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~ The adventures of Richard and Julie Lary

Rajalary

Monthly Archives: October 2009

24-Hours in Vegas

25 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by rajalary in Travel

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Last Tuesday, after spending four whirlwind days visiting family and friends in California (Anaheim, San Pedro, Woodland Hills, and Northridge) and Arizona (Bullhead City), Rich and I zipped to Las Vegas for a day of debauchery. Keep in mind, debauchery can be as innocent as departing from ones usually modis operates.  Planet Hollywood_bedroom

Where we stayed –a “resort” room at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino – was a huge departure from our usually lumpy mattress and threadbare towels at a Motel 6, Red Roof or EconLodge. Rich had originally reserved a room at New York New York through Priceline. A few days before our trip, however, he realized that he’d booked the room on the wrong date. Fortunately, he was able to cancel the reservation and get a room at Planet Hollywood.

Unfamiliar with the hotel and too cheap to use valet parking, we found a spot in the garage by the Miracle Mile Shops then dragged our bags through the shopping center to the hotel. It was a relief to quickly check-in, take the elevator to the 12th floor then slip the magnetic room key into the lock…

My initial reaction was “there’s no bed.” Of course, there was a bed (above). I simply needed to journey through the outlandishly large hallway, past the bathroom to the bedroom. The king-sized bed was very inviting with four pillows and soft linens.

Planet Hollywood_coffee tableEach room at Planet Hollywood features props and photographs from a movie. In our room were the trappings from the Medicine Man, starring Sean Connery (right). Ironically, Rich is half Scottish and in my humble opinion, looks like Connery. Check out the photo to below. They could be brothers!

While I wasn’t armored with the room’s color scheme – dark wood, goldenrod and off-white wallpaper, black marble, mirrored tabletops, and purple bath towels – I was thrilled with the funky furniture, red lamps, huge bathroom with two sinks, large shower, and soaking tub, and unblocked view of the strip. I took pictures galore! Rich looking like Sean Connery

Wanting to take advantages of all of the amenities of the hotel, we stripped off our clothes (doesn’t that sound provocative), pulled on our bathing suits and scurried to the swimming pool on the sixth floor. The water was cold. Or maybe we were simply too tired to swim. After a few pathetic laps across the pool, we migrated to the hot tub where a man who lives in Kirkland, Washington gave us the scoop on the Microsoft SharePoint Convention that was taking place that week. He was thrilled with the new features and talked endlessly about the wonders of Microsoft software. Planet Hollywood_bathroom

“Gotta’ go and hit the strip,” offered Rich after chatting for a few minutes.

We hustled back to our room and rinsed off in the double-wide shower, using the sample of snazzy shampoo that was on the counter. Refreshed, we headed for the Miracle Mile Shops, which according to Wikipedia has more than 140 stores and 15 restaurants and is 1.5 miles long! Wikipedia also explains why Rich and I found the mall, Planet Hollywood casino, and hotel to be out-of-whack. The hotel used to be the Aladdin and the mile of shops was originally the Desert Passage, complete with an ocean liner called the "Desert Passage" (below). I’d rationalized that the Moroccan motif inside represented a Hollywood set.

When Planet Hollywood took over the Aladdin in 2003, they attempted to incorporate a “Los Angeles” theme. I think they missed the mark. The casino and hotel is a strange mixture of mirrors, crystal-encrusted lights, dull psychedelic patterned wallpaper, and dreadful earth tones. Plus, it’s super noisy and claustrophobic!Planet Hollywood mall

They did, however, successfully capture the promiscuity of L.A. In the center of the casino is the Pleasure Pit where scantily clad chicks pole dance on a raised platform and female dealers wear fishnet stockings and corsets. According to the booklet in our room that elaborated on the hotel’s amenities, the Pleasure Pit is supposed to take the inhibitions out of gambling. I suspect its popularity more akin to the elation of visiting a nudie bar.

One of the shows featured at Planet Hollywood is Peepshow, a “full throttle production” that combines “sexy strip tease, playful storytelling and celebrity star power,” along with a “red hot band” and twenty-five “sizzling dancers and performers.” If you want to delve into the action, the hotel offers pole dancing classes.

Even the restaurants and night clubs associated with Planet Hollywood connote sex. The up-scale Strip House has “sultry silks and siren red walls” with photographs of “scantly-dressed women” on the walls. The clubs are named Privé, The Living Room, The Playing Field Lounge, and the Heart Bar. The latter features servers in “black leather go-go attire.”

Ravenous after swimming and walking through the Miracle Mile Shops, Rich and I settled for the Spice Market Buffet, which has been voted the #1 buffet in Las Vegas with Mexican, Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern, and American food. Buffets are always dangerous places for me because I want to try everything. I was determined, however, to exercise constraint, taking small portions from each station. I was feeling good about my selection until I hit the last station… Middle Eastern food.

The gauntlet was dropped. Bowls of baba ghannouj, tabouleh, hummus, dolma, fragrant rice with raisins and almonds, cubes of feta cheese, mounds of couscous, multi-colored olives, and flaky baklawa beaconed me. Even Rich lost his restraint, adding grilled meats and vegetables to his plate. After polishing off one plate, I returned for another. Rich opted to enjoy more shrimp, crab legs, and tender prime rib.

For dessert, I couldn’t resist the chocolate mousse and chocolate cream pie. Rich chose strawberry shortcake and banana cream pie. Burp!

Our bellies bulging, we waddled onto the strip with the intention of spending part of the $17 in change we’d accumulated over the past year. My key interest was walking off my dinner and seeing the bright lights and sights. We reached the Bellegio a few minutes before one of their crowd-pleasing fountain shows. The music and display of water and lights brought me to tears. It was disappointing, however, that the show lasted barely five minutes. Display at Bellagio

The next day, we want back to the Bellagio to marvel at the botanical garden with giant pumpkins, a talking tree, autumn foliage, and a miniature European town (right). Around the corner was Jean Phillippe Patisserie with heart-stopping pastries (below) and a floor-to-ceiling chocolate fountain that cascaded melted milk, dark, and white chocolate. It’s officially the largest chocolate fountain in the world.  Pastries at Bellegio Pastries at Bellegio_2

Our next stop of the evening was Caesars Palace. We walked around the casino until we spotted a Miss Kitty slot machine. Rich deposited a dollar, which provided him with one hundred points (penny slot machine). He played for a while, winning and losing until he luck started to run out. In desperation, I pushed his hand aside and punched two buttons… bing, Bing, BING, we were up 93-cents! I immediately punched the “cash out” button and lovingly cradled the receipt that flowed out of the machine.

The mall associated with Caesar’s Palace is spectacular with painted ceilings, columns, ornate plaster, fountains, huge carved statues, and a two-story Trojan horse by FAO Schwartz, a toy store.FAO Swartz and Caesar

That evening and the next day, we went from casino-to-casino in search of magic Miss Kitty machines. We’d insert a dollar and play until we either doubled our money or reached 50-cents. At which point,oo we’d cash out and apply the 50-cents to another machine (usually not a Miss Kitty machine, which were few and far between). By the time we left Vegas, we’d played at quite a few casinos and lost just 24-cents; although, we would have been up nearly 69-cents if I’d cashed in my initial winnings from Caesar’s Place!

As the night approached morning, the streets became slippery with tits and twats. In between the snazzy casinos were seedy establishments, selling everything from tee-shirts proclaiming “I Ymy penis” to coffee cups, magnets, key chains, and other tourist riffraff imprinted with Las Vegas sights. On the sidewalk, outside these joints, were Hispanics with stacks of baseball card-sized advertisements for buxom “escorts” and “entertainers.” They’d hold a stack of cards in one hand and with the other sharply slap two or three cards against the larger stack, making a snapping sound. As we walked by, they’d thrust a couple of cards at you. 

ANight scene large percentage of these cards were instantly dropped by passersby who innocently took them. As the night grew later, the streets and sidewalks became slippery with hundreds of slick cards containing pictures of scantily dressed or naked women.

One time, Rich eagerly grabbed some cards then walked a few paces and handed them to a woman who was also snapping card. Surprised, she backed up and cringed at Rich’s brazen advances then shouted “el stupid!”

I burst into laugher and could hear her also laughing, having realized that Rich meant no harm. He simply wanted to return the favor.

Night scene_2Of course, I grabbed as many cards as necessary for “research.” The price of the girls ranged from “$29 special” to $150 no hidden fees.” Some of the girls had unusual names like Addison, Ajay, Bailey, Berrit, Paris, Honey, Kiko, and Summer. Most were pedestrian like Christy, Sandy, Vicky, Beth, Tina, Heather, Heidi, and Carly. The cards provided the price, phone number and Web address, such as LasVegasXXXcorts, HotVegasStripper, CandyAppleGirls, and EzVegasEscorts.

While I thought it was strange that the porn hawkers were just as likely to hand cards to a woman as a man, going to one of the advertised sites, I learned that the girls offer a range of services from “professional escort services” to “sensuous escort for couple’s entertainment.” Jeepers!

Rich and I settled for hobbling back to our hotel room, taking off our shoes, massaging our tired feet, and crawling into bed. The next morning, we wandered a couple of blocks to a McDonald’s for coffee and Egg McMuffins. We spent the rest of the day visiting other casinos, looking for Miss Kitty machines, and gawking at and take pictures of the lionesses at the MGM Grand. Lion lounging at MGM GrandThere’s a plexiglass tunnel that you can walk through and look up at the lions and lioness. It’s very cool and I could have probably spent all day looking at them.

The interior of the MGM Grand is reminiscent of early Hollywood with art deco touches. It’s also the second largest hotel complex in the United States with 4,293 rooms, 751 suites, five outdoor pools, rivers and waterfalls, convention center, arena, sixteen restaurants, and largest casino in the area.

Around 3:30 – 24-hour after we’d arrived in Las Vegas – we headed to the airport to turn in our rental car, grab a bite to eat, and jump on a plane back to Seattle.

Below is a "washout" view from our hotel room along with some of my favorite sites on the strip:View from Planet HollywoodLas Vegas_dayMonte Carlo New York New York

Beyond Bits and Bytes

12 Monday Oct 2009

Posted by rajalary in Microsoft

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It’s no surprise that Microsoft employees are gizmo fanatics from Xboxes to mobile devices, phones, Webcams, camcorders… and cameras. The latter is a way-of-life with employees documenting their work and personal passions then posting the images on myriad of sites. Photographers_at_Microsoft_270x226

They even take pictures of their pets and create calendars of their dogs and cats, which are sold to support local animal shelters and groups. The most recent collaboration of employee’s photographs is a coffee table book, featuring some amazing pictures. Check out the fifth image of a tiger panting. 

The proceeds from the book will benefit United Way. You can see more images from the book and order it from Blurb.com.

Frittata… Super easy and delicious

11 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by rajalary in Food and drink

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While it’s been said that "real men don’t eat quiche," I’ve gotten mine to relish frittata.

I’m particularly fond of frittata because it’s a great way to use up vegetables, always tastes good, and is fun to make. I start by placing a little oil in the bottom of a pie or quiche pan. I then thinly slice potatoes. Many times, I use fingerlings that are sprouting because I forgo to use them or where they were kept got too hot.

I layer the sliced potatoes on the bottom of my pan. This layer can be half an inch or so thick. Sprinkle on seasoning like Cavendaer’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning. Drizzle with olive oil then toss in the microwave for ten minutes until the potatoes are soft, but not necessarily fully cooked. 

Layer on thinly sliced onions, sliced carrot, chunks of broccoli or squash. Drizzle with olive oil and microwave four minutes or until they’re starting to cook. Layer on sliced bell peppers. I like to use multi-colored peppers for color. In the past, I’ve also added fresh peas, pea pods, scallions, and other vegetables that are starting to wilt.

The final and best layer is thinly sliced tomatoes followed by a handful or two of uncooked spinach. Liberally season and drizzle with olive oil then cook until the spinach wilts… five to six minutes. Frittata Julie

Sprinkle cheese over the spinach layer. I had left-off cheddar with chili flakes that I grated over the spinach. Swiss and mozzarella cheese are my usual choice.

Beat three eggs, season and add a dash of milk. Carefully pour this mixture over the vegetables so it soaks through the layers. Microwave the frittata for 15-20 minutes.

The potatoes on the bottom form a "crust," making it easy to slice, serve and enjoy the frittata!

Note: The vegetables will cook down. You can layer them to the very top of your pan. Before I did the final "microwaving’ of the frittata above, the layers of vegetables and spinach were spilling out of the pan.

Sunglasses Recommended

11 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by rajalary in Home Improvement

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A few weeks ago, Rich finished the kitchen "ceiling" remodel. Originally, the kitchen had a large indentation in the ceiling for florescent fixtures. Plastic panels then fit over the indentation. I intensely dislike florescent lighting because it’s too bright and more importantly, the fixtures are ugly!

Soon after we moved into the house, Rich removed the fixtures and we depended on the light over the stove and a floor lamp to light the kitchen. It wasn’t ideal, but better than florescent.Skylight

In June, redid the wiring and installed small bucket lights throughout the kitchen that would illuminate the counters and sink. While he had a hole in the ceiling he installed a new light/fan in one of our bathrooms.

After weeks of planning, he was ready to cut a hole in the roof and install the skylights. By the time he started this part of the project, summer was in full force. With all of the sheet rock removed from the indentation in the ceiling and almost no insulation in the attic, the heat from the attic poured into the kitchen. 

Needless to say, I wasn’t pleased and I couldn’t figure out why it was taking Rich MONTHS to install a few bucket lights and two skylights. He talked about "covering beams," "cutting sheet rock to match the slant of the roof," and "the need to do it right so the roof doesn’t leak." Skylight II

As the weeks passed, his vision became a reality. The resulting skylights not only make the kitchen so bright that sunglasses are advised, but it’s very dramatic with the supporting beams for the walls covered in sheet rock and textured to match the rest of the walls. Plus, there are two small spotlights on top of the beams that illuminate the skylights at night.

The kitchen looks much larger with the ceiling opened up and the natural light pouring in. And I’m thrilled with the small bucket lights, especially, the one over the sink.

The final step in our kitchen remodel is to add a small peninsula cabinet that will become a work surface for baking, pasta making, and storage for my appliances and dozens of jars of staples. The latter are presently on shelves in the coat closet. 

We ordered the peninsula several weeks ago so by the new year, the kitchen will be perfect!

In the meanwhile, Rich has demolished the center bathroom and started to order the materials he’ll need to turn the bathroom into a masterpiece. The only thing I’ll reveal is that the sink is green-tinged and has a matching faucet!

Deer Harbor

08 Thursday Oct 2009

Posted by rajalary in Sailing

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After visiting upscale Roche Harbor, we headed to Deer Harbor on Orcas Island. This sleepy town is a Stephen King novel waiting to happen. It’s tranquil. Very tranquil. The five or six docks meet at the Dock Store and Deli (pictured below with a green roof), which offers everything from lattes to shower tokens, fresh fruits and motor oil.

The people are uncommonly friendly and helpful; they match the stereotype of the inhabitants you’d expect to find in a small coastal town. We called ahead to get a slip and as we approached the marina, we spotted a teenager in khaki pants and polio shirt standing by the slip, waiting for me to throw him the lines to tie of our boat. This courtesy is uncommon in larger marina.

The teenager, tanned and freckled from a summer spent in the summer tirelessly answered our questions about the area and helped Rich fill a gas can for the outboard motor on our dinghy. Strange deer at Deer Harbor

Once settled, we walked to the store. Hung from poles on the dock were pots overflowing with flowers. Outside the store was a deer head, reaffirming we were indeed at "Deer" Harbor. Although, I think the official mascot was this husky who was happy to pose, provided you gave him a pet or two and a kind word.

We bought our shower tokens along with two Hagen Daz bars (essential for sailing) then wandered up to the resort. Our moorage fee entitled us to swim in the resort’s pool.

The Resort at Deer Harbor offers a variety of accommodations from charming cottages for two to rustic cottages that can accommodate several families. We peeked in a window of one of the deluxe cottages. They resemble small houses with a staircase that leads to the front doors. Each cottage has an outdoor hot tub (on a covered deck) along with a fireplace, kitchenette, and a spectacular view of the marina. Deer Harbor

Grungy and achy from several days of sailing and hiking, we zipped back to our boat to grab our swimsuits and towels. After a chilly swim, we scrambled to the showers… it’s amazing how a shower change ones perspective and temperament!

It was also nice to be tied up to a dock where we could wander ashore in the evening, instead of having to gingerly get in the dinghy and row ashore.

Even though there are places to eat ashore, we cooked and ate all of our meals on Wave Dancer, the sailboat we chartered. The boat has a full kitchen with a refrigerator/freezer, stove/oven, sink, and plenty of counter and storage space.

Breakfast was freshly brewed coffee — using a French press– along with cereal and fruit. Rich had wisely purchased a Black Forest ham for the trip, which we cut up and combined with colored bell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, red onions, and a spicy sauce for wraps and sandwiches. For lunch, we also ate carrots, Sun Chips, and red and green grapes.  Deer Harbor_2

Dinner ranged from fajitas with pulled pork to barbequed salmon,stuffed bell peppers — that I’d prepared and frozen a week earlier — and macaroni and cheese (final night). We also had two bottles of wine, a large container of assorted cheese, boxes of crackers and Japanese snacks… Jelly Belly’s, granola bars, and dark chocolate M&M’s… bottles of flavored waters, hot chocolate mix with ground up candy canes, packages of tea and miso! We didn’t starve!

The final night, we grabbed a mooring ball at Cypress Island. Camping on shore was a group of kayakers who’d been paddling through the island for the past week. We enjoyed a magnificent sunset that evening and happily crawled into our bed.

Rich and I are both bed snobs. We brought a huge flannel sleeping bag, which we unzipped and laid on top of the foam mattress in the aft berth. I then put a flannel fitted sheet on top of the sleeping bag, followed by another flannel sheet and a feather comforter in a flannel duvet. We also brought feather pillows with flannel pillow cases. Sleeping on the boat was heavenly!Bed on boat

For the most part, we slept soundly with little wind and wave action. On our final night, however, a huge boat must have passed creating a horrific wake.When it hit the boat, I was convinced that another boat had rammed into us. It was around 11 o’clock at night so we’d been sleeping soundly. It must have taken 15 minutes or so until the boat stopped rocking violently back-and-forth. My heart pounded the entire time!

The next morning, we rowed a shore for the final time to take a liesurely walk around the island. The kayakers were just waking up. One man asked if we’d heard the orca whales during the night. Evidentially, at around 2 a.m. he awoke to hear the whales coming to the surface and exhaling through their blowholes. There are four pods of orca whales in the area, but we weren’t lucky enough to see them… maybe next year. 

Stuart vs. Roche

04 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by rajalary in Sailing

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On the last day of our sailing trip, a kayaker we met on Cypress Island asked which island we liked best. I paused and thought for a moment then commented, “It depends on whether you prefer a rustic or civilized environment.”

One of the most unusual islands that Rich and I have visited — by ferry or sailboat — is Stuart. Less than three square miles in size, the island is home to around 800 full- and part-time residents who relish the simpler life because… there’s no electricity, running water, or other amenities on the island! The only commercial enterprise is a family-run business called Boundary Pass Traders, which offers shirts and cards from “treasure chests” located throughout the island.

Part of the island is a state park and the two anchorages have state park mooring balls and public docks, making it easy to tie up for a few hours, dinghy ashore, and hike around the island… which has no paved roads. The main thoroughfare, called County Road, is compacted gravel.

Oh, you’re wondering ho w the residents subsist without “modern” amenities.” They have propane tanks or use solar energy. Wells and septic tanks are used for water and sewerage. Along with boat docks, they have two private airstrips for small planes.

I know you’re thinking, “Heck, it must be cheap to live on the island. Land probably goes for a buck an acre.” Not really. Land is fairly inexpensive at $70,000 or so an acre. Because everything necessary to build a house must be brought by boat or barge, the houses are fairly expensive. For instance, a four bedroom, one bathroom, 1,600 square foot house built in 1979 with propane, free-standing stove, deep-water well, septic system, and appliances is $595,000. Take a peek. Thirteen acres on the water sells for nearly a million dollars!

We reached Stuart Island early in the day so we grabbed a mooring ball and rowed our dinghy ashore. An elderly man — in faded overalls stretched tightly over his beach ball-sized stomach – helped tie up our dinghy. Also tied to the dock where two small tug boats, similar in size and charm as this one. I inquired about them and the man proudly announced that he’d spent the past two years building one of them – a delightful boat painted in forest green with burnt orange trim. He explained to Rich that the hardest part was forming the compound curved roof from layers of plywood. Rich swinging on Stuart Island

After chatting (or as Congressman Alan Grayson’s terminology “nattering”) for a few minutes, we bid the man good-bye and climbed the steep ramp onto the island. After a short walk, we came upon dozens of wooden stairs that lead down a lush forest. I felt like I was in a storybook. The moss- and leaf-covered paths meandered by bushy ferns and native grasses, around babbling brooks, and towering trees that allowed trickles of light to dance on the forest floor. I’ve never been the Olympic rain forest, but Stuart Island State Pak must be a close approximation.

Above is Rich swinging from one of the many huge trees on the island.

A few steps from the park is County Road, which according to our Xeroxed map lead to the historical schoolhouse and museum. The map didn’t lie; it just didn’t reveal the hefty hill that was probably equivalent in elevation to the staired area we left half an hour earlier. Rich going through chest on Stuart Island

As we neared the top, I spied a clothes line with tee-shirts pinned to it. These were the shirts available through Boundary Pass Trader. In front of the clothes line was a small shelter made from branches with a treasure chests underneath (right). Inside were silkscreened shirts, hats, and cards with local scenes. Each item is individually packaged with an I.O.U. for where to send your payment, by check or PayPal. Since we have more clothes than we could possibly wear, we opted to purchase a set of four cards.

A sign on the shelter congratulated us on reaching the top of the hill and invited us to enjoy a glass of water from a local well. It was a welcome respite before we visited the one-room school house (below), which had been turned into a museum.

The account of life on the island was fascinating. Early families primarily raised dairy cattle, the milk and cream was then shipped to Seattle to be turned into ice cream, cheese, and other dairy products. While the women stayed home and tended to the children and cattle, the men found work fishing. Families were large and until the 1960’s the primary means of transportation were by foot, using wheel barrels to haul goods from one end of the island to the other, and from dairies and farms onto boats. Today, fuel-efficient all-terrain vehicles are the preferred means of getting around the island.One room school on Stuart Island

After wandering through the school grounds and peeking in the windows of the new, considerably larger school (last year, only two students were enrolled), we continued trudging up hills until we reached the Turn Point lighthouse.

I had a preconceived notion that the lighthouse would be a small structure with a narrow turret that led to the light at the top. Built for $15,000 in 1892, the lighthouse is very impressive and is now remotely monitored by the coast guard and Bureau of Land Management. Tip of Stuart Island

More impressive is the spectacular 200-220-degree (to the right and below) view across the Haro Straits. If you stand by the lighthouse, stretch out your arms, pushing them back as far as possible, then turn your head back-and-forth to look at your fingers, you see the ocean, islands, across to Canada, and more ocean. The panoramic view is nothing less than breathtaking. You are literally standing on the tip of a thin sliver of an island, surrounded by hundreds of miles of water. Light house on Stuart Island

Built a few years after the lighthouse was an elegant “duplex,” barn, water tank and other ancillary buildings for the lighthouse keeper and his assistant. One keeper, who arrived in 1900, had 13 kids!

The most civilized, or more appropriately, the most upscale island we visited was San Juan Island, in particular Roche Harbor. A harried sail across the Haro Strait from Sidney, British Columbia, Roche Harbor is a port of entry for pleasure ships. It also seems to be where the elite keep their multi-million dollar yachts during the summer season.

We got to the harbor around 10 o’clock and were able to tie up to the guest dock, in front of several sailboats. We then ambled up the dock towards the shoring, passing dozens of huge ships. The marina can hold 377 vessels, ranging from 30 to 150 feet in length. It’s like walking between rows of semi-trucks, except, most trucks are around 53-feet in length and just 14 feet high. These ships easily towered 20-30 feet above the dock and were longer than an average mobile home! 

 To give you an idea of the types of ships we saw, I found a listing for a 55-foot Fleming yacht for sailing in Roche Harbor for $1.6 million. Here’s the site for Fleming Yachts, which are popular in the Pacific Northwest because they’re made in California and can be cruised up to Washington. If you’re in the marketing for a yacht on the west coast, you might want to check out Crow’s Nest Yachts.

Because of its proximity, Roche Harbor piqued the interest of several countries. In 1787, Captain de Haro and his crew were the first Europeans to sail among the San Juan Islands. The Canadian Hudson’s Bay Company built a log trading post at the head of the harbor in 1845. Meanwhile, American settlers migrated to Roche Harbor from the surrounding Islands, along with key cities like Bellingham and Anacortes.

In 1871, the United States and Great Britain selected Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm to arbitrate the territory dispute. The United States won and in 1881, two brothers, bought Roche Harbor and stated the island’s lime industry. Roche Harbor_2

John S. McMillin, a Tacoma lawyer, discovered a large deposit of lime in the area and began negotiating for the brothers’ claim. In 1886, the Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company was founded, igniting the start of a thriving town. The Hotel de Haro (below) was built along with a modern lime factory, warehouse, docks, ships, pieces, offices, company store, church, schools, barns, and homes. Bunkhouses were built for single men and one- and two-story cottages for families.

Many of the original buildings, including the hotel wharf, and stores, have been restored and contribute to the charm of the town. Several of the streets are now paved with the bricks that lined the lime kilns, which consumed 26-cords of wood per day. Many of the surrounding islands were severely logged to keep up with the need for wood.Roche Harbor_3

Today, the trees have grown back and seemingly everywhere are gardens and seating areas with planter boxes and formal gardens with lush billowing bushes, fragrant blooms, and carefully pruned trees.

A short walk from the hotel is the original church and many of the original cottages, which are now part of the Roche Harbor Resort. I took a picture of the old school houses (below). Through the window, you can see the marina in the distance!

Near the resort is the San Juan Museum of Art & Sculpture Park. According to the web site, it’s a “nineteen-acre microcosm of the San Juan ecology, forest, meadows, freshwater wetlands, saltwater wetland, and rocky outcroppings” with a “rotating exhibit of over 100 sculptures” made from bronze, stone, wood, metal, glass, and ceramic. Some of the sculptures were for sales. Many were ridiculously priced. For instance, one artist put common window screening on the frames of old umbrellas and hung them from a grouping of trees. It was priced in the thousands! Sculpture_Dragon

I was most fond of the sculptures that made sounds or rotated in the wind… or was a scary, winged dragon (right).

After wandering through the sculptures, we moseyed to the mausoleum built for John S. McMillan. The picture in the gunkhole book resembled marble. The mausoleum, however, is made from plaster and painted rather grotesque colors. It was big and I suppose impressive, but I found it rather distasteful. You can read about the significance of the pillars, stairs, and other symbolism on the San Juan Masonic Lodgehttp:// site.

Roche Harbor through school house Before leaving Roche Harbor, we made a quick lunch, which we ate from the cockpit of our sailboat while watching the flurry of activity in the marina, including floatplanes taking off and landing, and large yachts cranking on their bow thrusters to wedge in-and-out of tight slips.

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