4 Incredible U.S. Islands You’ve Probably Never Visited

For many travelers, visiting an island in the United States includes a trip to Sanibel Island, South Padre Island, and other vacation destinations. Yet, the U.S. is home to hundreds of smaller islands, many of which make for the perfect getaway. Depending on an island’s climate and location, it can offer a wide variety of activities for visitors throughout the year. Below you will find four incredible U.S. islands you’ve probably never visited.

Orcas Island, Washington

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Located about halfway between Bellingham, Washington, and Victoria, British Columbia, Orcas Island is the largest of Washington’s San Juan Islands. Although you might assume Orcas Island draws only outdoor enthusiasts because of its location, this incredible island also has a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, making it a great destination for singles, couples, and families. Visitors can enjoy almost 40 miles of hiking trails throughout the island as well as all the outdoor activities associated with Moran State Park. Orcas Island also serves as a spectacular vantage point for fishing and whale-watching tours, or tours to take in the majestic vistas, many of which include the snow-capped Mount Baker. Most guided tours start from Deer Harbor, which is also a great locale to rent bicycles and explore Orcas Island.

Most who visit the San Juan Islands, including Orcas Island, take the hour-and-a-half ferry ride from Anacortes, Washington, and arrive at Orcas Village. This small hamlet has a few gift shops, a post office, and a restaurant for travelers. To dive into the local art scene on Orcas Island, head to the village of Olga, which is home to Orcas Island Artworks, an art co-op which consists of more than 45 local artists who work and display their goods in an old strawberry picking facility. You can find paintings, sculptures, jewelry, pottery, and more.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

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Although residents of the Midwest know and visit the gem that is Mackinac Island, many outside of the area haven’t had the opportunity to visit. Before Mackinac Island became the exciting vacation getaway it is today, it was the second national park in the United States. Today, more than 80% of the island, nestled between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, remains protected as Mackinac Island State Park. One of the truly unique things about visiting Mackinac is that no automobiles are allowed on the island. Residents and visitors must walk, bicycle, or travel by horse or horse-drawn carriage to preserve the natural habitat of the island. Delicious fudge has also put Mackinac Island on the map. In fact, more than 10,000 pounds of the island’s famous fudge leave Mackinac Island each day.

Aside from its panoramic views, miles of trails, and delectable fudge, visitors to Mackinac Island also enjoy taking in the island’s varied historical sites. Historical Downtown Mackinac showcases the island’s history as a the supply center for the fur trade from 1780 to 1835. Those who visit downtown can tour historical buildings such as the American Fur Company Store, The Dr. Beaumont Museum, Benjamin Blacksmith Shop, Biddle House, and the McGulpin House. Mackinac Island is also home to two forts, Fort Mackinac and Fort Holmes, which the British captured during the War of 1812, which are both open for tours to learn more about the island’s history.

Chincoteague Island, Virginia

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If you read the book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry during your childhood, you might have thought Chincoteague was a magical, fictional place where stunning, wild ponies roamed the earth. In fact, Chincoteague is a real place and Henry’s book was inspired by a domesticated pony. Chincoteague Island is the main access point to the Assateague Island National Seashore and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The neighboring uninhabited Assateague Island has been home to the famous wild Chincoteague Ponies for centuries and is part of more than 14,000 acres of protected beaches, dunes, marshes, and forests.

For those who want an Atlantic beach getaway in a pristine location without large crowds or high-rise condominiums dotting the beach, Chincoteague Island is the place. Visitors can enjoy outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, hiking, cycling, and exploring about seven miles of unspoiled beaches. Additionally, several operators around the island offer boat tours; some eco-tours allow you to dig sand crabs and collect oysters, while other tours focus more on getting close to the famous ponies. Dining out consists of enjoying local seafood at one of the many waterfront restaurants. The island is also home to many artists, who display their work at the island’s art gal

Baranof Island, Alaska

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Unless you live in the Pacific Northwest or in Alaska, it’s highly likely you have heard of Baranof Island, let alone visited this incredible place. Baranof Island lies in the northern part of the Alaskan Panhandle and is home to Sitka, Alaska. In fact, some refer to Baranof Island as Sitka Island. If you aren’t familiar with Sitka, it was featured heavily in the romantic comedy The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock; however, this is not the area’s only claim to fame. Baranof Island offers visitors an off-the-beaten path experience steeped in the culture of the area’s Tlingit Indians. Baranof Island is the country’s 10th largest island and also home to the country’s largest national forest, Tongass National Forest.

Visitors who head to Baranof Island undoubtedly spend a great deal of their time in Sitka, where many residents are descendants of the Tlingit Indians who settled the area about 5,000 years ago. These descendants still carry on their cultural traditions of making totem poles, carving silver, and weaving baskets. Another favorite location on Baranof Island is Baranof Lake, a large freshwater lake fed by nearby glaciers, as well as the islands warm springs, nestled among rapids and waterfalls from the Baranof River, which can get as hot as 120 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the time of the year. Baranof Island, especially the stunning seaside town of Sitka, remains a favorite stop for cruise ships heading through Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Written by Travel Trivia Editorial

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God the Truth

Today’s reading is drawn from Acts 16:22-34. God’s Story Paul and Barnabas have a serious disagreement, so Silas takes Barnabas’s place as Paul begins his second missionary journey. In Lystra, a young disciple, Timothy, joins their team. Desiring to take the gospel to Europe, God gives Paul a dream of a man in Macedonia calling for help. The group sails across the Aegean Sea and travels to Philippi. Lydia, a trader of purple cloth, believes in Jesus. Paul casts a demon out of a slave woman who predicts the future; her owners are furious. They have Paul and Silas thrown in jail. As they pray and sing, God brings an earthquake, bursting open the jail cells. The jailer and his family believe in Jesus. God leads Paul and his companions to Thessalonica. Some of the Jews accuse Paul of proclaiming a king other than Caesar. The city is in an uproar — the new believers send the missionaries to Berea. The Jews in Berea search God’s Scriptures, and many trust Jesus. But when Jews from Thessalonica track Paul down, he has to leave Berea. Timothy and Silas stay while Paul is escorted to Athens. In Athens, Paul dialogs with the Athenian philosophers at the Areopagus. He points out their altar to an unknown god and tells them about Jesus. Many believe. Paul travels to Corinth and meets a believing couple, Aquila and Priscilla. Silas and Timothy catch up with him there. After the Jews reject his teachings, Paul starts to teach the Gentiles. He stays for a year and a half, then departs for Ephesus, where he stays briefly, leaves and then returns. God is growing his kingdom. The King’s Heart Before God sent his Son to earth, people did their best to figure out the answers to their meaning-of-life questions: Why are we here? Where did we come from? The Greeks invented gods and mythologies, guessing about what these gods were like. Philosophers pontificated. As Paul pointed out, the Athenians stumbled on some truths. Paul built on those truths, helping the Athenians see how their hearts were already longing for who God really is. If God had not sent his Son, we would have spent our lifetimes trying to figure him out, never knowing what was really true. But thankfully, God wants us to know him. And because of his heart, and because he sent people like Paul who are zealous for it, we do. Insight Paul quotes some of the Athenian’s own poets when he says “For in him we live and move and have our being,” and “We are his offspring” (see Acts 17:28). Paul affirms the truth of these ideas, but explains that they’re about God, not Zeus.

Leaving “Victim” Behind

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example.” 1 Peter 2:21 Politically correct notions in the culture today would lead us to believe that we all have reasons to be angry about the biases arrayed against us. The supposed discrimination extends to girls, boys, the elderly, homosexuals, drug addicts, alcoholics, atheists, those who are overweight, balding, short, undereducated, women (representing 51.2 percent of the population), and now, white men. There’s hardly a person alive who doesn’t have a claim against an oppressor in one context or another. I (jcd) call it “the victimization of everyone.” Unquestionably, there are disadvantaged people among us who need legal protection and special consideration, including some racial minorities. But the idea that the majority is exploited and disrespected is terribly destructive—first, because the belief that “they’re out to get me” paralyzes us and leads to hopelessness and despair; second, because it divides people into separate and competing self‐interest groups and pits them against each other. The Scripture gives us a better way. It tells us to thank God every day for His blessings and to focus our attention not on ourselves, but on those who are less fortunate. Not once does it support or sanction the curse of victimization. Do not yield to it. Just between us… Do we usually blame someone or something for our circumstances? How does playing the role of a victim make us tend to give up? What does God promise us for our earthly struggles? Lord, forgive us for our quickness to shift into “victim thinking.” Show us which hard things we can change and which we should accept as Your loving best for us. And grant us Your grace and joy in both circumstances. Amen. From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

Gift Or Curse?

If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:8 Many parents who have been blessed financially plan to leave a large inheritance to their children. They’ve worked hard to achieve prosperity and naturally feel that their kids should benefit from their success. If you are among these generous moms and dads, we urge you to proceed with caution—great danger lies behind your good intentions. We believe that giving large amounts of money to kids who haven’t earned it can be extremely destructive. It can make them unhappy, greedy, and cynical. It detracts from their motivation to trust in God and provides opportunities to give in to new temptations. (A sociological study published years ago, Rich Kids, validated these concerns.) It’s also been our observation that nothing divides siblings more quickly than money. Many loving families have been devasted over inheritances, or even by arguments about “Who gets Grandma’s dining-room table?” Some people do handle wealth gracefully, of course. But if you have been blessed with material wealth, you must decide if leaving a large inheritance is worth the risk. Do you want to remove from your children the challenges that helped you succeed—the obligation to work hard, live frugally, save, build, dream, and rely on the Lord? The best counsel is available in Scripture (Proverbs 30:8): “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” Before you say good night… Are you teaching your children to trust the Lord for their daily needs? What kind of inheritance do you want to leave your kids? Thank You, Father, for the way You have provided for us through the years. Help us to trust You more and more as the days go by, that we might grow in our faith and be an example to our children. Amen. From Night Light For Parents, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved. Study released from Rich Kids by John Sedgwick (New York, N.Y.: William Morrow and Company, 1985), as quoted in Solid Answers by Dr. James Dobson (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1997).