Oh Deer

The deer are plentiful around Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. It is a magical place for the young at heart!

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The World Comes to the San Juans

The World came to the San Juan Islands yesterday. It only took us a few minutes to circumnavigate the World, but it is big! Rarely does a ship this size stop in the islands, although many go by on their way to Alaska from Seattle. It is a private condo ship, with each luxury cabin (suite!) being privately owned (sweet!).





Once we left this World, we returned to our world.... a Washington State Ferry passed by!



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Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th! One of the great things about watching the fireworks on Orcas Island is the amazing reflections created in the surrounding water.
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Moran Centennial House Tour

The Robert Moran built homes open to the public for last Sunday's "Moran Centennial House Tour," included Moran's White Beach House, which was built by Moran after he sold Rosario on Orcas Island in 1938...




... and the recently restored Moran Bungalow, one of several Rosario area homes built by Moran for family and staff.




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Centennial Celebration

In celebration of the Moran Family moving into the Moran Mansion at Rosario on June 21, 1909, over 100 islanders where at Rosario's Centennial Celebration yesterday. The celebration culminated the “Moran Centennial House Tour,” a fundraiser for the Orcas Island Historical Society and Museum. The event featured four Robert Moran built homes, including Robert Moran’s White Beach home, built after Moran sold Rosario in 1938. Deer Harbor Charters transported tour guests from Rosario’s dock to the Moran White Beach home.

Robert Moran's Great-Granddaughter Becky Burns (center) paid tribute to Robert Moran's legacy, and welcomed Rosario's new owners, Craig, Jerry and Jan Barto (right) to the mansion and its next 100 years. General Manager Christopher Peacock (left) reported that over $4000 was raised by the event for the Orcas Island Historical Society and Museum.


In honor of Rosario's Centennial, a new guest registry, hand made by Orcas Island artisan Susie Shipman, was signed first by Becky Burns.


Other Moran family decendants in attendance were Orcas Islanders Patty Moran-Hodge (Great-Granddaughter), and her children Melissa and Winslow (Great-Great-Grandchildren)!


Flying all the way from New York City for the weekend was Malia (left), Great-Great-Grandaughter of Robert Moran. Next to Malia is her stepfather Stuart, mother Becky and Jerry and Jan Barto. The Barto Family enjoyed meeting many from the Orcas Island community and honoring the Moran legacy.

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Moran Mansion Centennial

The Moran Family moved into the Moran Mansion at Rosario on Orcas Island on June 21, 1909. The original guest register is on display in our lobby this summer thanks to the Burns Family (Moran
relatives).



The first entry in the register is by Mrs. Moran, who wrote "We moved in this house on this day."
The second entry is by Robert Moran, who wrote "A House built on a Rock."


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Low Tides

Low tides bring an upclose look at the incredible sea life in Cascade Bay at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island!







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June Wedding

Our first June wedding of the year brought a Chinese theme to the Compass Room at Rosario Resort.
Ju-Hsuan Cheng came all the way from Florida to Orcas Island for her wedding, with many family
members visiting from Taiwan.

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MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

It's a beautiful Memorial Day Weekend on Orcas Island! The Rosario Resort marina is full, the Cascade Bay Grill is open and the marina pool is open. A very special thanks to Director of Operations Jolene Versailles, Director of IT Dick Hansen, Front Desk agent Barbara Evans, Harbormaster Gary Joseph, Dockhands Cetacea Stanton, Jenole and Cara Peacock, Director of Engineering Deena Stitt and her staff Dave Hickman, Bobby Matheson, Andrew Fortin and Brieanna Bitzer for all their hard work in making Rosario look so beautiful!









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Jelly Fish!

Today we we were treated with a "smack" of Moon Jellies at the Rosario Resort Marina in Cascade Bay, some of the most simple and incredible creatures in Puget Sound. Moon Jellies are probably the most common jellyfish in the Northwest, and they have transparent, milky white bells rimmed with hundreds of short, hair-like tentacles.

Though they are called "jellyfish," Moon Jellies aren't really fish at all. Instead, they are considered Hydrozoa, and they have no heads, no skeletons, and no special organs for respiration or excretion. Their scientific name is Aurelia aurita, which comes from the Latin word for "light." Some scientists think Moon Jellies got this name because, instead of eyes, they have special cells called rhopalia that detect light.

Moon Jellies are found in the Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic to Florida and Mexico, and in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to southern California. They're also found right here in Puget Sound! Huge masses of them are called smacks, which drift with the current near the beach.

The Jellies swim by expanding and contracting their bell, an action that forces water away and pushes the critter in the opposite direction. Every Moon Jelly also has four oral arms, frilled along one edge, hanging from the center of this bell. The four horseshoe shapes you spot in the center of the bell are the gonads, or sex organs. In young Moon Jellies, called polyps, these gonads are white. In mature animals, dubbed medusas, the gonads are tinged with color. The coloration of a moon jelly often changes depending on its diet. If the jelly feeds extensively on crustaceans, it turns pink or lavender. An orange tint hints that a jelly’s been feeding on brine shrimp. (Moon Jelly information courtesy of the Seattle Aquarium).

It was an incredible sight!

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First Wedding of 2009

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day on Orcas Island and we were happy to host our first wedding of the year at Rosario Resort! Congratulations to Yelizaveta and Jonathan!








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Busy Winter

We have been very busy this winter cleaning, painting and preparing to reopen! As I walked around the property the other day I was so impressed with how hard everyone was working (with such pride and love for Rosario). I ran and got my camera to capture the activity:

Deena is seen here painting a former office that will become the "Battleship" room in our expanded
Moran Mansion Museum.

In another former office, Bobby is removing a 1950's linoleum floor to reveal 100 year old teak!

Dave has been power washing, power washing, power washing!

Gary has been very busy preparing the marina (OK, I got him to pose for this picture as he had just stopped cleaning... he even put his wet shoes back on!).




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Moran State Park Webcam

The Friends of Moran State Park have sponsored a new webcam on the top of Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island. Here is one of the first images from today. Although the snow has melted in the "lowlands,"
Mt. Constitution was just spectacular with an abundance of snow in the sunshine today. The webcam will go live soon, so keep checking the Friends of Moran website for more spectacular views:

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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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