Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks... especially to those that cook the feast! Chef Dan Koommoo checks in on carvers Steven and Tyler, who we affectionately call "Team Aerosmith." Thanks to all the Rosario Staff for a great Thanksgiving!





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Rummage Sale

Rosario Resort Rummage Sale, Dec. 1-4 @ The Beachhouse (formerly The Discovery House).

We’ve cleaned out the attic, offices and guest rooms:
Furniture – Beds – Chairs - Desks – Office and Business Supplies – Clothing
Antiques – Home Décor – Thing-a-ma-jigs and Whatcha-ma-call-its!


Dec. 1 “Early Bird Thursday” $10, 8 am-3 pm Allows for rummaging all 4 days!

Dec. 2 “Sneak Peak Friday” $5, 8 am-3 pm Allows for rummaging 3 whole days!

Dec. 3 & 4 “Open to the Public”, 8 am-3 pm Saturday and Sunday


**Early Bird and Sneak Peak tickets available for purchase at door on Thursday and Friday! Cash and local checks only.

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Leaves of Gold Concert

Beautiful and talented violinist Chee-Yun and pianist Andrew Staupe performed a fabulous "Leaves of Gold" fund-raising concert for the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival in the Music Room this past weekend. The popular festival began in this room 15 years ago! Photos courtesy of festival photographer Derk Jager.




Rosario's owner Jerry Barto welcomes art patrons and thanks Chee-Yun and Andrew Staupe for an extraordinary concert of Beethoveen, Bach and Elgar. "Robert Moran would be proud... this evening is what this room was built for" Jerry shared with guests.






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Savor the San Juans

October is "Savor the San Juans" month! Enjoy this awesome three course meal for $30 created by Chef Dan Koommoo – Penn Cove Mussels and Buck Bay Oysters, Wild King Salmon en Croute and Dark Chocolate Soup... mmmmm! Nightly through October at The Mansion Restaurant.



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Coastal Living Magazine

Rosario is featured in a full page illustration from Coastal Living Magazine's article "Haunted Hotels by the Sea," highlighting by the ghost of Alice Rheem flying out of the Moran Mansion on her motorcycle!



"Whatever your ghoulish pleasure, it’s the time of year when ghost stories and tales of the unknown cast their spells upon us. Plan a trip to these coastal haunts and you may be treated to frightful delights: floating apparitions, ghastly stories, and supernatural phenomena, all explained on lantern-lit tours. And don’t worry about that bump in the night—it was probably just the wind.

Rosario Resort
Orcas Island, Washington

Arrive by seaplane or ferry to this isolated location and you’ll find yourself ensconced in nature, with 360-degree views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound—each room has a water view. The 1909 mansion contains a spa, a restaurant and lounge, and a museum full of paintings and photographs from the early 1900s. On the second floor, watch out for the specter of a woman in a red dress and heels atop a Harley—that’s Alice Rheem, audacious wife during the 1930s of the mansion’s second owner. Guests report hearing her stilettos echoing in the hallways and seeing darting shadows in brightly lit areas. Rates start at $109; 360/376-2152"


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Summer into Fall

Around the resort grounds, we can't help but notice the summer colors of our beautiful flower baskets beginning to blend in with the fall colors of the trees...


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Cascade Bay Grill Closing for Season

The grill portion of the Cascade Bay Grill & Store closes for the season after today (the store will remain open for a few more weeks)! Come enjoy some food and drink at the marina on this gorgeous afternoon!


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Sunset Magazine

Rosario was mentioned in the September issue of Sunset Magazine as one of "3 seaside escapes that put us in the mood for romance!" We'll agree with that!



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Stunning Labor Day Weekend

A stunning Labor Day Weekend Saturday Morning! Zodiac sailing by out back, British classics out front!






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Rosario Marina Montage

A Rosario Marina montage thanks to dockhand Cara!



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Breakfast at Rosario

Come enjoy Breakfast on the Veranda at Rosario! Serving 8 am-Noon, the highlight is our "T-Dock" ( T is for TOPPINGS, not to be confused with the T-Dock at the marina)! Order our Brioche French Toast, Bacon Waffle, Oh My Pancake or Creme Brulee Oatmeal and choose your own toppings, including nuts, raisins, bananas, maple syrup, whipped cream, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, jams, chocolate, peanut butter and more!

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Happy Fourth of July

A beautiful Fourth at Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island!




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Ethereal

The 190-foot Royal Huisman yacht "Ethereal" made a stop at Rosario this weekend. It is one of the most environmentally friendly sailing superyachts to launch in the last few years. It features the first true hybrid engine on a sailing ship, a power source that uses motion generated under sail to recharge the yacht’s lithium-polymer batteries and run all functions on battery power for an extended length of time. Royal Huisman installed LED lighting and the latest in flooring and insulation to make the superyacht energy-efficient. Beyond the environmental technologies on board, naval architect Ron Holland engineered Ethereal’s hull and rigging specifically for performance. The boat’s sleek lines look classy with the ketch rigging, but, in fact, its wing keels and long hull have been tank-tested like America’s Cup racing boats to ensure optimum efficiency under sail.

Thanks to our Dockhand Erik for the early morning photo!

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Discovery House Remodel

We are excited to show off the new Discovery House deck and new interior paint colors!





We are excited to show off the new Discovery House deck and new interior painting!


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POPS N' SCOTCH

Bring Pops to the Mansion Restaurant this Sunday for Father's Day and he can enjoy some Hops and Scotch!


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Buck Bay Oysters

Chef Dan took our culinary team on a recent outing to visit local Orcas Island Farms, including Buck Bay Shellfish Farm. Our daily oyster menu features a variety of Northwest oysters and preparations. The Mansion Restaurant features one dollar oysters nightly!

Heading out on the tide flats of Buck Bay.

Toni Hermansen of Buck Bay Farm explains the oyster raising and harvesting process... they start by seeding the oysters in bags and placing them in the bay. After about two and a half years, they are big enough to be sorted by size. The oysters are then harvested, washed and scrubbed to remove barnacles before being sold to Rosario.

The oyster bags are in full view at low tide.

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Packard Car Club

The Northwest Packard Car Club showed off some real beauties on their recent trip to Rosario Resort & Spa and Orcas Island. Donald and Alice Rheem, owners of Rosario between 1938 and 1958 would be proud of this sight!







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Bite of Orcas

Chef Dan Koommoo presented great treats for the Bite of Orcas over Memorial Day weekend! Oyster Shooters, Ceviche (with scallops, shrimp and calamari), and Crab & Watermelon Soup (with lemon grass, ginger and cilantro )... refreshing!










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The Mansion Restaurant and Moran Lounge

We are thrilled to announce the Mansion Restaurant and Moran Lounge are now open! Once again, enjoy cocktails and dinner in the historic Moran Mansion, currently open Fridays - Mondays from 5 pm - 10 pm. Joining us at Rosario is Executive Chef Dan Koommoo, who was most recently the Executive Chef at Novelty Hill and Januik Wineries in Woodinville, Washington, where he has specialized in wine pairing dinners, cooking classes, and wedding/special event cuisine. He was previously the Food & Beverage Director and Executive Chef at the Bellevue Marriott, the manager and chef of the Attic Cafe at Salish Lodge and Spa, and the Bar Manager at Earth & Ocean restaurant in the W Hotel Seattle.


Dan also brings to Rosario great spa cuisine experience, having worked at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, AZ, where he was the Exective Chef and Restaurant Manager of their "Revive" spa restaurant. He sharpened his skills at various Marriott hotels in New York City, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Ottawa.

He attended Le Cordon Bleu School in Ottawa, Canada after graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where he majored in Industrial Design, designing 15 commercial kitchens for his senior project.

Photo courtesy of Creative Image Photography.


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Shearwater Kayaks

It is beautiful sunny day today on Orcas Island, which makes us think of summer! Here is a great promo video from our friends at Shearwater Kayaks, who offer tours out of Rosario from June-September.



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Seattle Wedding Show

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at the Seattle Wedding Show! Be sure to reserve your special date as soon as possible, as Rosario Resort and Orcas Island is a very popular wedding destination. Thanks to Leslie and John of Patina Floral Design and Wedding Planning for designing our booth!





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Cascade Bay Waterfall

For those of you who have only been to Rosario in the summer, you are probably unaware that Cascade Bay features a spectacular waterfall during the winter months. The creek from Cascade Lake to Cascade Bay is often mistakenly called Cascade Creek, but its correct name is Bowman Creek. Cascade Creek runs from Mountain Lake to Olga and features Orcas Island's largest falls, Cascade Falls.






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Happy New Year

We look forward to you visiting Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island in 2011!


This photo was taken from the ferry from Anacortes close to the winter solstice.

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Merry Christmas

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White Thanksgiving

"I'm Dreaming of a White Thanksgiving"
(sung to the melody of White Christmas)

The Moran Mansion, 7 a.m.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


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Fire & Ice

Our newly restored Spa Fireplace was unveiled this past week. The display is called "Fire & Ice" and features beautiful Orcas Island North Beach rock.




"The Pacific Northwest owes much of its scenic beauty to almost unimaginable geologic activity, from moving tectonic plates and volcanic eruptions to retreating glaciers. The San Juan Islands were created when glaciers advanced out of Canada and filled Puget Sound with an estimated 2,383 cubic miles of ice. As the glaciers retreated, the melting ice formed a huge freshwater lake in Puget Sound where glacial till mixed with marine sediments. The retreating glaciers carved deep channels through these sediments. This activity resulted in ancient mountain tops becoming the islands. Today’s beaches are awash with a variety of rocks smoothed through the ages."

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Happy Halloween

The Femme Fatale of Rosario Resort
Orcas Island, Washington
From the book "Ghost Stories of the Pacific Northwest" by Margaret Read McDonald

Rosario Resort on Orcas Island occupies the former mansion of Robert Moran. In 1939 the mansion changed owners and a flamboyant lady by the name of Alice Rheem took residence. Rumour has it that her husband bought the remote property as a useful place to ensconce Alice and her drinking habit. She became a familiar figure on the island, riding around on a motor scooter, often after one drink too many, sometimes dressed only in her red nightgown. And she was known to have a proclivity for handsome young soldiers, bringing them back to the mansion whenever her husband was away. Alice eventually died in the mansion, supposedly a victim of too much drink. But she seems not to have left quite yet.

In 1986 Alice was causing havoc. A tired housekeeping employee bedded down in an empty room in the mansion one night rather than drive home. Just as she was dropping off to sleep, she noticed a shadow pass across the wall. Turning on the light, she saw nothing. But the shadow moved again and something touched her hand. She waited and seeing nothing was about to trun off the light and go back to bed when she felt fingers caressing her hand. The girl bolted from the hotel, tossing the key to the desk clerk. "There's something in that room!" He shrugged, put the key back on the hook, and noticed that it was midnight.

As it happened, a trio of entertainers had been staying in the room next to her that night. They complained as they dropped off their key in the morning. "How long will that woman be staying next to us?" The desk clerk assured them that she had already left at midnight, the night before. But the entertainers had been kept awake all night, they said, by her carousing. Just before midnight they'd seen the light under the door go on and off three times. then the bed began to creak and the moans of passionate lovemaking started up. they were kept awake all night. The key to the room still hung on its hook and the desk clerk hadn't given it to anyone else. The hotel staff suspect that Alice was at work.



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Spa Open House

Our talented Spa Therapists treated guests to a sampling of our spa menu services during a recent Spa Open House. Decléor Product representatives were on hand discussing and sampling their product. Local Nutritionist Beth Smith, R.D. provided a very healthy and delicious spread featuring "super foods of the season." Thank you all for a wonderful evening!



Massage Therapists Sukima Hampton, Michael Mitchell, Heather Segault and Erin Quies provide Open House guests an "AHHHH" moment.


Rosario neighbors meet by the fire.


Nutritionist Beth Smith, owner Jan Barto and Spa Director Jaylin Peacock discuss health and wellness.

Great food was provided by nutritionist Beth Smith, R.D.


Esthetician Kimberly Troub provided manicures and pedicures.


Decléor representatives Anita Sundaram and Roseanne Kahn discuss their product line.



The Quilted Pig Restaurant provided the wine.



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