Guests at Harrison House Suites may be surprised to see an occasional alpaca or llama mixed in with the cattle in the pastures of farms on San Juan Island. While driving on West Valley Road, the surprise will be compounded when a turn of the road reveals 60 + alpacas meandering around the fenced pastures of Krystal Acres Alpaca Farm! Visitors are welcome to stop in, and there is a lovely store on the property.
Alpacas (Lama pacos, or Vicugna pacos), are natives of South America, domesticated in the Andes over 6000 years ago. Alpacas are raised for the fleece, which is lustrous and silky, and not to be beasts of burden. There are over 52 natural colors of the fiber, and it contains no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic.
The Alpaca is smaller than a llama, and has a gentle and curious nature. The adults weigh 106-185 pounds, and the “baby alpacas” are called cria. The female carries the cria for 11.5 months before delivering. Alpacas live 20-25 years.
Krystal Acres Alpaca Farm, on San Juan Island, is owned and operated by Kris and Albert Olson. The farm is a beautiful, peaceful place, and each pasture holds a few of the 60+ alpacas the Farm currently owns. The Krystal Acres Store offers a wide selection of scarves, coats, socks, teddy bears and many other products, all made from the light and soft fiber of their own stock.
Take the family out for a unique sightseeing & shopping opportunity. A recent visit by this writer and two young friends resulted in a new-found respect for beauty and a chance to see Alpacas close up. Kris the owner walked by as we were sketching, and called each of the alpacas in our group by name – it was lovely!
