On Island Time: A Traveler's Atlas: Illustrated Adventures on and Around the Islands of Washington and British Columbia

by Chandler O'Leary

This quirky illustrated travel guide showcases the hidden delights, natural wonders, and singular history of Washington and British Columbia's islands, from the author of bestseller The Best Coast.

Dream of escaping to an island, for the slower pace and stunning views? An illustrated love letter to the Pacific Northwest's iconic islands--focusing on Puget Sound, the San Juans, and Canada’s Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island--this guide charms and educates travelers, locals, and armchair adventurers alike.
This alternative atlas features hundreds of illustrations and hand-drawn maps with ideas aplenty for island hopping excursions, like the best place for pie and steamed mussels on Whidbey Island, the most picturesque hikes in the San Juans, and the town on Vancouver Island to visit for salmon angling. Chock-full of unusual facts, hidden history, and roadside attractions, this offbeat island adventure celebrates a slower lifestyle that is diverse, fascinating, and altogether magical.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Art

208 pages, ebook

First published February 28, 2023

About the author

Chandler O'Leary is an illustrator and lettering artist based in Tacoma, Washington. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she is the proprietor of a small stationery imprint called Anagram Press. She is also the author and artist behind the illustrated travel blog, Drawn the Road Again. Her illustrated road trip guide, The Best Coast: A Road Trip Atlas, was published by Sasquatch Books in 2019, followed by a companion book of postcards in 2020. Her next illustrated travel book, On Island Time: A Traveler's Atlas, will be published by Sasquatch Books in March 2023.

She collaborates with Jessica Spring on the ongoing Dead Feminists broadside series, which connects quotes from historical women with contemporary political and social issues. Chandler and Jessica's book about their series, Dead Feminists: Historical Heroines in Living Color was by Sasquatch Books in October 2016.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book! I was able to meet Chandler several years ago at an event for Dead Feminists. It was heartbreaking when she passed away earlier this year.

My husband and I honeymooned on San Juan Island a year ago and going through this book was a lovely reminder of our time there. There were even places of interest mentioned in the book that we totally missed learning about. Her inclusion of the Indigenous populations and their history for each area was wonderful, and the illustrations are gorgeous. It was great to see the islands through the perspective of an artist rather than a typical travel guide.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and unique travel book for the Pacific Northwest or as Canadians would say, for BC Coast or West Coast. The guide is broken into sections: Puget Sound, San Juan Islands and British Columbia with chapters in each. It covers lots of details regarding ferries, indigenous people, wild life and history of towns etc. One of the biggest draws for me is the watercolor looking illustrations are done by the author. There are no photo graphs. The book itself is a collection of art. I was disappointed my temporary ARC was missing the illustrations for over half the book. I downloaded it a few times before I saw someone else note the same issue. I’m sure it will be fixed for publication. This is hands down one of the prettiest travel guide books I’ve read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chandler O’Leary for the ARC in exchange for a review.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and informative. Like if Richard Scarry wrote a travel guide to the islands of Washington and British Columbia.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, On Island Time: A Traveler's Atlas, by Chandler O'Leary, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love the illustrations in this book, they are wonderful. This is a great travel guide of the islands around Washington and British Colombia,

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re headed to the San Juan Islands in Washington state or just want to dream of traveling there, this is the perfect book to take you on that journey! Chandler O’Leary makes her home in Tacoma, Wa and has spent many adventure filled days traveling the Washington and Canadian ferry system to every island they can reach. She has filled sketch books with her beautiful artwork of the islands, maps of the waterways, the ferries, indigenous artwork and the ecosystem of this magical place. She has explored the islands, finding the fun things to experience while there and documenting it as she goes. What a wonderful gift to the traveler to have this book to take out most of the guesswork so we can experience these islands for ourselves.

In this travel guide, Ms. O’Leary has included so much valuable information regarding the indigenous people, their artwork, and how to interact with the islanders while visiting. There is an entire chapter dedicated to helpful links and websites and information about what is needed to travel this area; from passports for travel to Victoria, to park passes for hiking, to tide and ferry schedules, this list is not exhaustive but it is extensive. There are reference maps and field notes for added information to make the traveler’s experience much more interesting.

I live in Eastern Washington myself and the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Peninsula are my family’s favorite playground! I plan to buy a copy of this book to enhance our next excursion to the coast. But the most important bit of advice this author offered when experiencing the Washington coast is to leave room for serendipity because we just never know when we might find something magical that throws all other plans out the window!

Thank you Netgalley, Sasquatch Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase on February 28, 2023, just in time for Spring break travel!

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Loved the illustrations! I think I liked this even more than Best Coast- it felt even more detailed and personal since the author lives in the PNW. Will be reading/flipping through again and again.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great as a reference or for browsing. I can't wait to explore!

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Atlas! It's fun, quirky, unusual, full of helpful and interesting local data. It's creative, filled with beautifully hand-drawn maps and illustrations. Both informative and easy on the eye.
If I ever went to Washington and British Columbia I would use it as a guide. I like it much better than the usual official guides which tend to be tedious and boring. This Atlas is anything but!

I have received this book from Netgalley (thank you!), and there are some formatting issues I have warned about, so hopefully those will be addressed before publishing.

[Catlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow resident of the Salish Sea region, I was intrigued by this book. The artwork is stunning and vividly represents the beauty of the region. I love that the book begins with acknowledgement of the diverse Indigenous peoples who are the original occupants. The author takes care to use the correct names and practices of Indigenous cultures, rather than the anglicized forms, and emphasizes the need to respect Indigenous practices and rights.

The next section of the book has general information about island travel, including lots of resources, ferry information, packing essentials, safety information, and maritime basics. The remainder of the book is divided into 3 geographic regions: Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, and British Columbia. Each of these sections contains a plethora of information for visiting the various places within the region. I loved the unique mix of art, maps and words to give a realistic picture of each location. The author truly has captured the unique aspects of each area within the region, including things that are not often found in the usual tourist brochures. Sprinkled throughout the book are sections on the flora and fauna of the region, as well as nautical tidbits.

Even though I live in and know this region well, I absolutely loved this book so much that I intend to purchase my own copy and perhaps a few as gifts to friends. The art within makes it extra special. Anyone planning to visit this region should definitely get a copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Sasquatch Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[brinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really sad to learn about Chandler’s recent passing - I had just picked this book up at the flea market in March and she offered to sign my copy. Our brief exchange was really sweet, and this book has already inspired me to plan two trips almost immediately 😅 It’s a lovely travel guide, collector’s item for sure, good to keep out on the coffee table type. her writing is engaging and thoughtful and her illustration style is so colorful and lively. I highly encourage picking this up if you’re looking to travel in Washington &/or BC, or even just to learn more about the history and environment of these places. Her love for this community really shines through its pages.

[Carolyn Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

“On Island Time - a Traveller’s Atlas” by Chandler O’Leary @drawntheroad - a beautifully illustrated (by the author) guide book to the Islands of the Salish Sea both in British Columbia and Washington State. Interesting and informative on the history , character and quirks of the individual islands. Would make a great gift for travellers/ boaters/ cyclists/ hikers or a great coffee table book, especially for your vacation home in the area! Thanks to @talismanonpender & @sasquatchbooks for the opportunity to read this ARC which is released tomorrow (28th Feb)

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every page is work of art and an inspiration for adventure. Chandler's artistic style speaks to me. I live on the shores of Puget Sound and can picture the drives, the boat rides and the cultures just the way she describes them. I can hardly wait to hit the road (I mean ferry) to all those nearby places I've never been. The hand drawn maps are beautiful and easy to read. This book is a keeper. I know that in a few years it will be dog eared from all the handling on the trips, but it will still be beautiful.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, quirky book, covering the delights and curiosities of many of the islands in the region known as the Salish Sea, which stretches all the way from southern Puget Sound in Washington State to the northern reaches of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I especially enjoyed Chandler O'Leary's sketches and hand-drawn maps, which enliven virtually every page. This book is a treasure trove for travelers and armchair travelers alike. The only sadness in this joyous book is that it is Chandler O'Leary's last. She died suddenly of acute pneumonia in April 2023. She was only 41 years old.

[Roman Gerodimos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It's the best travel guide I've seen - beautifully illustrated by the artist and lavishly produced by the publisher, with very useful tips as well as a surprising and wonderful range of vignettes on the food, flaura and fauna, architecture and culture of the Pacific Northwest. It brought back memories of illustrated travel books that I used to read as a child in the 1980s. Even though we weren't able to visit most of the sites covered by O'Leary this time, her passion for this part of the world is infectious and we can't wait to return.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute book!

The review copy I received doesn't have all the pictures, but the drawings included are beautiful! From the ferries of the Pacific Northwest to sea creatures there's great depictions of what you encounter in the Pacific Northwest. There's information on some of the local Indigenous tribes, wine, and more. This is a cute read covering places throughout the I-5 corridor.

[Charlene Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! this is one of the most interesting, well researched, in depth travel books of the San Juan islands, British Columbia and Vancouver Island areas that I have ever seen!
Very cool illustrations! I am from British Columbia and i feel like it captures the nostalgic vibe of this area as well!
It’s a delight to the eyes and has just enough information to educate you.
Loved it!
Thankyou to author Chandler O’Leary, Sasquatch publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a wonderful travel book, full of beautiful illustrations of the area. I've only been to the Pacific Northwest once, and never to any of the islands, but I loved reading about the area, and it made me think about how fun it would be to go in person one day.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living on the Puget Sound myself, I found this to be a very interesting book. Full of information about the islands in the Sound, tons of fun things to do on each island, and interesting little anecdotes. I was disappointed that the ARC I received was missing the artwork and pictures. I'll bet when the hardcopy comes out, it will be a fascinating addition to travel in the Pacific Northwest.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely gorgeous book that I would recommend to anyone visiting the Pacific Northwest or anyone who loves this area. the illustrations are so beautiful and information is perfectly delivered. I am so so sad that there won't be any more books by the incredible artist and author. I will treasure all of her books and encourage you to check them out.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for anyone who is planning a trip to the islands or is just dreaming about it. Beautifully illustrated and very detailed (amazing) information. I will definitely bring this book along with me on my next trip to the Salish Sea!

[Kim Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illustrations are beautiful. Not a big fan of her commentary in most cases and found some of the information to be incorrect. For example, Blake Island has not been accessible by public transportation since 2020 - you can only access it by private boat.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful, thoughtful, and thoroughly excellent introduction to the islands of Washington and British Columbia! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the PNW and wants to see more of it.

[juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a charming guide to the islands of the Northwest. It's both incredibly informative + interesting to read, and a gorgeous guide to birds, tidal animals, types of boats and ferries, trees, and more. Good for sparking trip ideas or cozy armchair daydreaming.

[Marcia McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book with lots of information about the many islands of the Salish Sea. Taking notes to keep for future trips!

[Laney · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this book and its gorgeous illustrations don’t spark your wanderlust and make you fall in love with the Pacific Northwest nothing will.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and useful information sprinkled with tidbits of history and local lore. This will make you want to visit all the islands!

[Julie Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very best travel guide to my favorite places.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impeccably researched and beautifully illustrated, this book inspires major wanderlust!

[Wen · Rating 4 out of 5]

PNW岛屿宝典，Chandler O'Leary的这一整本精美的插画和详细又风趣的介绍，真的太好的一本书了，能看出她是真的爱这些地方。可惜作者今年突然离世了，好难过。反着看完了美国部分，等能去加拿大了再看后1/3

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. What a fountain of information. All kinds of new places to check out.