Orcas Island

Earth and Sea Retreat
Orcas Island, Washington

Doe Bay Resort & Retreat ~ October 2-6th 2025

A mystical weekend adventure

at Doe Bay Resort & Retreat

Surround yourself with the breathtaking beauty of Orcas Island, where verdant green earth meeting deep blue sea are the stars of this weekend, as well as whale watching, hiking, yoga, writing, and music .

This Pacific Northwest paradise of tall trees and aquamarine waters, habitat to strong, mysterious sea creatures and the freshest air, will imbue your senses with serenity and awe. Take a weekend to rejuvenate, have an adventure, and restore your energy with cool, interesting fellow travelers.

“The retreat at Doe Bay was filled with so much magic, beauty and song. I felt deeply nourished by Mary's loving facilitation and by the incredibly special venue. Yoga, soaking, whales, Northern Lights, rainbows, song. Yes please and thank you!” ~ Alex

whales

singing at dawn

in the cold sea

~ Gyodai

Doe Bay Resort & Retreat sits on 35 acres of pristine waterfront land in the San Juan Islands, on the coast of Washington State. Orcas Island is accessed by a gorgeous ferry ride from Anacortes. Doe Bay Resort is reached with a drive through rolling green farmlands by the sea, clear across the island on the south-eastern shore. One can stay in cabins, yurts, campsites, or perhaps a treehouse!

Ferry across the Salish Sea from Anacortes (90 min drive from Seattle or Bellingham), passing by many of the beautiful forested Islands in the San Juan Island Archipelago - you may even see Orca whales as you travel across to our Island!

Upon arrival, expect a sweet opening ceremony, hiking, heated soaking tubs, yoga practices, meditation, music, and beautiful food will fill up our time together. The beauty and mystery of the land invites deep restoration & grounding. We will adventure by boat for a whale-watching excursion, experience a silence-optional hike along the pristine mountain lake trail in Moran State Park, and dine on local, organic meals created by Chef Bev and crew at Doe Bay Cafe (the food is amazing). And you’ll be serenaded every day by your retreat host, award winning singer-songwriter Mary Bue.

Join us for these earth + sea inclusions

  • 3-4 hour whale watching excursion

  • Two private soaks in the hot tubs overlooking the Salish Sea

  • 7 local organic veg meals created from Chef Bev + Crew at Doe Bay Cafe

  • Silent Hike in Moran State Park

  • Daily Yoga Asana, Pranayama, Meditation + Writing Practices

  • Private concert & sonic blessings by your host Mary Bue

  • Open mic night at Doe Bay Cafe

  • No promises, but possible: Northern lights! Shooting Stars! Sea Otters!

    Lodging + Transportation to Doe Bay Resort not included

  • Book your own yurt, campsite, or cabin solo or with friends/loves/family ~ 4th night free when booking with code “EXTRA1” ~ Details below. Choose the lodging that is perfect for your solo adventure or kindred companions.

Dear fellow traveler,

This is your host, Mary Bue, here to welcome you. Thank you for considering adventuring to Orcas Island with us. This place is full of magic, beauty, and mystery. Visiting these stunning islands blew my mind. The air is fresh, the trees full of ancient wisdom, and have been blessed to have seen SO many Orca whales, along with a few blue whales!

First traveled to the San Juan Islands in 2008 to participate in an amazing seaweed-harvesting retreat with Herbalist Linda Conroy, founder of Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference. Had just moved to Seattle to study under Yoga Therapist Tracy Weber for my first 200 hour yoga teacher training at Whole Life Yoga, and came to Orcas Island numerous time to follow.

Contemplated for many months if it felt right to host this retreat again. It is a time of such upheaval and suffering, both collectively and personally. And yet, to reconnect to this sacred land with curious, creative, and compassionate new friends is a gift. We have to keep following the threads of bliss … not to be morbid, but how many more Octobers will we experience in this life?

If this is a bucket list visit for you, you are so welcomed and supported. Would be thrilled, honored, and delighted to travel with you. Let’s go see some whales, and if we are lucky, maybe even some northern lights and rainbows. Big love, Mary 🦋

This adventure is for … YOU!

  • Do you want to see whales?? In 2023 + 2024, we saw an adolescent Blue Whale and multiple pods of Orca Whales during our whale-watching excursions. In 2023 the Orcas swam right up to the rocky beach at Doe Bay Resort! No guarantees, but almost!

  • Lovers of nature: wild forested islands, the ocean, and the Pacific Northwest

  • Music lovers - super fun community open mic (bring your guitar or borrow Mary’s! Piano also in the cafe), and you’ll be serenaded with lots of “sonic blessings” during our yoga practices

  • Spiritual seekers - silent practices, intention setting, guided visualization, free-writing, chakra exploration, enhancing intuition, embodiment practices, mantra/sacred sound …

  • Solo travelers seeking a safe space & adventure

  • Writers for practicing creative writing in community

  • Yoga lovers of all levels – beginners welcome

  • Vegatarian or plant-based curious ~ all are welcome & there are community kitchens for camping + yurts as well full kitchens in private cabins if you need supplemental nourishment.

  • All genders welcome!

Retreat Package Investment

whales | yoga | meals |music

INVESTMENT:

$850 Earlybird until July 15th / $1000 after July 15th

DEPOSIT: (non-refundable) $300 - this is included in total price

The retreat package includes all activities, excursions, and catering. With this package, kindly note lodging is not included ~ book your own yurt, campsite, private cabin, or stay off-site. Book your lodging via Doe Bay Resort’s website with the interactive resort map to find the campsite, yurt, or cabin of your choice! Doe Bay's 2025 price list also here for easy reference. Kindly book your lodging online or over the phone ~ 360-376-2291. More lodging info and price ranges below.

Don’t forget to use code “EXTRA1” for your fourth night free!

Half payment due by August 1st 2025 // Full payment is due by September 1st 2025

What is not included in the retreat package:

  • Lodging

  • Ferry Ticket (approx $64 in 2024)

  • Flights/transportation to Doe Bay

  • Breakfasts

  • Travel Insurance

  • Alcoholic beverages

Lodging + Policy Details

Check rates & book your yurt, campsite, or cabin here or click on the resort map to reserve your dream spot

From a rustic studio Cabin to a 3-bedroom deluxe cabin, we have something to match everyone’s budget, group size, and amenities preference. Cabins sleep 2-7 people.

Price range for cabins: $288 to $1050+ tax for 4 nights (4th night free with code EXTRA1)

We offer a number of  Yurts and Domes, each with their own unique location and view.  While all Yurts and Domes are without water, we have recently upgraded a few Yurts that we are calling “On Grid” with electricity! Yurts + Domes sleep 2.

Price Range for Yurts + Domes: $288-$414+ tax for 4 nights (4th night free with code EXTRA1)

Campsites ~ Doe Bay is one of the prime spots on Orcas Island for camping! With your choice of: Drive-In Campsites, Walk-In Campsites & Family Campsites

Price Range for campsites: $198-237 for 4 nights (with code EXTRA1)

  • Doe Bay is a “rustic seaside resort in the San Juan Islands in Washington State with 30 cabins, 10 yurts and domes, and 29 campsites. Located on Orcas Island with 35 acres of partially forested property, our community serves as the cultural and social hub of the Eastern side of the island. The resort features a third of a mile of waterfront with two pebbly beaches. Our waterfront looks out across Rosario Strait to many of the other islands of the San Juan Archipelago and has easy access to Moran State Park just about a mile from our entrance.”

    YOGA SPACE:

    Depending on the size of our group, we will either have a living room vista with perfect hardwood floors for yoga practice and views of the Salish Sea, the private use of Doe Bay’s gorgeous yoga studio with “postcard-worthy views” of the ocean and other neighboring islands. We’ll have beginner-friendly daily practices including but not limited to asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork), meditation, yoga nidra “sleep of the yogi” and nada yoga “the yoga of sound.” We will also practice self inquiry svadhyaya via optional group sharing and creative writing practice.

    SPA + SOAKING TUBS:

    There are gorgeous, clothing-optional soaking tubs overlooking the Salish Sea/Puget Sound which we will rent privately for our group one evening, and you can access for an additional fee at other communal open-soak times.

    There is also a massage provider on-site at the spa. Reserve here!

    DINING:

    We will have the vast pleasure of private catering using local, fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients and will be creating exclusively unique vegan/plant-based meals for us. This private dining experience is top-notch and will be so special and delicious. Much gratitude to the chef, cooks, gardeners, farmers, and the beautiful land.

    We’ll have one opportunity to dine at Doe Bay Cafe as well:

    “We offer some of the finest “Seed-to-Table” dining in the region. The fact that we grow most of what we serve in the Doe Bay Organic Garden is only part of the formula. We also work with the best purveyors in the area. Everyone in the cafe is a “foodie” and we try to indulge their passion for great dining experiences to bring you the same. Our team is always delighted when guests come in expecting “end of the road on an island” cafe food, only to finish their meal in awe saying, “That was the best meal I have ever had” Due to the nature of seed-to-table dining, our menu changes often based on season and supply.”

  • Itinerary subject to change ~ and don’t forget, everything is optional! Consider this a brief outline for our time together. Details for workshops will be added as it gets closer and also in alignment with the season and the moon/astrology cycles.

    Thursday, Oct 2nd

    3pm Check in, settle in, explore …

    5:00pm Welcome Dinner

    6pm Opening Ceremony ~ introductions, details, gentle movement

    7:00-8:30pm Open Mic & hanging at Doe Bay Cafe (Dessert, tea, wine?)

    Friday, October 3rd

    Light breakfast on your own

    9:30am Earth-themed Practice ~ Grounding Asana, Centering Pranayama, Earth Meditation, Writing

    12:00pm Lunch

    1pm Optional Silent Hike in Moran State Park

    4-5:30pm Private Soak in the hot tubs

    6:00pm Dinner

    Saturday, October 4th

    9am Sea-themed Practice ~ Flowing like Water Asana, Soothing Pranayama, Sea Meditation, Writing

    10:30 brunch

    Whale Watching!

    3:30-5 Public soak in hot tubs (not incl, but do it if you want!)

    6:oopm Dinner

    7:30pm Meditation, Yoga Nidra, Sonic Blessings

    Sunday, October 5th

    Light breakfast on your own

    10:30am ~ Earth + Sea Practice

    12:30pm lunch

    Free Time ~ hike, go into town, book a massage, rest!

    4-5:30pm Private Soak in the hot tubs

    6:30pm Dinner

    7:30pm Closing Ceremony ~ gentle movement, meditation, connecting

    Monday, Oct 6th

    Fond Farewell

    11am Check out

  • What is included:

    Whale Watching excursion

    5 meals from Chef Bev + Crew at Doe Bay Cafe

    Daily yoga, meditation, writing practices

    Hiking excursion in Moran State Park

    2 private soaks in the hot tubs

    Private concert

    DEPOSIT (non-refundable) $300 - this is included in total price

    $850 Earlybird until July 15th

    $1000

    ~ non-refundable deposit of $300 incl. in total price

    With this package, guests book your own yurt, campsite, private cabin, or stay off-site.

    To book your own lodging:

    The retreat package price including all activities, excursions, and catering is paid for separately for $850. Book your own via Doe Bay Resort’s website with the interactive resort map to find the campsite, yurt, or cabin of your choice! Doe Bay's 2025 price list also here for easy reference.

    Use Code “4th night free when booking with code EXTRA1” for your fourth night free.

    Kindly book this separately online or over the phone ~ 360-376-2291

    DEPOSIT HERE

    Please note that preferred payment options after the deposit are check, Apple Pay, or Zelle. A small fee will be added for PayPal or Venmo due to their admin charges.

    Half payment due by August 1st 2025 // Full payment is due by September 1st 2025

    What is not included in the retreat package:

    • Lodging

    • Ferry Ticket (approx $64 in 2024)

    • Flights/transportation to Doe Bay

    • Travel Insurance

    • Alcoholic beverages

    ONCE REGISTERED

    As the retreat approaches, you will receive an informational email with more information about Orcas Island, getting there, what to pack, and more about our time together. You’ll also receive a waiver of liability to sign, knowing that you choosing to participate in this experience at your own risk.

    REFUND POLICY

    Full refund (minus deposit) before August 1st, 2025

    50% refund (minus deposit) between July 1st to September 1st 2025*

    No refunds after September 1st, 2025*

    *If the retreat is canceled by the host, you will receive a refund in full.

    * In case of extreme personal circumstances, we will consider full refunds less small administration fee on a case-by-case basis if your spot can be filled.

    * If you cannot attend, you are welcome to sell your retreat package to another guest with the approval of the host (minus deposit) IF we do not have a waiting list. It is not the responsibility of the host to fill your place.

  • MARY BUE

    Mary Bue is a registered yoga teacher (e-RYT 500), an indie musician, and a teacher in the Viniyoga tradition, a breath-centered, flowing practice that believes in adapting postures to fit the whole person (not forcing a person to fit into a posture!). Mary received her certification at Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, WA by Tracy Weber, (student of Gary Kraftsow, student of T.K.V. Desikachar) and her 300-hour from Yoga Center Retreat (formerly Yoga Center of Minneapolis). In 2020, Mary received an additional 200-hour certificate in Nada Yoga (the Yoga of Sound) from Nada Yoga School in Rishikesh India.

    Mary has pursued continuing yoga education in prenatal yoga, yoga for anxiety & depression, pranayama, and 30 hour-certification in Trauma-informed Yoga with Firefly Yoga International. Mary was a teaching assistant for Whole Life Yoga’s ten month long, 200-hour teacher training in 2010 and has also assisted in WLY’s “Yoga for Healthy Backs” Series. She has her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with an emphasis on Transpersonal Psychology from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Mary has also received volunteer training in sexual assault victim advocacy from PAVSA and domestic violence victim support from DAIP. She founded and ran Imbue Yoga Studio in S. Mpls for nearly 3 years (closing Jan. 2019).

    As a wanderer-luster and experience junkie, she has worked in many types of jobs: as a clinical research assistant in a prison & hospital, an AIDS prevention outreach worker on the streets and harm reduction work in needle exchanges, as well as many hundreds of hours as a server, bartender and barista.

    In her life as a musician Mary has toured in 40+ states, released 7 albums, been awarded four artist grants, enjoyed three Artist in Residence awards, and has served on the board and steering committee of the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival.

    All of these experiences culminate in the guiding of Creativity and Yoga Retreats. Mary has led and co-led retreats in Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Bali, Malta, Ireland, and Italy.

    Mary is an avid runner (10 half marathons and two full marathons), nature lover and vegan. In her spare time, she enjoys playing music, cooking, writing blogs, poetry and in journals, painting cow portraits, reading non-fiction and traveling.

  • DOE BAY RESORT & RETREAT

    Address:Doe Bay Resort & Retreat 107 Doe Bay Rd Olga, WA 98279

    Front Desk: 360-376-2291

    Cafe: 360-376-8059

    Doe Bay is located on Orcas, Island in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. From Seattle, it is approximately a 3.5-4 hour commute to Doe Bay Resort and Retreat, depending on traffic and ferry times. It is a bit of a journey to get here and I (Mary) am happy to assist in figuring it out, Doe Bay is a good resource to call as well (probably better)!

    If anyone is interested in carpooling, we will do our best to connect you!

    If coming from out of state, you could fly into Seattle Tacoma International Airport (RT from Minneapolis currently around $300) or Bellingham, WA. From there, rent a car or take a shuttle to the ferry in Anacortes.

    Information to reach Anacortes Ferry Terminal

    You will need to reserve your space on the ferry, especially if driving. If the ferry spaces are full, please note that more are released 2 weeks ahead of the ferry time, and then again 2 days before. You WILL get on! Round trip on the ferry costs $64 in 2024 (not included in pacakge price)

    By Car from Sea-Tac Airport or Seattle

    Rent a car and drive to the Anacortes ferry landing in 2.5 to 3 hours to catch a Washington State Ferry. Ferry reservations should be made in advance.

    DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO DOE BAY VIA THE ANACORTES FERRY TERMINAL FROM SEATTLE

    Allow a comfortable 1-1/2 to 2 hours to enjoy the drive and the scenery from Seattle, or Vancouver B.C., to the Anacortes ferry terminal.

    Once arriving on Orcas Island by WA State Ferry (directions via TheDyrt.com)

    For the most convenience, drive your car onto the boat. Alternatively, you can arrange ahead for a Doe Bay Shuttle to pick you up (charge is $20/person one-way, when available). For early-morning or later-evening pick-ups, there is taxi service on the island to take you to and from Doe Bay – (360)-376-TAXI. It is also possible to rent cars on the island, with free drop-off and pick-ups at the ferry dock if arranged in advance – (360)-376-RIDE.

    Once you arrive on Orcas Island, just follow everyone off the ferry to the left onto Orcas Road.

    You will drive about 10 miles, and then the speed limit slows to 25 and a right-hand turn lane opens up. There is a bank with a clock tower on this corner. Turn right to drive through the town of Eastsound. This is a great chance to stock up on groceries, gasoline, or other shopping needs.

    Orcas Road will become Main Street, and then Main Street will become Crescent Beach Drive. Proceed along Crescent Beach Drive, and take a right at the T (last gas station is on your left) onto Olga Road.

    After about seven more miles, you will drive through Moran State Park (please drive slowly through the park!). Three more miles of driving and you will see the Olga Café, here turn left to stay on the main road, called Point Lawrence Road.

    After approximately three more miles you will see a Doe Bay sign on the right with two deer on it.

    By Private Charter

    Also from Anacortes, splurge with Island Express Charters – the most enchanting way to arrive on Doe Bay’s shore! Boat can drop you right on the Doe Bay Beach, depending on tides. Recommended for special events groups. For more information and to reserve, call: (877)-473-9777 or (360)-299-2875

    CAN I FLY TO ORCAS ISLAND?

    Yes. Fly Kenmore Air or San Juan Airlines and take a taxi to the Fest. Priciest but most glamorous way to travel, especially if you are not a regular on seaplanes. There are a few Orcas Island taxi services to help transport you to Doe Bay: (360) 376-TAXI or (360) 298-1639

    Parking is ample and available at Doe Bay, including some drive-up camping, yurts, and cabin options.

Are you ready to join us? Can’t wait to share time with you on Orcas Island!

 

“It was a joy to participate in Mary's Earth and Sea retreat on Orcas Island. It was filled with laughter, fun, good food, awe inspiring nature, her beautiful spirit singing and yoga practices, as well as some really fun excursions to an old growth forest and to see the whales. Thank you for a magical time.” ~ Krista