Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve

Winter Wonderland

We've had tremedous amount of snow in the past few weeks on Orcas Island. It makes for a beautiful backdrop to the Rosario Resort Christmas decorations. Even though the resort is closed, the mansion and grounds are still alive with holiday spirit.








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New Rosario Owners

On November 14, Jerry and Jan Barto of Anacortes became the official owners of Rosario Resort & Spa. Christopher Peacock presents Jerry & Jan an original Rosario key made by Rosario creator Robert Moran.

“We are excited to be the owners and caretakers of Rosario,” stated Jerry, who along with his son Craig Barto, are the principles in the new ownership group called Rosario Signal LLC. “As Fidalgo Island residents and boaters in the San Juans, we’ve always loved the islands and understand Rosario’s importance to the region. We look forward to working with the Orcas Island community to help Rosario reach its potential under the Resort’s approved Master Plan. Restoring the Moran/Rosario legacy will be a project to be proud of.”


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Thank you!

Employee Closing Party

Rosario Resort closed today for future renovation and redevelopment. Although the future is exciting, it was wonderful to gather with all the current resort employees one last time in the Moran Lounge.


General Manager Dan Dohner thanks the staff and shares with everyone his 10 most hilarious moments over the past year. We hope Dan and his wife Laura do return next summer to enjoy a complimentary whale watching excursion ;-)


Rosario's sales, reservations and catering staff gathered one last time to salute the ghost of Mrs. Rheem (who wore a red nightgown to play poker with the local boys at the general store in the 1940's and 50's).

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Happy Birthday Sarah Geiser!

Sarah Geiser, former owner of Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island, celebrated her 80th Birthday with family and friends yesterday. With all the anticipation for Rosario's new ownership and future, it is always comforting to be anchored with Sarah's wisdom, beauty and grace. Happy Birthday Sarah, we love you!

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Rosario Sold

Rosario Resort & Spa is being purchased by an Anacortes-based, family-owned investment and development group with deep roots in the San Juans. The group is slated to take over the resort on or around October 30th.

“We are excited to be the future owners of Rosario. As Fidalgo Island residents and boaters in the San Juans, we’ve always loved the islands and understand Rosario’s importance to the region. We look forward to working with the Orcas Island community to help Rosario reach its potential under the Resort’s approved Master Plan. Restoring the Moran/Rosario legacy will be a project to be proud of.”

The current ownership, Olympus Real Estate Partners of Dallas, TX, is closing the resort on October 20th and the new ownership group has yet to announce when the resort will reopen.


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Rare Roundhouse Photo

Here is a rare photo of the Roundhouse at Rosario Resort circa 1918-20. Anchored in Cascade Bay is the Moran's newly built ship the Sanwan. This is also one of the few photos that shows the lumber storage area for the sawmill along the waterfront (to the right of the Sanwan). Like the Moran Shipyards, a small gage railway system moved lumber on and off the dock. Today, original railway ties are still seen at low tide and Roundhouse is one of our most popular suites!

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Faces of the USS Nebraska

When Robert Moran retired to Orcas Island in 1905 to build Rosario, the Moran Bros. Shipyard was finishing the construction of the USS Nebraska (BB-14). The ship was commission on July 1, 1907, with Captain Reginald F. Nicholson in command. After shakedown and alterations along the West Coast, the new battleship joined the "Great White Fleet" in San Francisco 100 years ago in the summer of 1908.

Departing San Francisco in July of 1908, the Fleet visited Honolulu, Hawaii; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney and Melbourne, Australia; Manila, Philippine Islands; Yokohama, Japan; and Colombo, Ceylon, Suez, Egypt,Messina and Naples, Italy, then Gibraltar, before arriving in Hampton Roads, Virginia in February 1909, where President Theodore Roosevelt reviewed the fleet.

Below are some great photographs featuring faces of the USS Nebraska, from officers to deckhands to engineers. These were recently provided to the Rosario Museum courtesy of the Stowe Family, relatives of Robert Moran's brother William's wife Minnie.







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Deer Harbor Charters

Whale watching is certainly a highlight for many of our guests visiting Orcas Island. Here is a great story I just received from Tom Averna, owner of Deer Harbor Charters, Rosario Resort & Spa's whale watching charter out of the Rosario marina:

Yesterday our boat from Rosario Resort was spending time with J and L pod watching them intermingle, forage and mate. The mating became very up close and personal.

With the engine off, the boat was drifting about 200 yards away from the whales. The closest whales to the boat was a male from L pod, which the naturalist thinks was L-57, Faith, a 26 year old and an unknown J pod female.

These two whales disappeared below the surface and suddenly came up within 20 yards of the boat. Way to close to move the boat out of the area. They then slowly approached the boat on the surface. As the whales approached the cameras on board began going off at lightning speed because everyone on board knew they were witnessing something very rarely seen in the wild. The whales could easily be seen just below the surface belly to belly as they came under the boat, continuing about 50 yards further past the boat finally coming up to the surface. The whales then separated from eachother and went to catch up to the rest of the whales.

The trust these whales displayed during one of the most important, intimate moments was felt by everyone on the boat. Peter, the captain told me there was complete silence for minutes after the encounter. Then the smiles appeared and nothing else needed to be said.

It's to bad the crew couldn't positively identify the female. However,17 months from now, if a newborn arrives we will have a fairly good idea who the father is

Tom Averna
Deer Harbor Charters

There is great whale watching through early October, so take the time to have this great life experience!

Photo courtesy of Charles Scheper and Deer Harbor Charters.

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Marina Farewell

Here are some of the 2008 Rosario Resort & Spa Marina staff wishing Jenole and Cara Peacock (left) farewell as they head off to the University of Hawaii. Joining them are Harbormaster Gary Joseph (left, on boat), Sevil Hamarat (from Denizli, Turkey) and fellow Orcas Islander Cetacea Stanton. Tradition has the staff jumping in the water (cold!) on their last day, but Cetacea and Sevil wanted to join them! It appears Sevil had second thoughts, but then joined them!






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Employee of the Month

Our Employee of the Month for July is Carolen Richey, who handles Rosario Resort & Spa's accounts receivable. Congratulating Carolen is Controller Bob Sheidler. Carolen moved from Kona, Hawaii to Orcas Island in 1988. At the time, her father and brother also worked at Rosario Resort. Carolen has been an employee of the year in the past, so you know she does an outstanding job and is loved by her co-workers! Congratulations Carolen!

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08/08/08

8/8/08 is a popular date this year for weddings (not just the Olympics!). Here are pictures from the beautiful ceremony of Anita Ortiz and Ben Little on the Point Lawn and the Eagle Vista Tent awaiting their guests. The wedding cake is by Rosario Resort & Spa's Pastry Chef Felicity Milne. What a beautiful day to be on Orcas Island! Congratulations Anita and Ben!






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Dr. Doolittle

Here is a great shot of a recent Rosario Resort & Spa guest introducing her pet bird to our friendly Orcas Island deer! OK, her name is not Doolittle, but Trierweiler and the bird is "Taco." Thanks for visiting!

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August Dawn

I was up early this morning (for those who know me, this is very rare!) to capture the magic of an August dawn on Orcas Island. As I watched all the boats anchor last night while playing piano in the Mansion Dining Room, I though this would be the perfect morning to photograph the tranquility of a summer morning on Cascade Bay. I hope you enjoy these pre-sunrise shots!

Christopher








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Lavender Fields

The lavender around the figure-eight pond at Rosario Resort & Spa is in full bloom! The lavender shrub is named from the Latin lavare, which means "to wash," because the ancient Romans and Carthaginians used lavender in their bath water as a perfume as well as for its therapeutic properties. It is certainly one our featured aromotherapy botanical oil blends created on the island to rebalance body & mind during a massage treatment in our Spa by the Bay!




A visitor...

... and a surprise color among the lavender!


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Kelsey and Ryan's Wedding

It's always nice to host a "local" wedding reception at Rosario Resort & Spa. Ryan Harvey, a 2004 graduate of Orcas Island married Kelsey Wilson of Sammamish on Saturday. The wedding was at the Orcas Island Community Church, followed by coctails on the Rosario Point Lawn, then dinner and dancing at Rosario's Discovery House on Cascade Bay. Congratulations Kelsey and Ryan!








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