We are leaving Roche Harbor this morning bound for Sidney Canada. Roche is a wonderful resort and marina that we highly recommend. It feels like a throw back to the 50’s with white cottages scattered amidst the grounds, children running around playing in the general grounds or swimming in the outdoor pool. The grounds are immaculate, colorful and well maintained. Take a walk through the gardens and observe the many varieties of plants.
The history of Roche Harbor goes back over 200 years when in 1787, when Captain Lopez de Haro and his crew became the first Europeans to sail the San Juan Islands. Haro Strait, which divides the United States from Vancouver Island, gets its name from this Spanish explorer.
The first development at Roche Harbor started with John S. McMillin, a Tacoma lawyer who discovered the largest deposit of lime in the Northwest at Roche Harbor. By 1886, the Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company was a going concern. McMillin built the 20-room Hotel de Haro in 1886 around the original Hudson Bay Post. There are still remnants of the original exposed beam logs. But that was then and this is now. Roche Harbor Resort and Marina is a first class hotel and spa destination, accessed by ferry, pleasure craft or float plane.
And speaking of float planes, yesterday they were buzzing by us all day long. We are used to a few planes coming and going but not an all day. We soon discovered that the Washington State Ferry System cancelled over 20 percent of their ferries on Sunday into Monday due to “mechanical failures and staffing issues.” When you have to get off the island a private float plane just may be the answer.
And so we are off on an 11 nautical mile, one and a half hour cruise. “Oh Canada.”