that the Eliza Island airstip can only be used during daylinght hours, the dock can only be used for loading & unloading, Eliza Island is a private island, private generators provide electricity, a water desalinization system is used to provide water to the residents & that Joy & her husband, the caretakers & another gentlemen are the only year around residents on the Island. It was later in the week when Lylene & I had time to visit Eliza Island that we discovered what a magical place it really is.

When we tied up to the dock Joy met us with a big wave & a huge grin & off we went in her 6-wheeler (The Gator”. She explained that only those who were 55 or older or disabled could use some from of motorized transportation on the Island. She went on to say that one of the topics of discussion at the annual meetings is always the use of golf carts but that so far it seems the Island is split down the middle with 1/2 saying they like it the way it is & the other half thinking it would be pretty convenient. I guess it will stay that way until the tie breaker moves on to the Island.

Joy showed us where the water for the desalination plant is sucked in from the sea, where it initially goes for settlement, where it is filtered & finally she showed us the 10,000 gallon storage tank. It sounded as though the day the new storage tank was delivered to Eliza Island from Ershigs in Bellingham via a twin rotored helicopter was the cause for a lot of excitment on Eliza. Joy said just about the entire Island turned out for the event & everyone held their collective breathes as they watched this huge tank as it was air lifted across Bellingham Bay & finally settled into place at the highest point on Eliza Island.

Joy then took us to the swimming beach on the South side of the Island. The beach is sandy there & fairly shallow so in the Summer as the tide comes in, it warms the water making it a favorite swimming hole for those that are so inclined. Along the way, we met a fellow who was completing the finishing touches on his house in preparation for this week-end & wedding with his soon to become wife. Even Ray, as much as he had on his mind, took time to say hello to Lylene & I, a couple of foreigners. Joy’s Eliza Island tour then took us to the “Eagles Nest, “The Secret Spot” (which we swore we would not share with anyone – not really sure if I could find it again anyway), to the part of Eliza Island owned by the US Coast Guard & even stopped at her house & offered us a Dr. Pepper.

Joy’s tour took as along the 3 hole golf course. There was a fellow there in a golf cart – clubs hanging out one side a fishing pole out of the other. He paused to wave as well. Nearby is a playground for kids of all ages & the airstrip.
By this time however our boat had been taking up space on the dock for way to long & there were others who needed to load & unload & so Joy delivered us back from hence we came.

We shared hurried good-bys & thank yous & left Eliza Island that afternoon understanding that there was a whole lot more to Eliza Island than just the few lines written about it in Wikipedia.

By the way, for those of you who have further interest in “Eliza Island” you might want to consider the cabin & lot that we just listed. It’s just a stones throw from the golf course & is probably one of the finest lots on Eliza Island. You can access information & photos of it here.

For more information on Bellingham Real Estate or to search for homes in the Bellingham and Whatcom County area visit www.JohnsonTeamRealEstate.com, your one stop Bellingham real estate and community information resource!