A few years ago, at the end of a charter vacation in the San Juan Islands, my youngest daughter, Liz, and I put in to Rosario Resort Marina. It’s on a small protected bay off East Sound, which almost cuts the fairly large Orcas Island in half. We were on a Grand Banks 36 from NW Explorations in Bellingham, Washington, and had already been cruising up in South Pender Island and then Roche Harbor. Rosario was going to be an easy, last night stop on our way back to Bellingham.
It was all that and more. East Sound is long, wide and absolutely beautiful, and the resort itself is centered around a mansion that’s on the National Historic Register. The marina was at the foot of a small park-like setting, where deer were wandering around peacefully. The highlight for us was a late afternoon organ recital in the mansion by Christopher Peacock, the resident historian/musician, who played Phantom of the Opera on the mansion’s aging Aeolian organ (with 1,972 pipes).
Renovations were just starting at the mansion, the resort and the marina when we were there. They’re now complete. Here’s a great story from Sea magazine about what to expect at Rosario now. http://www.seamagazine.com/century-old-new/?utm_source=DMC+Master&utm_campaign=279d77c529-Sea_2017_07_07_NL_07_07_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_85f388c485-279d77c529-47781285
