Zodiac Returns

We have featured the schooner Zodiac on this blog before, but is always a treat to see her sailing by Rosario Resort.





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One by Land, One by Sea

We have many beautiful weddings at Rosario Resort. Yesterday, Matt Marsik arrived on horseback at the marina and met his lovely bride Kelly, who arrived by boat.




The entire wedding party than walked to the Point Lawn for the ceremony. As you can see by the photos, Orcas Island offers some great opportunities for destination weddings.






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Summer is Here

It's official... summer is here! Blue skies, warm weather, and the mansion swimming pool at Rosario Resort is officially open. Located dramatically on the shoreline of Orcas Island, the mansion pool is definitely the place to relax this summer.





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Delicious!

Chef Madden of our new restaurant "The Quilted Pig" at Rosario Resort enjoys putting fun twists on classic dishes as well as creating innovative new cuisine ideas using locally grown, seasonal foods. “Working closely with local farmers is paramount to my business. It insures that we are using goods produced organically, sustainably, safely and humanly. The products raised and grown in the San Juan Islands are world class in quality and we are lucky to have them available right next door.”

Here's a sneak peak at some of his recent appetizers, small plates, large plates and desserts...


Beef Shortrib
Slow cooked Black Dog Farm beef shortrib with local turnips, carrots, onions, snow peas & Chimichurri sauce



Goat Cheese & Potato Ravioli
QQuail Croft goat cheese, & local new potato ravioli with Black Dog Farm broccoli, local duck egg & citrus vinaigrette



Duck Breast
Roasted Magret Duck Breast with La Campesina cardoons, barley, sweet onions, & Blue Moon Farm Arugula



Ahi Tartare
Diced ahi tuna with sesame yuzu dressing, sriracha crema, ocean salad, wasabi caviar and nori crisp



Smoked Scallop Brandade
House smoked scallop brandade with arugula brioche & black truffle vinaigrette



Wild Sturgeon
Columbia River Sturgeon with homemade fettuccine, local spinach, island grown scallions, sea beans & shiitake mushrooms



Apple Empanada
Fried granny smith apple empanada with maple caramel & homemade pecan ice cream



Coconut Cream Puff Pastry
Coconut Cream filled homemade puff pastry with banana brulée & cashews

Delicious!!!




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Shogun

The Glidewell family recently visited Rosario Resort and Orcas Island aboard their beautiful yacht "Shogun." The Shogun, designed by Overing Yacht Designs, was the first megayacht built in Mississippi and launched in 1993. The 122' yacht features stunning asian inspired interiors and a first class crew!

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Great Blue Heron

A Great Blue Heron, the largest heron in North America, patiently waits for a meal along the shore of Orcas Island at Rosario Resort. It is very common to see the herons standing silently along the shore, waiting for a fish to come by, which they then strike with their bills.


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Flower Baskets

An annual tradition at Rosario Resort is the arrival of our lamp post flower baskets... special thanks to John Roberts of Green Frog Nursery in Bellingham who created this year's beautiful baskets! He and his wife began growing these baskets in his green houses in February.






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The Quilted Pig

Congratulations to Chef Madden Surbaugh for opening The Quilted Pig Restaurant at Rosario Resort today! General Manager Christopher Peacock welcomes Madden and his staff to the Rosario family! Small, intimate dining gives everyone a spectacular view of Orcas Island. For information on The Quilted Pig (and where the name came from!), visit the dining page of our website.

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Waterfront Accommodations

We take many phone calls during the day in which we describe our accommodations. When we say our "Waterfront" rooms have decks located right over the water's edge, this picture will give you an idea that we are not exaggerating!




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I'll take "Resorts" for $100 Alex

It was an honor to host Alex Trebek of Jeopardy and his wife Jean at Rosario Resort on their 20th Anniversary! Alex was so nice to take the time and chat with the staff and pose for this picture with Christopher. Happy Anniversary Alex and Jean!





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The Spa is Open!

The Spa at Rosario Resort is now open! Our crew of Deena, Bobby, Dave, Andrew, Heather and Scott have done a great job with their talent and passion. Here is a peak at the century old indoor pool, the newly remodeled whirpool area and the new women's changing room.









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Bird's Eye View

Here is a great shot of Rosario Resort and Orcas Island from high atop Mt. Entrance. Rosario neighbor John Fletcher shared this shot after a long hike to the top. What a great perspective of the resort.... thanks Fletch!

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February Flowers!

With most of the country experiencing a harsh winter, the Pacific Northwest is experiencing one of the warmest winters on record. Spring is in full bloom at Rosario Resort and on Orcas Island.... in February!







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Spa Remodel

The big project this winter at Rosario Resort on has been our spa restoration and renovation. It has been awhile since the fiberglass coating on the pool has been repaired. Here is a picture of it before painting...



The former boutique area is becoming a relaxation area for guest enjoyment pre and post therapy treatments. This is the Moran Mansion's former recreation area and the tile work is amazing!



In searching for leaks, we stripped the dry wall to the original concrete walls, uncovering a few hidden windows and the original paint colors of the stucco wall (notice the mustard color halfway up).



Here is another original color on one wall with a mysterious oval and iron hook. When looking very closely at an original Moran picture of the area, we discovered this was where a moose head had hung!




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Happy 2010!

Neighbor Beth Smith took this photo at dawn over Rosario Resort and Cascade Bay on Orcas Island. As she sent this to me today, it seemed appropriate to be the first post of 2010. Happy New Year!




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Merry Christmas

Lavender Popcicles

Recent cold weather on Orcas Island made ice form on the Rosario Resort lagoon fountains. This weighted them down and redirected the water onto the surrounding lavender, forming lavender popcicles!



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Halloween Speakeasy

The Moran Room at Rosario became a 1920's Speakeasy on Halloween night. Silent film star Zetta Zarbo hosted North Side crime boss Hal Sapone and South Side gangster boss Beanie O'Dannon. It was a great night until one of the guests ended up dead...Oh well, the party pretty much continued until the murder was caught. The moral of the story was a line from one of Silent FIlm star Zetta Zarbo's movies, "_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "

Here are the Guys...


Here are the Gals...


Here are the Guys and Gals...

Fall Canvas

Here are a few more fall vignettes from around Rosario Resort. Season to season, Orcas Island is always spectacular!





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